Loftness launches lightweight mulching head with two-stage cutting chamber for compact excavators

Loftness has expanded its line of Battle Ax mulching heads with the new 10 Series. Featuring a lightweight, yet heavy-duty design, it can be used on smaller excavators in the 7,000- to 10,000-pounds size class in a variety of applications, such as right-of-way vegetation management, site preparation, fire prevention, invasive species removal, landscaping, pasture reclamation, and more.

 Key characteristics of the 10 Series

Like other products in the Battle Ax line, the 10 Series rotor has a depth gauge design. The depth gauges, which function like raker teeth on a chain saw, optimize the amount of material being fed into the drum at one time, resulting in easier operation, faster production, and more desirable particle sizes.

Additionally, the 10 Series includes the exclusive Loftness two-stage cutting chamber, which uses two shear bars to help process material more thoroughly than competitive mulching heads.

The 10 Series Battle Ax is powered by a 45cc fixed-displacement gear motor, which requires 20 to 70 hydraulic horsepower and 15 to 35.9 GPM hydraulic flow to operate. It has a 25-inch cutting width and overall weight of approximately 620 pounds, depending on options, making it compatible with many popular models of compact excavators.

Customers can choose between three types of cutting teeth: reversible planer teeth, four-point beaver teeth, or double-carbide teeth. The teeth are mounted to the rotor with a single bolt, so they can be easily reversed or replaced on the job site using a common hex socket. They are arranged in a staggered/spiral pattern that ensures optimal rotor balance while maintaining single-tooth contact with the work surface at all times. Other available options include a spade hook for helping position material to be mulched.

Why expand the Battle Ax line?

"People have been asking for a Battle Ax that could be used on excavators weighing less than 10,000 pounds," said Clint Major, product development coordinator of Loftness. "We engineered the 10 Series in response to that demand. The result is a lightweight mulcher that can be used on compact excavators yet provide the same level of performance that has made the Battle Ax so popular."

In addition to the new 10 Series, the Battle Ax Excavator line includes the 20, 30, 40, and 50 Series for excavators weighing up to 88,000 pounds.