5 hours ago
Overview of the Equipment
The Magnum Mulcher is a robust forestry‑attachment made for skid‑steers and track loaders, designed by Bradco for heavy land‑clearing, utility‑line, and brush‑removal work. The unit features a wide rotor drum fitted with a set of replaceable mulching teeth that engage and shred vegetation and small trees. Models such as the MM60 Series II are rated for hydraulic flows of around 30–45 gpm at 3,000‑4,000 psi, accept 44 claw‑style teeth in the 73″ width version, and weigh approximately 2,530 lb.
Given the harsh environment in which these attachments work—wood, brush, dirt, hidden stumps, rocks—teeth wear and breakage is inevitable. Proper replacement and maintenance of the teeth are critical for performance, productivity, and safety.
Why Tooth Replacement Matters
Mulcher teeth are the “ground‑engaging tools” (GET) of the mulcher. When they are worn:
When planning a tooth replacement job, you’ll consider:
Here is a suggested detailed workflow:
A land‑clearing outfit in Georgia bought a Magnum Mulcher to clear pipeline right‑of‑way brush. After three weeks of use they noticed mulch pile size shrinking and machine firing less aggressively through 6–8″ hardwood saplings. They’d skipped inspecting teeth and assumed hydraulic or drive problem. After pulling in the machine they discovered that over 20% of teeth were worn flat and one tooth holder warping was beginning to crack. They ordered a full kit of reversible claw teeth and hardware, installed the 54‑piece set, verified rotor balance, and returned to full production. The downtime cost approximately two days of lost work time but restored machine to full productivity, proving the critical influence of tooth condition on mulching output.
News & Industry Trend
Replacing the teeth on a Magnum Mulcher is a key maintenance step that affects performance, safety and efficiency. By choosing the right tooth style, following a thorough replacement procedure, maintaining rotor balance and tracking wear life, operators can maximise production and reduce downtime. Neglecting tooth condition can quietly reduce output and lead to more serious rotor or driveline issues. With the right approach and preventive mindset, you’ll keep the mulcher working strong in tough clearing operations.
The Magnum Mulcher is a robust forestry‑attachment made for skid‑steers and track loaders, designed by Bradco for heavy land‑clearing, utility‑line, and brush‑removal work. The unit features a wide rotor drum fitted with a set of replaceable mulching teeth that engage and shred vegetation and small trees. Models such as the MM60 Series II are rated for hydraulic flows of around 30–45 gpm at 3,000‑4,000 psi, accept 44 claw‑style teeth in the 73″ width version, and weigh approximately 2,530 lb.
Given the harsh environment in which these attachments work—wood, brush, dirt, hidden stumps, rocks—teeth wear and breakage is inevitable. Proper replacement and maintenance of the teeth are critical for performance, productivity, and safety.
Why Tooth Replacement Matters
Mulcher teeth are the “ground‑engaging tools” (GET) of the mulcher. When they are worn:
- Cutting efficiency drops, meaning slower progress and higher fuel/hydraulic cost.
- The rotor may become unbalanced if many teeth are missing or unevenly worn, causing vibration, extra bearing load, risk of failure.
- The machine may encounter hidden hard obstacles with a dull or missing tooth, increasing the chance of rotor damage or broken shaft.
- Claw‑style tooth – A tooth shaped with a claw profile, useful in softer woods to “grab” and shred.
- Carbide‑tipped tooth – A harder wear version of tooth incorporating tungsten carbide for longer life in abrasive or hardwood conditions.
- Rotor balance – Ensuring the rotor drum remains dynamically balanced so vibration and lateral loads are within safe limits.
When planning a tooth replacement job, you’ll consider:
- Tooth count: For example, the 73″ unit uses 44 teeth.
- Tooth type matched to conditions:
- For softer woods or brush: reversible claw‑style steel teeth might suffice.
- For hardwoods or abrasive soils: carbide‑tipped teeth recommended for extended life.
- For softer woods or brush: reversible claw‑style steel teeth might suffice.
- Mounting hardware: bolts, washers, tooth‑holder lugs must be in good condition; many kits come with fine‑thread metric bolts and lock washers.
- Weight and shipping: tooth kits may weigh ~200 lb and ship truck freight.
Here is a suggested detailed workflow:
- Prepare and clean
- Park machine on solid level ground, lower mulcher, relieve hydraulic pressure, turn off machine and isolate energy.
- Clean rotor area, remove rust, inspect tooth holders and drum lugs for damage.
- Park machine on solid level ground, lower mulcher, relieve hydraulic pressure, turn off machine and isolate energy.
- Remove old teeth
- Loosen and remove bolts holding each tooth. Inspect holders for distortion, cracked welds or wear.
- Remove broken or worn teeth; count how many remain good and mark positions if needed for balancing.
- Loosen and remove bolts holding each tooth. Inspect holders for distortion, cracked welds or wear.
- Inspect rotor and holders
- Check rotor for dents, bends, suspension of bearings; ensure lugs are all intact.
- If missing lugs, repair by welding to spec and restore original geometry (important for rotor balance).
- Check rotor for dents, bends, suspension of bearings; ensure lugs are all intact.
- Install new teeth
- Use the new kit: e.g., for a 72″ unit, a 54‑piece reversible claw kit is available.
- Use proper bolts and lock washers; torque to manufacturer spec.
- If reversible teeth, install with the “cut” side facing forward; mark direction.
- Use the new kit: e.g., for a 72″ unit, a 54‑piece reversible claw kit is available.
- Balance check
- After installing all teeth, spin the rotor by hand or slowly with machine; feel for vibration or wobble.
- If vibration present, check for missing or mismatched tooth weights; correct by replacing or adding weight.
- After installing all teeth, spin the rotor by hand or slowly with machine; feel for vibration or wobble.
- Final startup and test
- Start machine, slowly engage mulch head into brush, monitor for unusual vibration, bearing noise, or loosening hardware.
- After initial hour of operation, re‑check bolts for proper torque.
- Start machine, slowly engage mulch head into brush, monitor for unusual vibration, bearing noise, or loosening hardware.
- Rotate or reverse reversible teeth when wear appears on one edge — doubling life.
- Keep spare tooth bolts and lock washers on hand; many jobs remote.
- For extreme abrasion, consider carbide‑tipped teeth — though more expensive per unit they last longer and reduce total cost per hour.
- Track hours and teeth replacements; some operators note productivity drops significantly after ~1000 hours of brush/brush‑with‑stump work if tooth wear not addressed.
- Inspect after hitting hard objects (stumps, steel). A single heavy impact may unbalance rotor or crack holders.
A land‑clearing outfit in Georgia bought a Magnum Mulcher to clear pipeline right‑of‑way brush. After three weeks of use they noticed mulch pile size shrinking and machine firing less aggressively through 6–8″ hardwood saplings. They’d skipped inspecting teeth and assumed hydraulic or drive problem. After pulling in the machine they discovered that over 20% of teeth were worn flat and one tooth holder warping was beginning to crack. They ordered a full kit of reversible claw teeth and hardware, installed the 54‑piece set, verified rotor balance, and returned to full production. The downtime cost approximately two days of lost work time but restored machine to full productivity, proving the critical influence of tooth condition on mulching output.
News & Industry Trend
- The forestry attachment sector has seen growth as utility line clearing and wildfire mitigation become larger public‑works priorities. Mulcher manufacturers are offering more modular tooth‑kit options to reduce inventory and downtime.
- Wear‑material technology (e.g., tungsten‑carbide inserts, heat‑treated steels) is evolving; some aftermarket suppliers now offer “mix‑and‑match” teeth allowing operators to install carbide teeth where most wear occurs and standard steel elsewhere.
- Rental fleets prioritise quick tooth‑kit changes to minimise machine idle time — some claim less than one hour to swap full tooth set on standard 60″–72″ widths.
- Before ordering parts, match your mulcher width (60″, 72″ etc.), tooth count (44, 54 etc) and required tooth style (claw vs carbide).
- Ensure mounting bolts and lock washers match OEM spec; reuse only if undamaged.
- When installing, maintain tooth direction, torque bolts to spec, verify rotor balance.
- After first few hours of use with new teeth, re‑check bolts.
- Document installation date, hours of use, and environment; plan next inspection and replacement based on actual hours and wear.
- Mulcher Rotor – The rotating drum in the mulcher attachment that holds the teeth and does the cutting/shredding.
- Tooth Holder Lug – The welded mount on the rotor where each tooth is bolted.
- Reversible Tooth – A tooth design that can be flipped after one side wears, doubling service life.
- Global Balance – Ensuring the rotor’s mass distribution is even so that at high RPM it does not cause harmful vibration.
- Abrasive Conditions – Work environment where soil, sand, rock or hard woods accelerate wear of cutting components.
Replacing the teeth on a Magnum Mulcher is a key maintenance step that affects performance, safety and efficiency. By choosing the right tooth style, following a thorough replacement procedure, maintaining rotor balance and tracking wear life, operators can maximise production and reduce downtime. Neglecting tooth condition can quietly reduce output and lead to more serious rotor or driveline issues. With the right approach and preventive mindset, you’ll keep the mulcher working strong in tough clearing operations.
