How all on here has a Carlton 7015 TRX?

[Mowingman]

Who all on here has a Carlton 7015 TRX?

I just sold my big Bandit 2900T track stump grinder. I am going to replace it with either a new, updated, 2900T, or a new Carlton 7015TRX.
I am leaning toward the 7015, as I do not need a big 80HP diesel, the 60HP on the Carlton will be plenty.
So, the Carlton is over $6000.00 less than the Bandit. Price alone, makes it almost a "no brainer".
Anyone had any serious problems with the Carlton 7015 track machine?
Unless I hear a bunch of bad things about the Carlton, I probably will order one this coming week.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[gr8scott72]

I just sold my big Bandit 2900T track stump grinder. I am going to replace it with either a new, updated, 2900T, or a new Carlton 7015TRX.
I am leaning toward the 7015, as I do not need a big 80HP diesel, the 60HP on the Carlton will be plenty.
So, the Carlton is over $6000.00 less than the Bandit. Price alone, makes it almost a "no brainer".
Anyone had any serious problems with the Carlton 7015 track machine?
Unless I hear a bunch of bad things about the Carlton, I probably will order one this coming week.
Thanks,
Jeff

I'm sure you've read about mine. I've had one hydraulic diverter valve go out that was about $60 and had to replace the upper belt ($70). Oh, I had one other o-ring give out and made a slow hydraulic leak but was easy to fix.

I've got 360 hours on it now and seriously am just now on my second set of batteries for the remote. (Just regular AA)

Isn't the Bandit a hydraulic drive for the cutter head? The Carlton is a dirrect belt drive which gives you ALL the engine power to the stump.

I did one stump this morning. 30 minute drive there, 15 minutes to unload, grind, load, and collect money, 30 minutes back home for a smooth $100.


Why did you sell your Bandit? Didn't you just recently buy that thing?

 

[Mowingman]

Thanks for the info. The Bandit has a hydraulic motor up on the cutting head that runs a wide flat belt, that drives the cutter. That is the only belt on the machine.
I really liked the machine, and have ground well over 1000 stumps in the year I have had it, with not one problem. The big job I am on will be winding down this summer. I decided I do not need that much machine, (horsepower and weight), for most of my work. I did not really plan to sell it, but a land clearing contractor not far from here, needed a big machine and wanted to buy it. I got nearly what I paid for it.
I figured this was a good chance to either get another Bandit with all the current updates, or, look at a somewhat smaller machine that will better fit my needs in the future.
The overall size, weight, and horsepower of the Carlton really is ideal for me. However, I hate to switch from Bandit and my current dealer, who is great.
All things considered, the Carlton is probably the way I will go this time.
Jeff

 

[ropensaddle]

Well I looked at the Carleton but the belts issue and dealers way off decided to go with sc 602 shaft drive only belt is fan alternator belt. Mine is tow behind but works great for me my best day was 127 stumps of various size! I would check out the track model so602 may be good as well but 60 hp is all you need imo my cat 60 handles all I give her.

 

[gr8scott72]

Well I looked at the Carleton but the belts issue and dealers way off decided to go with sc 602 shaft drive only belt is fan alternator belt. Mine is tow behind but works great for me my best day was 127 stumps of various size! I would check out the track model so602 may be good as well but 60 hp is all you need imo my cat 60 handles all I give her.

I looked at both and even demoed the sc60. Even forgetting the fact that the 8 hour demo broke on the one stump that I was doing, there where other things that I really didn't like about it.

Some of the big things are:
Chip cappacity is almost double on the Carlton
Travel speed is about double on the Carlton (That's a really big one to me)
Carlton came with the sandvik wheel
You don't have to remove the chip gaurds everytime you want to go thru a gate with the Carlton (You do with the Vermeer)



Oh, my best day with my Carlton was $2,500!!

 

[ibadvanced]

7015 trx

HI, I've had the Carlton SP 7015 wheeled unit for over 2 years now--560 hrs.---I bought a SP 8018 TRX with the 99hp Kubota, both great machines the 8018 is limited in where you can go and turning is trying without tearing the lawn granted it''s alot heavier. As far as being on nice lawns the wheeled unit is really great, because you don't have to be careful turning--just turn the wheels and go. It really speeds up the job if you have a yard full of stumps. I know there are advantages to both, but you might want to demo a wheeled unit also.

 

[Mowingman]

I have thought about the wheel machines, like the 7015 and Bandit 2800. however, the tracks have me spoiled and I prefer them for the ability to work in rough and wet areas.
If the payments on the track machine seem too high to live with, my fallback position is to go back to one of the wheel machines. We will see how the visit to the bank goes tomorrow.
The Vermeer machines are not on my list. Too many reports of problems, and the nearest dealer is 50 miles away.
Jeff

 

[dave k]

For me the over build of the carlton grinders is just great, two of my pals have had serious problems with new 60 TX's one has had 4 control boxes and one remote in 18 hours !!!! I have the 8018 with 99hp kubota and at 2 yrs old and 900 ish hours no real problems after sorting out the polychain belt which from about 250 hrs started pulling the pulleys off the jack shaft, the problem was resolved by fitting a carbon fibre belt the same width as a standard 80hp 8018.

 

[motoroilmccall]

We have a 7015TRX, and I gotta say, its a beast of a machine. Only real problem I can tell ya is that it tears up lawns bad. You have to pretty much go straight shot from the road to the stump. If you try and turn, its over for that spot of the lawn.

 

[ropensaddle]

I looked at both and even demoed the sc60. Even forgetting the fact that the 8 hour demo broke on the one stump that I was doing, there where other things that I really didn't like about it.

Some of the big things are:
Chip cappacity is almost double on the Carlton
Travel speed is about double on the Carlton (That's a really big one to me)
Carlton came with the sandvik wheel
You don't have to remove the chip gaurds everytime you want to go thru a gate with the Carlton (You do with the Vermeer)



Oh, my best day with my Carlton was $2,500!!

Well glad you like your machine however I don't think it will out travel my tow behind my stumps are spread out so unless it does 55mph sorry off to the next hundred lol. Really I have not had an issue with my grinder I may have if I got a tracked unit so really no way to disclaim your claim so how many stumps was 2500??

 

[gr8scott72]

so how many stumps was 2500??

Not very many. I don't remember exactly how many stumps but I just looked at my records and it was 9 different jobs that day in Houston after Ike.




I've also done a large job where the stumps were only 2-3 grouped together. There was about 70 stump total and it was very easy to just run the grinder back up the ramps and drive over to the next group. Even on a job like that, I think the tracks would still win out in overall speed of use even having to load back up inbetween stumps.

 

[John464]

I have the wheeled version 7015. Great machine. I spoke with my local Bartlett guys and they said they love the machine but hate the tracks and they will be trading it in on a wheeled version.

I was on a job two houses down from them and they had their crew watching me turning the machine. They seem to dislike putting plywood down on hard turns . They have also told me their welds cracked on the track system and have thrown the tracks off the machine a few times.

I don't have experience with the track system personally, but I havent had any problems with tearing up grass with the wheels. Only issue has been one flat tire, but the daul wheels kept it up till I got back to the shop.

 

[Mowingman]

How long does it take to remove the duals, and reinstall them when you have to get through a narrow gate?
Is it a quick and easy process. Looks like it would be a pain, compared to the tracks that slide in and out.
Jeff

I have the wheeled version 7015. Great machine. I spoke with my local Bartlett guys and they said they love the machine but hate the tracks and they will be trading it in on a wheeled version.

I was on a job two houses down from them and they had their crew watching me turning the machine. They seem to dislike putting plywood down on hard turns . They have also told me their welds cracked on the track system and have thrown the tracks off the machine a few times.

I don't have experience with the track system personally, but I havent had any problems with tearing up grass with the wheels. Only issue has been one flat tire, but the daul wheels kept it up till I got back to the shop.

 

[gr8scott72]

How long does it take to remove the duals, and reinstall them when you have to get through a narrow gate?
Is it a quick and easy process. Looks like it would be a pain, compared to the tracks that slide in and out.
Jeff

Too long and it encourages the user to not put them back on to grind which is dangerous.

 

[gr8scott72]

I have the wheeled version 7015. Great machine. I spoke with my local Bartlett guys and they said they love the machine but hate the tracks and they will be trading it in on a wheeled version.

I was on a job two houses down from them and they had their crew watching me turning the machine. They seem to dislike putting plywood down on hard turns . They have also told me their welds cracked on the track system and have thrown the tracks off the machine a few times.

I don't have experience with the track system personally, but I havent had any problems with tearing up grass with the wheels. Only issue has been one flat tire, but the daul wheels kept it up till I got back to the shop.

I don't even carry plywood with me and I don't tear up people's yards. At least 95% of the stumps can be ground by driving the machine straight to the stump from the driveway or yard then once you grind that stump you can use the chip pile to turn to your next stump. Small gradual turns do not mess up the yards either.

Oh, and with wheels, you cannot get in some tight spots that do require spin turning with the tracks.

 

[ropensaddle]

I have been told by many that I would not get my tow behind into? I guess I am an ok truck driver because I have managed to get to 99.9 % of my stumps

 

[John464]

How long does it take to remove the duals, and reinstall them when you have to get through a narrow gate?
Is it a quick and easy process. Looks like it would be a pain, compared to the tracks that slide in and out.
Jeff

It is one bolt on each side. Takes about 5 mins to take off and another 5 mins to put back on. In my neck of the woods the gates are normally wider unless its an older neighborhood. I can normally get by with only taking one wheel off. Very few 36" gates left. and most times Im getting through gates with all wheels on. All the newer homes have wide gates to give access for the landscapers and their big mowers.

 

[B-Edwards]

You have to think ahead with the tracked machine. You can be careful and not destroy a lawn. If you cant do it without ply-wood then use ply-wood. Experience will teach you how to do it. A wheeled machine is for sure easier on a lawn but here in the mountains there is no comparison between the two, the tracked machine is a no-brainer. I would take the minimal lawn damage all day long over trying to use another wheeled machine, but that's just me. These hills make it tough. I almost turned my wheeled machine over on a hill . It would have went at least 100 yards down into the river. Tracks = stable.

 

[ibadvanced]

7015

Everyone gets used to the machine that they are using and thinks that it works best for them, I was the same way, I thought that nothing could beat my tow behind because I could back it in to just about anywhere and it would beat loading and unloading a machine any day of the week. Well I ran into a great deal on a 7015 wheeled machine and got it. First 6 months or so I would just use it from time to time, once I got used to the wireless controls there was no looking back. I have 3 towable machines- plus the 8018 TRX--that stay parked 95% of the time. The 7015 is the machine people want to see on there lawn--I can put it in high and go from stump to stump in seconds with NO lawn damage worries at all and no jumping in and out of the truck. The track unit would be better for big inclines for me and thats it because I don't need to get on a lawn unless it's dry anyway. If I was to buy a second machine to double up with it would be the 7015 wheeled. Sorry to ramble, I hate typing

 

[Mowingman]

Thanks for all the input on this machine.
It looks like I am going with the 7015TRX. Still have a few details to work out, but here is the tentative deal we are working on:
7015 TRX, 60HP Deutz, wireless remote, Sandvic Duradisc, 3 year/3000HR FULL warranty, (1 year from Carlton and 2 additional years from the dealer), plus, one year of free preventive maint. service, (Oil and filter changes, etc.)
Price out the door of $46,200.
If all goes as to plan, I hope to close the deal tomorrow.
Jeff