Cut Above: Land Clearing Attachments for Tool Carriers like Track Loaders and Excavators

Mulching attachments are becoming increasingly popular among a wide range of industries and machines. They extend the versatility of compact equipment such as track loaders and compact excavators as they efficiently and effectively remove unwanted vegetation in right-of-way clearing projects, fire fuels reduction thinning, residential and commercial site preparation/land clearing and more. Many manufacturers offer mulchers and attachments, so there are numerous options to choose from. Here are a few that we highly recommend.

Cat’s Industrial Brush Cutter

The Caterpillar industrial brush cutter (BRX) is an excellent attachment for removing overgrowth along utility easements, fence lines and initial land clearing. The BRX has an open-front design and a large push bar that guides foliage into the blades. The 900-lb blade carrier has four hardened reversible blades and can cut material up to 8 in. in diameter. The BRX is designed to match the machine’s hydraulic platform, whether standard flow/pressure, high flow/pressure (XPS) or super high flow/high pressure (XE). The BRX has an anti-cavitation valve to protect motor components and improve tool life. The industrial brush cutter is compatible with track loaders, skid steers or compact wheel loaders. For more info, visit cat.com.

Kubota SSG25 Stump Grinder

Kubota’s SSG25 Series stump grinder is available for its SSV65 and SSV75 skid steers and SVL65, SVL75 and SVL97 track loaders. It’s a great choice for contractors, landscapers and forestry departments, as the SSG25 turns large stumps into small chips. Key features include: a maximum cutting arc of 55 degrees; a hydraulic motor with electric over hydraulics; and a 1/2- by 20-in. diameter wheel with easily replaceable carbide teeth, offering extra-long life. The SSG25 can reach a depth of 8 in. below ground. Additionally, its discharge deflector pivots up while the cutting wheel digs into the ground. The high-speed cutting wheel cuts fast with less vibration than other models. For more info, visit kubotausa.com.

Loftness Kwik Cut Mower

Featuring a combination of beveled blades and carbide teeth, the Loftness Kwik Cut is designed to slice through grass, weeds, brush and small trees up to 10 in. in diameter with the ability to grind stumps and brush to ground level. The Kwik Cut’s 72-in.-diameter disc is equipped with four dual-edge beveled blades, which are designed to retract on severe impact to protect themselves and components from damage. An exclusive floating door at the front of the Kwik Cut opens as it is pushed against a tree to expose the blades for improved cutting. Designed for power units with a 28- to 45-gpm hydraulic flow range and 50 to 110 hydraulic hp, the Kwik Cut is powered by a 150cc radial piston motor. For more info, visit loftness.com.

Takeuchi’s Closed-Front Rotary Brush Cutter

Takeuchi’s closed-front rotary brush cutters are designed to effectively and efficiently clear grass, weeds, undergrowth and small trees. The closed deck produces excellent mulch while keeping debris contained. Three closed-front models are available in 66- to 78-in. cut widths, with four motor options ranging from 14 to 25 gpm (standard flow) and 25 to 42 gpm (high flow). Minimum cut height is 1.8 in. with a cutting capacity diameter of 4 in. Blades are mounted to a large, circular flywheel, ensuring the flywheel bounces off stumps rather than catching them. Dynamic braking stops the 170- to 225-lb flywheel in less than 10 seconds. An optional rear roller features 360-degree rotating swivel casters. For more info, visit takeuchi-us.com.

Bobcat’s Disc Mulcher Attachment

The Bobcat disc mulcher can cut trees up to 14 in. in diameter and turn trees up to 6 in. in diameter into beds of mulch. Built with high-strength, steel-body construction, the Bobcat disc mulcher provides durability and the performance to tackle land-clearing jobs. Case-hardened steel teeth are fixed to the inside of the deck shell, and they mulch material as the rotating disc carries trees and brush through the attachment. These four-point teeth can easily be sharpened and rotated to maximize efficiency. The planter knives in the center of the disc eliminate dead zones for effective, easy land clearing, regardless of the attachment’s position. The attachments are available in 48- and 60-in. cutting width configurations. For more info, visit bobcat.com.

Compact track loaders are the most popular category of compact equipment in America. Learn why with loads of track loader features right here.

Werk-Brau’s FX26 Forestry Mulcher

Werk-Brau’s FX26 Forestry Mulcher is a rugged, durable, well-balanced forestry mulcher for excavators from 8,000 to 16,000 lbs. This stout mulcher has a direct coupled motor which provides more power — with just two grease fittings — making maintenance fast and simple. A heavy wall 14-in. rotor is fitted with 21 fixed knives to shred brush, limbs and standing trees to 6 in. in diameter. The bite-limiting tooth design maintains drum speed and prevents stalling. Material passes through two breaker bars to create mulch without sacrificing performance. The FX26 weighs 785 lbs, requires just 15 to 35 gpm of hydraulic flow and features a 26-in. working width for unmatched production. A universal bolt-on mount is included for fast and simple installation. For more info, visit werk-brau.com.

Kioti’s Extreme Heavy-Duty Brush Cutter

Kioti’s Extreme Heavy-Duty Brush Cutter gives contractors the capabilities for applications like clearing tough vegetation or site preparation. The direct drive motor provides the power and precision without the restrictions of a gear box. The cutter uses a 16 to 26 gpm gear motor without the requirement of a case drain, which saves the operator costs and space while improving efficiency. The brush cutter boasts a 5-in. cutting capacity, allowing operators the flexibility to tackle a variety of jobs. In addition, the cutter features replaceable skid shoes for surface protection, abrasion-resistant 3x AR400 non-welded blades, 12x optional mulching teeth and an optional grill. For more info, visit kioti.com.

The John Deere MK76 Mulching Head

Entering the market as part of the over-100 attachment offerings available by John Deere, the new MK76 mulching head is designed to help efficiently shred underbrush and woody materials into beneficial mulch in minutes. The MK76 mulching head is designed to work with the new John Deere 333, 334 and 335 P-Tier models to take on land-clearing needs in stringy, fibrous, dense and fast-growing cycles. Designed to tackle clearing applications, the optimized knife style head on the MK76 is ideal for fibrous vegetation. This mulching head attachment produces the finest chip of all John Deere mulchers, broadcasting discharge to mitigate piles. Lastly, the MK76 mulching head is easy to operate. For more info, visit johndeere.com.

Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.