New Brushcat on the way :)

[500K_773]

Well, I am finally getting my own Brushcat and will not have to rent one anymore. There is a pretty cool story to go with it.
Father's Day came and went and I didn't get anything. My wife said my gift was on order, so I had to wait. I have been looking to buy all sorts of different pieces of equipment (dump trailer, tracks, brushcat, etc...) right now and I am always discussing my plans and options with my wife. I have a couple of customers wanting some brush cleared and I am trying to coordinate the jobs so I could get them done on the same rental day or hold them off until I decided to buy one.
I called my dealer to check on availability of the Brushcat and found that there were only 2 Brushcats left in the Alaska between the three dealership locations. One is in the rental fleet here and one is new for sale at another store. The bad news was that the rental unit was going out on demo to someone considering purchasing it. That means I had to hurry up and decide if I needed to purchase one this year. I called home (I'm out of town) to have my wife go down and purchase it for me. I ruined her surprise. I guess she had ordered me the Brushcat for Father's Day. The unit she purchased was the new one at the other dealership location. Our wedding anniversary is in two weeks, maybe she'll get me the jetboat I've been looking at

, or maybe she'll really suprise me with a T-300

. I'd better start shopping for something good for her also.
With all the forest fires here in Alaska right now, I should be able to get plenty of work. I may even try contract to BLM or the State Forestry Department to clear fire lines. Some of the biggest fires in the state are just 30-50 miles north of me. I may really want to get the over-the-tire tracks I have been looking since most of this work will be in remote undeveloped areas.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Congratulations! Very nice story. Also -- do be careful out there. A skid steer is no place to be when the fitre starts getting hotter...

 

[owensge]

C.A., I'm truly happy for you! Wives are great! Mine got me a combo bucket for our last anniversary. I'm hoping for a brushcat for Christmas; or New Years; or Easter...
Let us know how you like it!

 

[500K_773]

C.A., I'm truly happy for you! Wives are great! Mine got me a combo bucket for our last anniversary. I'm hoping for a brushcat for Christmas; or New Years; or Easter...
Let us know how you like it!

Yes, they are great. Last year I got a plate compactor and a rotary laser level for our anniversary and a pressure washer for Father's Day. Although I had to get her a French Bulldog puppy for Mother's Day this year. I don't think she would have appreciated a Bobcat auger and auger bits instead

 

[500K_773]

Yes, they are great. Last year I got a plate compactor and a rotary laser level for our anniversary and a pressure washer for Father's Day. Although I had to get her a French Bulldog puppy for Mother's Day this year. I don't think she would have appreciated a Bobcat auger and auger bits instead

I picked up my Brushcat Tuesday. I brought it home and immediately hoooked it up and put it through the paces. Barely an hour later, my neighbor who was driving by, stopped to talk to me. He has some work he'd like me to do with my Bobcat around his house. He saw the new attachment, asked what it could do, and immediately asked if I wanted to do a couple days worth of brushcutting around his farm. Nothing like free advertising. The Bobcat website never shows the Brushcat cutting brush, only grass, why is this? I am going to go over to my mom's house this afternoon and use it on some alder groves. I'll try take some video footage and post it in the gallery.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

I picked up my Brushcat Tuesday. I brought it home and immediately hoooked it up and put it through the paces. Barely an hour later, my neighbor who was driving by, stopped to talk to me. He has some work he'd like me to do with my Bobcat around his house. He saw the new attachment, asked what it could do, and immediately asked if I wanted to do a couple days worth of brushcutting around his farm. Nothing like free advertising. The Bobcat website never shows the Brushcat cutting brush, only grass, why is this? I am going to go over to my mom's house this afternoon and use it on some alder groves. I'll try take some video footage and post it in the gallery.

Yay! More footage! Enjoy the Cat!

 

[500K_773]

Yay! More footage! Enjoy the Cat!

OK, I've tried out my Brushcat and it works great. One small problem about 30 minutes into the job at my mom's house Friday night shut me down for the evening. It was an operator error. The hydraulic hoses pass through a hose guide at the bottom of the Brushcat deck. The first night I used the attachment, I thought the hoses hung a little too far out to the left of the machine and might get caught on some trees. There is what I though to be a second hose guide on the top lid of the Brushcat (looks just like the lower one) so I routed the hoses through them the second time I used it at my mom's. Guess what? The upper hose guide is actually just the handle for the cover and is not meant for the hose to go through.
Every thing was going good for the first 30 minutes of the job, then I though something got wrapped around the shaft of the blades so I lifted the attachment and tilted it down to inspect the blades and shaft. With the hoses routed through the upper handle, the hoses became taunt and parted the quick coupler. I ended up replacing both female quick couplers (one on the machine and one on the Brushcat end) to the tune of $65.
I also bought extra quick couplers in case I every damage one again on the weekend when the dealership is closed. BTW, the couplers on my machine and the ones on the attachment hoses are different so I had to buy 4 (male and female for the machine / male and female for the attachment). I may even buy spare hydraulic hoses that run from the attachment to my machine. Down time costs too much money, not to mention wastes too much of my own time also.

 

[500K_773]

OK, I've tried out my Brushcat and it works great. One small problem about 30 minutes into the job at my mom's house Friday night shut me down for the evening. It was an operator error. The hydraulic hoses pass through a hose guide at the bottom of the Brushcat deck. The first night I used the attachment, I thought the hoses hung a little too far out to the left of the machine and might get caught on some trees. There is what I though to be a second hose guide on the top lid of the Brushcat (looks just like the lower one) so I routed the hoses through them the second time I used it at my mom's. Guess what? The upper hose guide is actually just the handle for the cover and is not meant for the hose to go through.
Every thing was going good for the first 30 minutes of the job, then I though something got wrapped around the shaft of the blades so I lifted the attachment and tilted it down to inspect the blades and shaft. With the hoses routed through the upper handle, the hoses became taunt and parted the quick coupler. I ended up replacing both female quick couplers (one on the machine and one on the Brushcat end) to the tune of $65.
I also bought extra quick couplers in case I every damage one again on the weekend when the dealership is closed. BTW, the couplers on my machine and the ones on the attachment hoses are different so I had to buy 4 (male and female for the machine / male and female for the attachment). I may even buy spare hydraulic hoses that run from the attachment to my machine. Down time costs too much money, not to mention wastes too much of my own time also.

Word of warning...the Brushcat WILL find anything that is lying in the area you are cutting. I was cutting an area which had been unkept for the last 16 years since my parents house was built. I ran into old lumber, rebar, and concrete form whaler brackets. I didn't really hurt the blades too bad, but it sure surprises you when metal pieces (whaler brackets) start flying out of the Brushcat. BTW, I priced replacement blades at $135. A set of these may end up in my spare parts kit also.
Be sure to keep all people out of the area being cut. I am going to get some KEEP OUT signs made up to warn of flying debris in my work area. Also work in a direction away from houses and vehicles to prevent property damage. The polycarbonate windshield of my enclosed cab do offer limited protection for the operator, but I would be best to police the area first for debris. The growth was too thick for me to be able to see the hidden objects I hit until it was too late.
I didn't have a second person able to shoot video during this job, but did try to take some video from the operators position. I'll try edit it and get about a 30 second clip to post in the media gallery.

 

[Tigerotor77W]

Word of warning...the Brushcat WILL find anything that is lying in the area you are cutting. I was cutting an area which had been unkept for the last 16 years since my parents house was built. I ran into old lumber, rebar, and concrete form whaler brackets. I didn't really hurt the blades too bad, but it sure surprises you when metal pieces (whaler brackets) start flying out of the Brushcat. BTW, I priced replacement blades at $135. A set of these may end up in my spare parts kit also.
Be sure to keep all people out of the area being cut. I am going to get some KEEP OUT signs made up to warn of flying debris in my work area. Also work in a direction away from houses and vehicles to prevent property damage. The polycarbonate windshield of my enclosed cab do offer limited protection for the operator, but I would be best to police the area first for debris. The growth was too thick for me to be able to see the hidden objects I hit until it was too late.
I didn't have a second person able to shoot video during this job, but did try to take some video from the operators position. I'll try edit it and get about a 30 second clip to post in the media gallery.

Mmm I was whacking some weeds with a shovel this past Monday for a home builder whose patrons complained of not being able to see past the weeds... I was wishing I had a Brushcat! lol