10 hours ago
Overview and Purpose
The ProTough 400 is a portable soil screener engineered for on-site use. Its rugged frame, powered by a Kubota diesel engine, ensures durability and reliable operation even in challenging environments. Built to swiftly transform raw material—including topsoil, mulch, gravel, or road base—into saleable screened product, it exemplifies practical efficiency for contractors and landscapers.
Key Specifications
Actual throughput can vary widely. Productivity depends heavily on:
A landscaping team once needed to screen 500 cubic yards of stockpiled loam in a single weekend. With a ProTough 400, dry loam, and a two-person crew, they split tasks efficiently: one controlled the excavator feeding into the hopper, while the other whisked away screened product using a skid steer. Although they didn't hit the theoretical maximum, they completed the job comfortably over the two days—highlighting the synergy of equipment, operator coordination, and material condition.
Maintenance and Longevity
Users with low-hour machines cite longevity:
By contrast, other screeners—like certain trommel units—state capacities of 100–200 cubic yards per hour. These figures reflect different design principles (rotating drums vs. shaker screens) and often larger scale operations. The ProTough 400 shines in agility and job-site portability, rather than raw high throughput.
Closing Thoughts
The ProTough 400 stands out as a nimble, job-site ready screener. Its compact portability and respectable power output make it ideal for landscapers, small contractors, or anybody needing to screen topsoil, mulch, gravel, or similar materials on the go. Its performance is tied tightly to operational conditions: dryer, free-flowing material handled by a coordinated crew means impressive results—whereas wetter, dense material slows things substantially. With solid maintenance, it’s a dependable machine that delivers both practicality and value in real-world applications.
The ProTough 400 is a portable soil screener engineered for on-site use. Its rugged frame, powered by a Kubota diesel engine, ensures durability and reliable operation even in challenging environments. Built to swiftly transform raw material—including topsoil, mulch, gravel, or road base—into saleable screened product, it exemplifies practical efficiency for contractors and landscapers.
Key Specifications
- Engine: Kubota V1305-B, approximately 30 hp (22.5 kW)
- Hopper Capacity: 3 cubic yards
- Cycle Time: around 30 seconds per pass
- Screen Deck: Two shaker decks (top: side-tension; bottom: end-tension); screen area approximately 71" × 82" (1803 mm × 2459 mm)
- Towing & Dimensions:
- Overall Length: ~20'-07" / 6261 mm
- Transport Height: ~10'-08" / 3251 mm
- Width: ~7'-07" / 2311 mm
- Operating Height: ~9'-08" / 2946 mm
- Overall Length: ~20'-07" / 6261 mm
- Weight: Gross around 12,940 lb (5870 kg); tongue weight around 3,300 lb; single-axle dual-wheel trailer with pintle hitch, electric brakes, no suspension
Actual throughput can vary widely. Productivity depends heavily on:
- Material moisture: Dry, loose soil runs significantly faster; damp soil—especially clumpy or root-laden—slows down screening operations.
- Crew size: Having two operators—one feeding the hopper, another managing the finished piles—can dramatically boost efficiency and turnaround.
A landscaping team once needed to screen 500 cubic yards of stockpiled loam in a single weekend. With a ProTough 400, dry loam, and a two-person crew, they split tasks efficiently: one controlled the excavator feeding into the hopper, while the other whisked away screened product using a skid steer. Although they didn't hit the theoretical maximum, they completed the job comfortably over the two days—highlighting the synergy of equipment, operator coordination, and material condition.
Maintenance and Longevity
Users with low-hour machines cite longevity:
- One unit sold had just 650 hours on it, fresh screens, updated suspension, road lighting—basically ready to go to work again .
- Another listing showed only 325 hours and maintained in good working condition .
Properly maintained, the ProTough 400’s heavy-duty construction and accessible service points make it a long-lasting investment.
- Shaker Deck: A vibratory platform that shakes material to separate to-size particles.
- Side-Tension / End-Tension Screens: Methods of securing the screen cloth; influences change-out speed and edge wear.
- Cycle Time: Duration for one screening pass. A 30-second cycle suggests about 120 passes per hour, though real throughput is less due to loading and unloading.
- Tongue Weight: Weight on the towing hitch; important for safe towing and braking.
- Pintle Hitch: Heavy-duty towing interface common in commercial equipment; offers robustness over long distances.
By contrast, other screeners—like certain trommel units—state capacities of 100–200 cubic yards per hour. These figures reflect different design principles (rotating drums vs. shaker screens) and often larger scale operations. The ProTough 400 shines in agility and job-site portability, rather than raw high throughput.
Closing Thoughts
The ProTough 400 stands out as a nimble, job-site ready screener. Its compact portability and respectable power output make it ideal for landscapers, small contractors, or anybody needing to screen topsoil, mulch, gravel, or similar materials on the go. Its performance is tied tightly to operational conditions: dryer, free-flowing material handled by a coordinated crew means impressive results—whereas wetter, dense material slows things substantially. With solid maintenance, it’s a dependable machine that delivers both practicality and value in real-world applications.
