Caterpillar Introduces New HM3013 & HM5515 Forestry Mulchers

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Caterpillar has announced new mulcher attachments for up to 6 or 12 inches in diameter. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Caterpillar has announced a new pair of mulcher attachments for tracked and wheeled excavators and forest machines. The new HM3013 model uses a dedicated bite limiter drum for fine shredding, while the new HM5515 is a large mulcher with a standard drum.

The Cat mulcher family now covers front-reach carriers from 11 to 36 tons (10 to 32.7 metric tons) and long-reach front machines from 40 to 52 t (36.3 to 47.2 mt).

Model Specifications

The new Cat HM3013 is a 2,535-pound (1,150-kilogram) model for carriers weighing 13 to 20 t (11.8 to 18.1 mt). The 65-inch (1,651-millimeter)-wide attachment has a maximum cutting diameter of 6 in. (152 mm).

The standard-drum HM5515 is for 27- to 36-t (24.5 to 32.7-mt) machines and has a cutting diameter of up to 12 in. (305 mm). The 78-in (1,980-mm)-wide mulcher weighs in at 4,585 lbs (2,080 kg).

Fine Grinding

The HM3013’s dedicated bite limiter drum has teeth that are separated by ribs to minimize rotor stalling. Cat says its aggressive blade edge and counter knives shred timber into exceptionally fine mulch, and that the attachment works best in areas with few rocks and lots of standing trees.

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Caterpillar’s new HM3013 mulcher uses a dedicated bite limiter drum for fine shredding. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Reliable, Continuous Power

Both the HM3013 and HM5515 mulcher attachments use a variable-torque hydraulic piston motor. It can shift into a high-speed/low-torque mode when fast grinding is required, and into a low-speed/high-torque mode when the job requires more power.

The hydraulic motor powers the rotor via a poly chain belt drive transmission, which avoids slippage during startup. Cat says the poly chain belt also improves the mulchers’ reliability and reduces their maintenance costs. Inside the mulchers’ housing, hardened counter blades help to grind the material into finer compost that will degrade more quickly.

The operator can adjust the hydraulic mulching door to control the throw of the material. This can make the work site safer when clearing roadsides or working near powerlines, according to Cat.

Easy Maintenance

Caterpillar says that the new HM3013 and HM5515 mulchers are simple to service and maintain, even in the field. Access panels allow the internal components to be removed and most of the wear parts to be replaced on the jobsite. The bolt-on skids that keep the mulchers from digging into the soil are replaceable as well. Finally, the attachments’ primary grease points are accessible at ground level.

Source: Caterpillar