EQUIPMENT FOCUS your flow starts to drop and your filters need to be changed. ers utilized. Some utilize gear pumps while others utilize Another benefit of using an ECU to control the shift is an piston pumps, and they all have unique flows and presability to use a larger displacement motor. “A lot of mulchers sures. One mulcher attachment must interface with all of can’t really shift very far because the limit of that hydraulic these different carriers. “That’s why you see a lot of people pilot signal,” says Dougherty. “They might shift from 110cc send a technician out to set the displacement on the motor down to 80cc. There’s not a big window there. We can go from and set the shift point pressures,” explains Dougherty. 30cc to 160cc instantly. It’s got 700 ft. lbs. of torque down low. To eliminate the problems caused by feedback from hydrauOn the upper end we’re doing 2,500 rpm. We can really dial lic pilot signals caused by pressure spikes and address the in that shift point to deliver the torque right when needed.” variability of pressures and flows from the carrier units, “There’s a point where at full rpm you don’t have a lot of Dougherty Forestry Mfg. decided to pursue ECU contorque,” he adds. “At full torque you don’t have any rpms, it is trols on its Mastodon mulchers. “There are motors that stalled out. There’s a sweet spot right in the middle where you shift electronically. Then you have to connect that to an get that maximum power.” Through it’s optional operator’s ECU,” explains Dougherty. But then the real work begins. display, a circular gauge gives the operator a clear indication of “You have to write software for it.” This was the most comwhere they are working. This is important as many operators plicated part of the development process. “It took quite a try to gauge drum speed based on sound, which can be deceivbit of R&D to get the software to do we wanted it to do.” ing and lead to lower productivity. “Once we did that, now it’s driven by the ECU, it is independent of the Information maximizes hydraulic system,” says productivity Dougherty. “You can Typically, the only feedback you make it shift ahead of the get from many mulchers is from curve.” The attachment the pressure gauge. “The prescan react proactively. sure gauge really only tells you For instance, a skidwhen the mulcher is stopped,” steer loader can lose says Dougherty. “If your system 40 to 50 percent of its is 3,000 psi and your gauge goes hydraulic flow volume to 3,000 psi, the drum is stopped. as the loader arms are It’s hitting maximum preslifted. “Depending on sure. That’s really not that useful the machine, they pull when you are in the woods.” that volume and they With the ECU and sensors, the With the ECU and sensors, the Mastodon technology can tell put it to the lift arms.” Mastodon technology can tell you you drum speed, fluid temperature and hours. drum speed, fluid temperature Dougherty Forestry Mfg. and hours. Being able to track both Get ahead of the actual drum speed and temperature can help the operator run curve the attachment more efficiently. Overheating these attachWith a traditional mulcher, the speed may drop from 2,000 ments is a common concern. “What happens when operators rpm to 1,000 rpm and then you have to wait until the speed heat them up is they just work them too hard,” he adds. With comes back up before you begin mulching. The software in the operating gauges, operators can keep the attachment the Mastodon mulcher can predict the change in flow and working in the ‘sweet spot’ and eliminate overheat concerns. compensate. “We have the software say this guy’s trying to Recovery time is also important to address overlift the arms and it shifts ahead of the curve, so that when he heat concerns. When the attachment comes up to speed, lifts the arms you don’t lose any RPMs,” says Dougherty. it coasts and cools down. “Our recovery time is four This whole process works without operator intervention. “From the operating standpoint you don’t know what it’s doing. seconds from 0 up to 2,500 rpm,” notes Dougherty. Finally, being able to track hours is not only important It just works really good,” notes Dougherty. This technolfrom a utilization and maintenance standpoint, it also helps ogy is also able to detect the flow and pressure output from prove billable hours. “The mulchers are now pretty expenthe carrier and adjust for optimized performance. No more sive by the hour,” he explains. Custom cutters may charge guessing or having technicians come out to make adjustments. $150 to $250 an hour. “The landowners are reasonably conDougherty Mfg. has discovered many manufacturers undercerned that all of those hours on the skid-steer loader are estimate the actual flow their machine’s produce. “It’s hard to actually time spent mulching. Now you can show them tune something correctly if none of the numbers are correct.” A side benefit of being able to view the actual flows and pres- your phone and say we started at 88 hours and now it is at 102 hours. There is not really any argument there.” sures on your smart phone is that you can actually see when
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