Shearex VM-60SR excavator mulcher

Where the VM-60SR sits in the range

The VM-60SR is the 20 to 25 tonne head in the Shearex VM excavator mulcher range, built for heavy infrastructure clearing where stems of 30 to 40 cm are routine rather than exceptional. Below it, the VM-50SR shares the same continuous flow window but is rated for 25 cm material on lighter carriers; above it, the VM-65SV takes 25 to 40 tonne machines into 50 cm timber with a much larger flow requirement. The VM-60SR is the head a right-of-way or mine-site contractor fits to a 22 to 25 tonne excavator that already lives on the project, and its economics are strongest when the excavator digs for most of the year and mulches for a few hundred hours.

What the published figures mean on site

The 149 cm cutting width is wide for an excavator head and matches the width of the smallest front-mount Shearex, which tells you how much rotor a 20 to 25 tonne boom is swinging. The optimal target material diameter of 40 cm is the commercially honest figure: it is the stem size the head processes continuously at a productive rate. That covers mature regrowth and most plantation and easement timber, but a 40 cm stem contains roughly four times the wood of a 20 cm stem, so density rather than diameter usually decides whether mulching or shearing is the cheaper method on a given block; see maximum diameter versus production diameter.

At 1,188 kg the head is a serious mass at full reach and must be checked against the lift chart at the working radius, particularly on a long-boom machine. Continuous flow of 159 to 238 L/min is the same window as the VM-50SR, but the minimum carrier power rises to 130 hp (96 kW), because heavier material means the rotor runs at higher pressure for longer. The VM family’s maximum operating pressure is published as up to approximately 410 bar.

Carrier matching

The VM-60SR shares the VM-50SR’s 159 to 238 L/min window, so the carrier question here is pressure and heat rather than volume: 40 cm material holds the rotor near relief for long periods. Confirm the continuous auxiliary flow the carrier can dedicate under load, the pressure available at that flow, the return pressure limit and a case drain to tank, then confirm oil temperature after an hour of continuous work. In Australian summer heat a cooler upgrade is a common part of the specification. See hydraulic matching and hydraulic cooling and heat.

The pressure side of the equation is also why the minimum carrier power is 130 hp rather than the VM-50SR’s 80 hp on identical flow: power is flow multiplied by pressure, and heavier timber pushes the pressure side of the sum. Work it through with the carrier’s measured figures in the hydraulic power calculator to expose a machine that can supply the flow but not the pressure, or the pressure but not the cooling.

Typical work and production considerations

The head fits powerline and transmission easements, mining and pipeline corridors and plantation thinning and re-establishment where windrows and residual stems must be reduced in place. Rock, old windrows with buried stumps and pipeline spoil favour carbide teeth; blades cut faster and cleaner in clean green material but are vulnerable to ground contact. See blades versus carbide teeth.

Limitations and when to step up or down a size

If mulching is the business for 2,000 hours a year on traversable ground, a dedicated front-mount carrier with a head such as the HM-90SV deserves a full cost comparison, because forward-travel production on a wider head is hard to beat on the flat; excavator mulcher versus skid steer mulcher covers the trade-offs. The excavator head wins on slopes, around towers and structures and where reach over drains or barriers matters. Step down to the VM-50SR if regular material is under 25 cm; step up to the VM-65SV when 50 cm stems are routine and a 30 tonne or larger carrier is available.

Options and hydraulic circuits to settle at quotation

The hydraulic door is standard, and the circuits it needs are set out on the VM-25SK page. Decide the grapple, tilt and heel options

Wear parts and support

Forty centimetre material punishes tooling, and the cost that surprises buyers is holders rather than teeth: a tooth lost in a windrow usually takes its holder with it. Budget tool cost per hectare rather than per set, and confirm Australian stock with Machinery Specialist before signing.

Confirm before ordering

• Carrier meets 130 hp minimum and can dedicate 159 to 238 L/min continuously at pressure
• Return pressure limit, case drain to tank and auxiliary relief setting
• Cooler capacity or upgrade for continuous summer work
• 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
• Blade or carbide tooling for the site's rock and debris exposure
• Australian stock and price of teeth, holders, belt and bearings, expressed per hectare where possible
• Delivered price including bracket, hoses, commissioning and training

Frequently asked questions