About Track Mulchers
Track mulchers, sometimes referred to as “track brush cutters” or “track masticators,” use a mulching attachment or head to clear underbrush, trees, and other vegetation from various types of property. Track brush cutters shred scrub, weeds, and small trees into mulch and distribute it on the ground. Mulching stabilizes the soil and protects it from erosion as it decomposes and enriches the soil with nutrients.
2024 Fecon FTX150-2 Track Mulcher
Track mulchers are often large, powerful, and durable machines based on a self-propelled carrier with steel or rubber tracks. They are equipped with a front-mounted disc-, deck-, or drum-style mulcher head and various shields and guards to protect the operator and machine from flying debris. Some track brushcutters push through vegetation with a front-mounted bar, cutting foliage at the stem and then mulching it as the mulcher passes over it.
Track vs. Wheel Mulchers
Tack mulchers and tracked excavator mulchers provide better traction on soft terrain and high grades compared to wheel mulchers. Track mulchers also exert less ground pressure and disrupt the soil less than wheel models, as their tracks spread their weight over a much larger contact patch than tires.
However, mulchers on wheels are speedier and more agile on firm soil than track mulchers. Wheeled models can also move across paved surfaces without worrying about track wear or damage to the pavement.
Excavator-based models with a mulcher head on a boom can grind trees several feet off the ground and clear steep slopes. Skid steer mulchers are compact options that may have either tracks or wheels and can work in narrow confines.
Best Projects For Track Mulchers
Track masticators are well-suited to handling large land-clearing jobs and removing brush and vegetation above ground level. Models with a mulching drum head can also grind tree stumps under the surface. Brush clearing makes it easier for other machines to uproot stumps and remove large rocks from the soil.
Wheel mulchers are often used for:
- Land clearing for commercial and residential construction
- Vegetation management
- Fire prevention
- Utility right-of-way maintenance
- Forestry
- Land reclamation
- Wildlife habitat restoration
- Oil and gas pipeline projects, and much more
For smaller jobs, a tracked machine such as a track skid steer or compact track loader (CTL) can also be fitted with a brush cutter attachment if it can support its weight and generates enough power take-off (PTO) horsepower or hydraulic flow and operating pressure to meet the mulching head’s demanding requirements.
When you’re ready to buy a tracked mulcher, look for a model that can handle the diameter of the tree trunks on your typical jobsite, such as 6 inches (15 centimeters) on the low end to 24 in. (61 cm) on the high end. Other things to look for are the mulcher’s cutting width, its finish (how finely or coarsely it chops the vegetation), and how simple it is to replace or resharpen its cutting teeth.
Where To Buy & Finance Track Mulchers
Explore TreeTrader.com and the pages of Tree & Landscape Equipment Trader magazine to find new and used track mulchers for sale. The website lists hundreds of new and used track brush cutters from manufacturers such as CMI, FAE, Fecon, Gyro Trac, Lamtrac, Prime Tech, Prinoth, Rayco, and others.
Have you already found the right track mulcher for your operation but need help with financing? Discover your landscaping and tree care equipment financing options with CurrencyFinance. Currency will help you find a loan with the best available rates and terms.
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