Shearex VM-40SL excavator mulcher

Where the VM-40SL sits in the range

The VM-40SL is the 12 to 15 tonne head in the Shearex VM excavator mulcher range and the first model in the family that reads as a full commercial land-clearing tool rather than a maintenance attachment. Below it, the VM-35SK serves 8 to 12 tonne carriers with a 95 cm rotor and a 15 cm target; above it, the VM-50SR moves to 15 to 20 tonne machines and a flow requirement that changes the carrier conversation altogether. The 12 to 15 tonne class is the most common civil excavator size in Australia, which is why the VM-40SL is the model most fleet owners look at first when a corridor or solar contract adds mulching to the scope.

What the published figures mean on site

The 107 cm cutting width is enough to clear a table drain or a fence line in a single sweep and to work down a batter in overlapping arcs. The optimal target material diameter of 20 cm is the commercially honest figure, meaning the stem size the rotor processes continuously at a productive rate; the occasional larger stem can be worked from the top down, but pricing a job on that is how tenders go wrong, as our guide on maximum diameter versus production diameter explains. Twenty centimetres covers most regrowth, invasive woody weeds and shelterbelt species, but not mature eucalypt stems.

At 757 kg the head is a substantial mass on the end of a 12 tonne boom and must be checked against the lift chart at full reach. Continuous flow of 114 to 167 L/min with a minimum carrier power of 65 hp (48 kW) is the real qualifying test, and the VM family’s published maximum operating pressure of up to approximately 410 bar means the carrier’s auxiliary relief setting has to be part of the specification.

Carrier matching

A 13 tonne excavator with a single-pump auxiliary circuit and a 14 tonne machine with a dedicated high-flow circuit are different propositions for the same head, and that is the trap in this class: it is the most heavily populated tonnage band in Australian fleets, and the hydraulic specification inside it varies enormously. Confirm continuous auxiliary flow under load, the pressure available at that flow, the return pressure limit and a case drain to tank, then run those figures through the hydraulic power calculator rather than assume that meeting the 65 hp minimum puts the carrier anywhere near the top of the 114 to 167 L/min window. Mulching also keeps the pump at high demand without the pauses digging provides; see hydraulic matching and hydraulic cooling and heat.

Typical work and production considerations

The head fits road corridor clearing, rail corridor vegetation inside possession windows, and solar and wind farm site preparation where an excavator can also handle drainage and stumps. Rock on cuttings, ballast shoulders and old farm ground favours carbide teeth, while blades cut faster and cleaner in clean green material; see blades versus carbide teeth.

Limitations and when to step up or down a size

Where the ground is flat and continuous, a front-mount head such as the HM-70 runs almost twice the width and will usually produce more area per hour; the excavator wins on slopes, around infrastructure and wherever selective treatment or reach matters. Excavator mulcher versus skid steer mulcher sets out the decision. Step down to the VM-35SK if the fleet runs lighter machines and the material is small; step up to the VM-50SR when stems regularly exceed 20 cm or the contract is heavy corridor work.

Options and hydraulic circuits to settle at quotation

The hydraulic door is standard, and the circuits it needs are set out in full on the VM-25SK page. The option that earns its keep on this head is the heel, because a 12 to 15 tonne machine working a batter spends a good deal of time holding material into the rotor rather than chasing it. Settle grapple, tilt and heel

Wear parts and support

Ask Machinery Specialist to price the full consumable set and confirm Australian stock levels before signing. On corridor and solar work the bolt-on liner and skid shoes wear faster than a tooling budget usually allows for, because this head spends its life close to the ground.

Confirm before ordering

• Continuous auxiliary flow under load and pressure at that flow on the actual carrier
• Return pressure limit and case drain to tank
• Auxiliary relief setting relative to the head's operating pressure
• Circuit plan and diverter wiring for the door and any tilt, grapple or heel option
• Head weight with options against the lift chart at working radius
• Cooler capacity for continuous summer work
• Blade or carbide tooling for the site's rock exposure
• Australian stock and price of wear parts, and delivered price including bracket and hoses

Frequently asked questions