Schaffer articulated wheel loader mulcher as alternative to track mulcher
Hi Guys,
Sorry to put this post up again on the site, but I was reading this thread and thught their might be some new people that could give me any feedback!
Kkottemann sorry to hear about your fire, that's not a good situation for anyone. Hopefully they get it back on track ASAP and you are earning again.
We are going to release in Australia an
articulated loader 9330Z-high flow.
This will have a 130hp water cooled deutz matched to a load sensing bosch/rexroth hydrostatic pump. It will be designed for 150 litres per minute at 250 bar, maybe not the biggest flow on the market but it will definitely do this. Some customers of mine that own skid steers have put flow meters on their machines and have been suprised at the actual results.
The
9330Z wheel loader is built from scratch for the job, it has a purpose built hydraulic cooling package (one side step is now an extra cooler, even the standard Schaffer Loaders have good cooling!), extra large alternator, full underbelly protection, optional plexiglass windscreen (unlike a skid steer the cabin is somewhat protected from the mulching head by the mast), ride control (nitrogen filled shock absorber on the mast) for long distance travelling, air intake goes through a few filters including self cleaning precleaner and a whole lot of other extra's to make it right for the job. Schaffer are serious about supplying the right machine for the job and construct different builds depending on the country the machine is going to.
You will get a much greater lift capacity than a skid steer as you have a longer wheel base and more weight out the back of the rear axle, giving you superior lift at the front.
Obviously you can operate other tools - augers, trenchers, 4-in-1, grab bucket, log grab, pallet forks with about a 3 tonne payload, use as a loader etc...
Road speed is standard at 20km/hr, but there is an optional 35km/hr.
The mast is incredibly strong - its not made of a hollow box section that can be put out of shape, its made of solid 30mm plate. Pins are a minimum of 50mm, but many are 80mm and all have 5mm bushes - the German manufacturer believes in building something to last.
Tyres would be solid filled from the start and we have an option of remoulded aircraft tyres that were originally rated at 20 tonnes per tyre at 235 mph! Or cut resistant forrestry tyres.
With a tyred vehicle you don't have all the under carriage and track maintenance which according to maintenance costs of bulldozers is meant to be around 70-80% of the total cost of running the machine. There are other forestry mulching units out there on wheels, but I think they are all dedicated (so not versatile for a contractor with other jobs - pallet forks, auger work, bucket work, logging) around 300hp so we are talking a totally different machine to the Schaffer wheel loader 9330 high flow.
Being articulated the
Schaffer 9330 wheel loader will be kind on the ground, even fully articulating it hardly scratches the sufaces saving your tyres and your back. Some potentially interested customers have told me mulching big trees could be an advantage as you just articulate to turn the mast so can mulch something down instead of having to reposition the loader. Also visibility out the back is great as you are sitting more on top of the engine than a skid steer.
The centre of gavity is very low as there is a lot of weight low out the back of the rear axle, part of the reason you can pick up so much weight at the front. Also solid filled tyres really add to the low centre of gravity.
I'm not suggesting this is a total replacement for a tracked skid steer, just a machine for less steep country and the ability to run any tool a bobcat can. I'm a big believer for the right machine for the job and are interested in this introduction. Schaffer Loaders have sold this machine in Europe for other high flow applications and now we are looking at putting the mulching head on it.
As something different I've attached the wheel loader mulcher version plus a story about a big farm in Germany that has a unit with 19,500 hours on it and another with 21,000 hours on it. I don't think in the mulching/forestry environment you are going to get those sort of hours though!
Cheers in advance for any feedback,
Cameron Moir :greenchainsaw:
View attachment 138918
View attachment 138919
You have to be insane to not have the cat mesh door and the gaurding you need.
