John, I think you have found a great solution! Your research (meaning time and money spent) will help others. I’m glad you are doing better and recovering from your recent setback. Looking forward to any follow up videos.
jeff, sorry for such a long delay in replying. Since my accident time seems to slip by faster than ever. Thank you for the good words. fyi.. I hope to post a short video on a mulching job just completed using a full set of the retrofit FAE teeth. I think the job came out pretty good, probably the cleanest mulch job so far.
There's a new 76" China Drum Mulchers out. Never seen this one before and I can't find info online about it being low or high flow. The Auction sites don't post an info sheet for this one. ➡ 2023 Diggit TH76 76 Inch Forestry Drum Mulcher ⬅. I like the positioning of the cutters on it but the drum looks like it may be to light weight and also looks to light weight where the cutters bolt to. Monitoring a bunch in an auction today Sept 13. Located hours away from me.
Keto, that is an interesting design. Teeth look like they might be a fairly standard "beaver" tooth. Also, looks like it limits the depth of cut which actually can help in performance. First time I have seen that one. I may start following that one on the auctions, see what the going price will be.
John, I have the Handy mulcher sold at Ritchie Bros auction. I'm interested in trying these blades you have. What is the width of the mount tooth mount on the drum you have? Want to compare to what I have to see if the knife will possible fit my mount. Thanks.
I know this is a little late on the reply, but thought I would mention the web price for the Top Cat is down from $13k to $7k. hopefully this will drive down the auction prices as well. agrotkindustrial.com/products/skid-steer-forestry-drum-mulcher
So I’m gona add some info to the thread the fake teeth John refers to can be bought online on eBay for reduced price they still are not cheap but can save a couple hundred bucks. They do fit and I’ve consulted with an equipment shop and they felt the bolt was more than adequate to hold the new teeth. A forestry door is a must they are 3/4 poly carbonate and require a new frame to place glass of you don’t have the forestry door you will die eventually at your own hands. Some other info to add when I bought my head couldn’t put oil in right hand side bearing as John mentioned I replumbed it with some hydrolics line and a couple elbows and oil flows in freely now from upper air vent being used as a full point left bearing leaks liquid out drain hole plug and required some silicone to seal the threads properly. I’ve test ran mine and it runs quietly and doesn’t make any bizzare noises for an entry level mulcher head I’m not to mad I bought it be prepared to purging the Chinese and be willing to make some small issues right it’s not plug and play out of the crate oh ps caution when you cut it out of the crate it will try to roll over on you and it weighs 2400lbs roughly
a selle, Great Feedback, thank you for that. Not sure why it did not occur to me to replace that fill line on the left side, but that is a good fix. removing that side panel is a chore every time I need to get in there. Also, wanted to mention I just sprung a leak in the hydraulic cooling radiator. Shop said it appears to have been over pressurized, based on the material they felt it would maybe handle 1000psi max. On high flow system, the pressure can reach 3000+ psi. I am now questioning if the system can handle high flow. more to come on that.
Do you think it would be a good idea to re-braze the carbide to the tooth before using a new mulcher? The carbides you lost looked like they were not brazed on very well.
Yes, if you could do that. Durring my very first usage I had a few where the carbide teeth came off, with very little wear on the other teeth, And YES, they are not brazed on very well. Even the ones I ordered new were not all that well done. Fortunatly, there are other tooth options. I hope to have a video out in next two weeks showing the xtremeparts.com teeth.
Dakota, I just received the new additional teeth, got the bolts, nuts, and washers on order. Expect to give that a try in a couple of weeks. Hopefully that goes well.
Dakota, Yes $27 is a good price, they sell for around $32. I have bought a batch from ebay and the ones I received are FAE teeth. I will also be getting the bolt, washer, and nut part numbers posted up shortly. Got those from Fastenal
Hi John, first of all I want to say thank you for showing the device of the mulcher in such detail. The teeth on your mulcher are originally for other tasks, but what you set is more suitable for you, because you are removing small bushes and undergrowth. Tungsten carbide tipped teeth are needed for working in soil and on large wood. Judging by how they have deteriorated on the branches, they are simply of poor quality. I don't know how you solved the RPM problem, but you know you have an adjustable deflector washer motor that changes volume. For a qualitative result, the rotor speed should be about 2000 rpm. Then the chips will be more uniform and of the same size, and the number of skipped and unprocessed branches will also decrease
Александр Филимонов Great feedback.. Thank you for that. Yes, I am doing mostly underbrush, seldom get into anything larger than 4" diameter. When I do, I found that I just have to take my time. I now have mostly all FAE teeth installed, set the high flow down to around 35gpm (ruptured the hydraulic cooler radiator in mulcher, so trimed the gpm down some). Then from another viewers comments, started running the throttle on skid steer much higher than in the past. RPM are easily up to 2000. The results have been pretty good. You are correct, the chips are more uniform and fewer really large pieces, so the mulching job is looking better. Plus, reprocessing has reduced, what once took 5 to 6 passes is taking 3 to 4. cut off at ground level is cleaner and closer to ground.
I bought my first set here... www.hendrixtimbermulchers.com/product/c-3-blade-112800126/2?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3 hendrixtimbermulchers.com/product/c-3-blade/ But, you can also find them on eBay on occassion. You will need new bolts, washers, lock washers, and nuts. I got mine at Fastenal. M16-20x100mm DIN931 SKU 40766, M16 DIN 127 Slit Lock Washer SKU 40256, M16-2.0 A194 2H Steel Heavy Hex Nut SKU 0155778. I used the old washers, but recommend buying new. Hope that helps. Regarding the FAE teeth, still not sure that is a safe solution AND they dig in aggressively, they could rip your tooth holder right off. If you choose to use them, you should approach the mulching very slowly and with care. Don't be in a hurry you will damage your mulcher.
Did you change out the rest of the teeth? I just bought one of these I watched your videos forst and used them to make a informed decision I’m very interested in the results if you changed out the rest of the teeth and what the results where can you please make another video if you changed out the rest of the teeth showing final results. Also did you try any of the four point teeth do they mount up do they fit?
I have the teeth and mounting bolts/nuts, but have not changed them out. Intend to do that in next couple of weeks. Have identified the area to test on and will certainly post the video. I have not tested the Beaver teeth (four prong tooth), To outfit the unit with those teeth will cost around $1,500. Wife says I need to curb my mulcher spending.. :)
Shane, Thank you for sharing that. Hopefully others can use that feedback when they evaluate purchasing choices. I do not know how many topcat disc mulchers have been sold, but I do get a lot of feedback from people who have had various issues. In case you have not found it, you should be able to get parts from Agro TK (though they are not that fast to respond). There is a parts list here.. agrotkindustrial.com/products/skid-steer-forestry-disc-mulcher
@@shanefoster. That's sucks. I was very enthused when when I saw how good the quality brand Disc forestry mulchers ripped through stuff. Heard of a buyer of a New Top Cat China knock off having vibration issues from day one. He spent a few thousand having it balanced but still not 100% working right!
You are welcome. So, now I have three sources for teeth. The FAE teeth, AgroTk agrotkindustrial.com/products/forestry-mulcher-teeth, and ExtremeWearParts.com www.xtremewearparts.com/index.php?route=common/advance_search&brand_id=87&key_line=&product_id=&model_id=&keyword=&serial=&oempart=&ourpart=
Glad you asked, hopefully others will find this helpful. If you are looking at Topcat branded products, the company here in the U.S. that handles that is Agrotk agrotkindustrial.com/ For teeth, there are a couple of sources... agrotkindustrial.com/products/forestry-mulcher-teeth www.xtremewearparts.com/index.php?route=common/advance_search&brand_id=87&key_line=&product_id=&model_id=&keyword=&serial=&oempart=&ourpart= Agrotk takes about 4 weeks to ship from china. I have ordered from them, just be patient. I have NOT yet ordered any xtremewearparts teeth, so do not yet have an opinion on those
Ok so here is one thing you need to look at closely. Those knife teeth are going to grab and chunk into the wood much more than the carbide teeth. They are also much wider increasing the amount of impact force they transfer into the tooth holders. You need to inspect those welds that hold the tooth mounts onto the drum. This being a cheap Chinese mulcher (no offense) I would not trust those welds. If one gives out while you are mulching it could easily throw it back at you into the cab or out the mulcher into someone or something.
Thank you for the advice, I have already experienced the results of increased impact, more required force, and feeling the drum and skid steer as it reaches max pressure. This is an important point you are making and I don't think I pointed it out in my video, you must take it much much slower and cautiously. However, I did NOT consider the welds on the tooth mount. Very good point and something I will now inspect after each use. Thank you again for the comments.
Nate, I may not, but I have a friend up in Anderson that is looking at a used Dennis CMAF. Would you be able to contact me directly at john@topcatmulchers.com regarding. Would like to get PIC's and possible come see the unit.
You know, I am not in disagreement with that. I think I may have mentioned in one of the videos, that if you do the math, you can buy an FAE, use it for 3 - 4 years, then sell it for 50% or more of the original purchase price. Meaning, for around $20k final 4 year cost. About what you are going to spend on a TopCat and all the repairs. So, YES, that is sound advice.
If you can’t afford to buy a quality builtAmerican or Canadian built mulched you certainly can’t afford a cheap Chinese unit, even if you’re successful in beefing up the teeth, it’ll fail at the next weakest link.
My experience has been that failures move from one part to the next. Though, the failure rate has tapered off. I am still of the opinion that when priced in the $8k or less, this mulcher has a fit. You just have to be prepared to suffer through the failures and spend the time finding solutions. Which is why I started this channel. I did not do my home work (not enough anyway) before I bought and just hoping to save others the grief, of at least let them go into with eyes open. I think in one of my videos I talk about buying a top quality name brand .vs. the top cat. When I put the math to it, and consider what I have spent. Then, look at what used FAI, Fecon, Dennis Cmaf, etc sell for when they are 4 years old/used. It seems to me one approach is buy name brand, use it for 4 years, then sell it. Example if you buy a unit for $40k, keep up the maintenance, in 4 years it may resell for $20k. That $20k you spent, will be pretty close to what it will cost you to keep the Top Cat going for 4 years. At least that is my estimate
I am surprised to hear that about the TMG unit, though I have zero experience with it. Seeing that it is so similar to the Top Cat, I suppose it would not be a surprise that it suffers from the same quality issues. I did notice that AgroTk has dropped the web site price for the unit from $12,500.00 to $7,900.00. That could mean they are dropping the product and thus parts availability will be come even more scarce
John, I think you have found a great solution! Your research (meaning time and money spent) will help others. I’m glad you are doing better and recovering from your recent setback.
Looking forward to any follow up videos.
jeff, sorry for such a long delay in replying. Since my accident time seems to slip by faster than ever. Thank you for the good words. fyi.. I hope to post a short video on a mulching job just completed using a full set of the retrofit FAE teeth. I think the job came out pretty good, probably the cleanest mulch job so far.
There's a new 76" China Drum Mulchers out. Never seen this one before and I can't find info online about it being low or high flow. The Auction sites don't post an info sheet for this one. ➡ 2023 Diggit TH76 76 Inch Forestry Drum Mulcher ⬅. I like the positioning of the cutters on it but the drum looks like it may be to light weight and also looks to light weight where the cutters bolt to. Monitoring a bunch in an auction today Sept 13. Located hours away from me.
Keto, that is an interesting design. Teeth look like they might be a fairly standard "beaver" tooth. Also, looks like it limits the depth of cut which actually can help in performance. First time I have seen that one. I may start following that one on the auctions, see what the going price will be.
John, I have the Handy mulcher sold at Ritchie Bros auction. I'm interested in trying these blades you have. What is the width of the mount tooth mount on the drum you have? Want to compare to what I have to see if the knife will possible fit my mount. Thanks.
Nice test and it looks like a good fit. thank you for showing your detailed fixes
Nice.....been shopping around for a good mulcher for a good price. Love the FAE tooth find....awesome.
I know this is a little late on the reply, but thought I would mention the web price for the Top Cat is down from $13k to $7k. hopefully this will drive down the auction prices as well. agrotkindustrial.com/products/skid-steer-forestry-drum-mulcher
So I’m gona add some info to the thread the fake teeth John refers to can be bought online on eBay for reduced price they still are not cheap but can save a couple hundred bucks. They do fit and I’ve consulted with an equipment shop and they felt the bolt was more than adequate to hold the new teeth. A forestry door is a must they are 3/4 poly carbonate and require a new frame to place glass of you don’t have the forestry door you will die eventually at your own hands. Some other info to add when I bought my head couldn’t put oil in right hand side bearing as John mentioned I replumbed it with some hydrolics line and a couple elbows and oil flows in freely now from upper air vent being used as a full point left bearing leaks liquid out drain hole plug and required some silicone to seal the threads properly. I’ve test ran mine and it runs quietly and doesn’t make any bizzare noises for an entry level mulcher head I’m not to mad I bought it be prepared to purging the Chinese and be willing to make some small issues right it’s not plug and play out of the crate oh ps caution when you cut it out of the crate it will try to roll over on you and it weighs 2400lbs roughly
a selle, Great Feedback, thank you for that. Not sure why it did not occur to me to replace that fill line on the left side, but that is a good fix. removing that side panel is a chore every time I need to get in there. Also, wanted to mention I just sprung a leak in the hydraulic cooling radiator. Shop said it appears to have been over pressurized, based on the material they felt it would maybe handle 1000psi max. On high flow system, the pressure can reach 3000+ psi. I am now questioning if the system can handle high flow. more to come on that.
@aselle3460 do you have a link for those Teeth? Thanks
Do you think it would be a good idea to re-braze the carbide to the tooth before using a new mulcher? The carbides you lost looked like they were not brazed on very well.
Yes, if you could do that. Durring my very first usage I had a few where the carbide teeth came off, with very little wear on the other teeth, And YES, they are not brazed on very well. Even the ones I ordered new were not all that well done. Fortunatly, there are other tooth options. I hope to have a video out in next two weeks showing the xtremeparts.com teeth.
Thank you for this video! Will you show us how it does with a full drum of FAE teeth?
Dakota, I just received the new additional teeth, got the bolts, nuts, and washers on order. Expect to give that a try in a couple of weeks. Hopefully that goes well.
Okay will you make a video of your results I saw the teeth on eBay for about $27 per tooth, is that a Good deal?
Dakota, Yes $27 is a good price, they sell for around $32. I have bought a batch from ebay and the ones I received are FAE teeth. I will also be getting the bolt, washer, and nut part numbers posted up shortly. Got those from Fastenal
@@topcatmulchers3802 that's the link for them on eBay
I don't understand why they would leave a gap in between.
I don't either. Maybe the drum and hydraulic motor is not powerful enough? seems odd, you could use the same number of teeth, just stagger them.
Hi John, first of all I want to say thank you for showing the device of the mulcher in such detail.
The teeth on your mulcher are originally for other tasks, but what you set is more suitable for you, because you are removing small bushes and undergrowth. Tungsten carbide tipped teeth are needed for working in soil and on large wood. Judging by how they have deteriorated on the branches, they are simply of poor quality.
I don't know how you solved the RPM problem, but you know you have an adjustable deflector washer motor that changes volume. For a qualitative result, the rotor speed should be about 2000 rpm. Then the chips will be more uniform and of the same size, and the number of skipped and unprocessed branches will also decrease
Александр Филимонов Great feedback.. Thank you for that. Yes, I am doing mostly underbrush, seldom get into anything larger than 4" diameter. When I do, I found that I just have to take my time. I now have mostly all FAE teeth installed, set the high flow down to around 35gpm (ruptured the hydraulic cooler radiator in mulcher, so trimed the gpm down some). Then from another viewers comments, started running the throttle on skid steer much higher than in the past. RPM are easily up to 2000. The results have been pretty good. You are correct, the chips are more uniform and fewer really large pieces, so the mulching job is looking better. Plus, reprocessing has reduced, what once took 5 to 6 passes is taking 3 to 4. cut off at ground level is cleaner and closer to ground.
I know this video is not recent but is their a way you could provide a link to the fae teeth you are using in the video.
I bought my first set here... www.hendrixtimbermulchers.com/product/c-3-blade-112800126/2?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3
hendrixtimbermulchers.com/product/c-3-blade/ But, you can also find them on eBay on occassion. You will need new bolts, washers, lock washers, and nuts. I got mine at Fastenal. M16-20x100mm DIN931 SKU 40766, M16 DIN 127 Slit Lock Washer SKU 40256, M16-2.0 A194 2H Steel Heavy Hex Nut SKU 0155778. I used the old washers, but recommend buying new. Hope that helps. Regarding the FAE teeth, still not sure that is a safe solution AND they dig in aggressively, they could rip your tooth holder right off. If you choose to use them, you should approach the mulching very slowly and with care. Don't be in a hurry you will damage your mulcher.
Did you ever find better teeth that cut more off
Did you change out the rest of the teeth? I just bought one of these I watched your videos forst and used them to make a informed decision I’m very interested in the results if you changed out the rest of the teeth and what the results where can you please make another video if you changed out the rest of the teeth showing final results. Also did you try any of the four point teeth do they mount up do they fit?
I have the teeth and mounting bolts/nuts, but have not changed them out. Intend to do that in next couple of weeks. Have identified the area to test on and will certainly post the video. I have not tested the Beaver teeth (four prong tooth), To outfit the unit with those teeth will cost around $1,500. Wife says I need to curb my mulcher spending.. :)
a selle have you run the mulcher yet? If so, how do you like it?
Thank you!!! Great info
PLEASE make video's on other attachments from RB auctions!
Helpful Information THANKS!
I bought a new topcat disc mulcher 2 days ago and used it for 5 minutes and it messed up not happy with it
Shane, Thank you for sharing that. Hopefully others can use that feedback when they evaluate purchasing choices. I do not know how many topcat disc mulchers have been sold, but I do get a lot of feedback from people who have had various issues. In case you have not found it, you should be able to get parts from Agro TK (though they are not that fast to respond). There is a parts list here.. agrotkindustrial.com/products/skid-steer-forestry-disc-mulcher
What happened to it?
@_Keto_Diet it locked up with in 5 minutes of use got another one and it has a lot of vibration
@@shanefoster. That's sucks. I was very enthused when when I saw how good the quality brand Disc forestry mulchers ripped through stuff. Heard of a buyer of a New Top Cat China knock off having vibration issues from day one. He spent a few thousand having it balanced but still not 100% working right!
@@BlacklistedBible The one that locked up on me didn't have any vibration. But the one that I have now has a lot of vibrations.
Great info, and this is huge help to let me know the Topcat teeth. I was helping our US customers to find best alternatives on the market.
You are welcome. So, now I have three sources for teeth. The FAE teeth, AgroTk agrotkindustrial.com/products/forestry-mulcher-teeth, and ExtremeWearParts.com www.xtremewearparts.com/index.php?route=common/advance_search&brand_id=87&key_line=&product_id=&model_id=&keyword=&serial=&oempart=&ourpart=
👍👍👍👍
What the website where u order ur teeth from
Glad you asked, hopefully others will find this helpful. If you are looking at Topcat branded products, the company here in the U.S. that handles that is Agrotk
agrotkindustrial.com/
For teeth, there are a couple of sources...
agrotkindustrial.com/products/forestry-mulcher-teeth
www.xtremewearparts.com/index.php?route=common/advance_search&brand_id=87&key_line=&product_id=&model_id=&keyword=&serial=&oempart=&ourpart=
Agrotk takes about 4 weeks to ship from china. I have ordered from them, just be patient.
I have NOT yet ordered any xtremewearparts teeth, so do not yet have an opinion on those
Ok so here is one thing you need to look at closely. Those knife teeth are going to grab and chunk into the wood much more than the carbide teeth. They are also much wider increasing the amount of impact force they transfer into the tooth holders. You need to inspect those welds that hold the tooth mounts onto the drum. This being a cheap Chinese mulcher (no offense) I would not trust those welds. If one gives out while you are mulching it could easily throw it back at you into the cab or out the mulcher into someone or something.
Thank you for the advice, I have already experienced the results of increased impact, more required force, and feeling the drum and skid steer as it reaches max pressure. This is an important point you are making and I don't think I pointed it out in my video, you must take it much much slower and cautiously. However, I did NOT consider the welds on the tooth mount. Very good point and something I will now inspect after each use. Thank you again for the comments.
If you like that kind of teeth I have a Fecon mulcher for sale with like new teeth for $19k in Houston.
Nate, I may not, but I have a friend up in Anderson that is looking at a used Dennis CMAF. Would you be able to contact me directly at john@topcatmulchers.com regarding. Would like to get PIC's and possible come see the unit.
There is nothing other than the bolt holding the tooth on.
Yep, and not full M20 bolt!. I will need to work on shims and spacers to make the mount more solid.
The best solution is to scrap that unit, and start fresh with a FAE . Cheers. You will be happy forever ,
You know, I am not in disagreement with that. I think I may have mentioned in one of the videos, that if you do the math, you can buy an FAE, use it for 3 - 4 years, then sell it for 50% or more of the original purchase price. Meaning, for around $20k final 4 year cost. About what you are going to spend on a TopCat and all the repairs. So, YES, that is sound advice.
If you can’t afford to buy a quality builtAmerican or Canadian built mulched you certainly can’t afford a cheap Chinese unit, even if you’re successful in beefing up the teeth, it’ll fail at the next weakest link.
My experience has been that failures move from one part to the next. Though, the failure rate has tapered off. I am still of the opinion that when priced in the $8k or less, this mulcher has a fit. You just have to be prepared to suffer through the failures and spend the time finding solutions. Which is why I started this channel. I did not do my home work (not enough anyway) before I bought and just hoping to save others the grief, of at least let them go into with eyes open. I think in one of my videos I talk about buying a top quality name brand .vs. the top cat. When I put the math to it, and consider what I have spent. Then, look at what used FAI, Fecon, Dennis Cmaf, etc sell for when they are 4 years old/used. It seems to me one approach is buy name brand, use it for 4 years, then sell it. Example if you buy a unit for $40k, keep up the maintenance, in 4 years it may resell for $20k. That $20k you spent, will be pretty close to what it will cost you to keep the Top Cat going for 4 years. At least that is my estimate
TMG is even junkier than Top Cat, you’re fighting a losing battle, there’s no value in Chinese junk!
I am surprised to hear that about the TMG unit, though I have zero experience with it. Seeing that it is so similar to the Top Cat, I suppose it would not be a surprise that it suffers from the same quality issues. I did notice that AgroTk has dropped the web site price for the unit from $12,500.00 to $7,900.00. That could mean they are dropping the product and thus parts availability will be come even more scarce