Shearex VM-65SV excavator mulcher

Where the VM-65SV sits in the range

The VM-65SV is the heaviest head in the Shearex VM excavator mulcher range, rated for 25 to 40 tonne excavators and built for industrial vegetation clearing on major right-of-way, transmission and pipeline projects. Below it, the VM-60SR covers 20 to 25 tonne carriers with a 40 cm target diameter on a smaller flow window. There is nothing above it in the excavator family; the only larger Shearex heads are the front-mount HM-90SV and HM-100SV2, which need dedicated carriers. The VM-65SV is not a head to add to a general-purpose 30 tonne digger; the base machine has to be configured for sustained forestry work.

What the published figures mean on site

The 165 cm cutting width is the widest in the VM range and lets a 30 tonne boom clear a corridor edge in very few passes. The optimal target material diameter of 50 cm is the commercially honest figure, the stem size the rotor processes continuously at a productive rate rather than an occasional maximum. It is worth pausing on what 50 cm means: a 50 cm stem holds roughly six times the wood of a 20 cm stem, so a stand of well-spaced 50 cm trees may be manageable while a dense one may be cheaper to shear, extract and then mulch. Our guide on maximum diameter versus production diameter sets out that arithmetic.

At 1,681 kg the head is heavy even for the class before bracket, hoses and options, and the lift chart must be checked at the working radius, especially on long-reach configurations. Continuous flow of 193 to 344 L/min is the largest demand in the family, and the minimum carrier power is 170 hp (127 kW). The VM family’s maximum operating pressure is published as up to approximately 410 bar, which on a 30 to 40 tonne machine is a specification to confirm against the carrier’s auxiliary relief rather than assume.

Carrier matching

Tonnage is the least useful number on this page. What decides the pairing is the continuous auxiliary flow the carrier can dedicate under load, the pressure available at that flow, the return pressure limit, a case drain to tank and cooling that holds oil temperature through an hour of continuous work in Australian summer heat. A 30 tonne excavator ordered for earthworks may quote an impressive pump total and still be unable to hold 300 L/min at pressure without derating, which is why this head normally arrives with a forestry hydraulic package rather than after one; see hydraulic matching and hydraulic cooling and heat.

The practical consequence is that the top of the 193 to 344 L/min window belongs to large, forestry-configured carriers and most 25 to 30 tonne machines will run the head in the lower half of its range. Put the carrier’s measured flow and pressure through the hydraulic power calculator rather than reasoning from the published minimum of 170 hp (127 kW), which is a floor and not an operating point.

Typical work and production considerations

The head fits mining and pipeline corridors, powerline and transmission easements and plantation thinning and re-establishment where large residual stems and windrows need reducing in place. Windrows, spoil and cuttings carry rock and buried debris that favour 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

Mobilising a 30 to 40 tonne excavator with a 1.7 tonne head is a permit and float exercise, so the VM-65SV suits long project campaigns rather than short jobs. If the contract is mostly flat, traversable ground with continuous vegetation, a dedicated front-mount carrier with an HM-90SV or HM-100SV2 will usually produce more area per hour; excavator mulcher versus skid steer mulcher covers the decision. The excavator head wins on slopes, around towers and wherever reach and selective treatment matter. Step down to the VM-60SR if regular material is under 40 cm or the fleet runs 20 to 25 tonne machines.

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. At this scale

Wear parts and support

Industrial mulching consumes tooling quickly. Price teeth or blades, holders, the Poly-Chain carbon belt, rotor bearings, the Hardox 500 bolt-on liner and skid shoes with Machinery Specialist, confirm Australian stock, and budget tool cost per hectare. Daily blow-down of the belt housing and engine bay, leak inspection and bearing temperature checks are core fire housekeeping on a head generating this much heat and fines; see fire risk in clearing operations.

Confirm before ordering

• Carrier meets 170 hp minimum and can dedicate flow within the 193 to 344 L/min window continuously at pressure
• Return pressure limit, case drain to tank and auxiliary relief setting
• Cooling capacity for continuous summer work, including any cooler upgrade
• 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 and on the intended boom configuration
• Blade or carbide tooling for the project's rock and debris exposure
• Australian stock and price of teeth, holders, belt and bearings, budgeted per hectare
• Transport and permit implications of the carrier and head combination
• Delivered price including bracket, hoses, commissioning and training

Frequently asked questions