HYDRAULICS
TOMCAT Hydraulic In-feed Rollers
It is the general impression that the feed rollers on a wood chipper are there to feed the material into the chipper. That might be correct for most types of chippers, but on a TOMCAT wood chipper the feed rollers are used to control the feed of wood chipper. The chipping drum on a TOMCAT is designed in such a way that the material is pulled into the chipper – simply by the way the drum is designed and the angle of the blades. The feed rollers along with the TRAC-unit (reversing auto-feed computer) allow our chippers to chip larger diameter branches.
TOMCAT feed rollers are designed to be powerful and aggressive. This minimizes preparation of material with side branches, saves operators a lot of time and means more money in the owner's pocket, whether saving on labour costs or time to get the team to the next job. TOMCAT feed rollers are built with very sharp blades that bite down into the wood to ensure that the material does not slip and are designed to easily “climb” onto material. The double feed rollers system also makes light work for example of side branches from fruit trees, where the branches are twisted and awkwardly shaped. The blades on the feed rollers can be sharpened using a flap disc when necessary, extending component life.
On the latest Gen4 design the diameter of the feed rollers was increased to allow the feed rollers to climb effortlessly onto larger diameter branches and handle more material at a time, increasing the output of the chipper.
TOMCAT Forward & Reverse Safety Bar
The forward & reverse bar is fitted on every TOMCAT hydraulic-feed wood chipper. This feature allows the chipper operator to manually control the direction of the feed wheels. When material accidentally grabs a chipper operator and pulls him towards the hopper, he can push the bar and the roller will jump into neutral position or into reverse – immediately stopping the feed rollers from turning or releasing the branch completely. The bar has 3 positions: forward, neutral and reverse. When the chipper is working, but not in use, it can be moved to the neutral position as a safety precaution. When a branch has a big V (side branch at 90 degrees) and it gets stuck between the rollers, the rollers can be reversed and the branch easily removed and thrown aside without any hassle.
Parker Hydraulic Motors
The TOMCAT 200, 250, 300 and 375 Series are all fitted with Parker hydraulic motors. The powerful Parker hydraulic motors can deliver up to 1150Nm torque. Parker hydraulic motors are made in the USA and have a low-speed, high-torque orbital motor with a robust construction. It features continuous oil flow across all the splines to ensure a longer life, superior side load capacity and extra smooth low-speed operation. It comes standard with a high-pressure shaft seal. Parker hydraulic motors are extremely dependable due to their unique design features and the high-quality materials they use in the manufacturing process.
TOMCAT Hydraulic Lift & Crush Feature
The hydraulic lift & crush features optimises the chipper's performance, efficiency and output. The hydraulic lift & crush (HLC) provides the operator with the ultimate control over the hydraulic feed system. The operator controls a lever, which corresponds with a hydraulic welded cylinder connected to the slide-box system (top feed roller). When the operator pulls the lever, the slide-box moves in an upwards direction – opening the in-feed opening. This action increases the chipper’s production when feeding large logs into the chipper, as the operator does not have to struggle to force the chipper’s in-feed rollers to open up and take the branch. When the lever is pushed in the opposite direction the slide-box moves down – exerting downwards pressure with the top feed roller to crush stubborn side branches. The hydraulic lift & crush features comes standard on our 200 Series, 250 Series, 300 Series and 375 Series of chippers. It also comes as an optional extra on our Screen Chipper range and is highly recommend when chipping thorn trees such as Swarthaak and Sickelbush.
Steel Tanks and Enclosures
The hydraulic and fuel tanks on all our chippers are made from a thick steel construction to withstand all the elements. The steel casing ensures long component life. The fuel caps on all our diesel/petrol tanks are lockable. Drainage plugs are situated at the bottom of the tank. On our Gen4 range the hydraulic tanks now features a removeable plate for easy inspection or when a deep clean is necessary and more sight glasses to ensure the hydraulic oil is at optimum levels.
All the hydraulic control valves and electrical solenoids and other components are built and tucked away inside the steel enclosure to protect it against rain, the damaging effects of the sun and to reduce tampering to hydraulic components.
TOMCAT Hydraulic Winches
The TOMCAT Hydraulic Winch was specifically designed for our Australian export market in 2021 and is also available as an optional extra on our 250 Series, 300 Series and 375 Series of hand-fed chippers. It features a fast, reliable and powerful design to pull large trees closer to the chipper in seconds. Its robust design ensures dependability and longevity. The major advantage of adding a hydraulic winch to your TOMCAT wood chipper is that it improves the efficiency of your chipping crew by reducing operator fatigue and lowers the risk of operators getting back injuries. Large logs can be pulled towards the chipper and into the hopper of the machine without any heavy lifting being necessary.
Hydraulic Filtration System
The hydraulic and fuel tanks on all our chippers are made from a thick steel construction to withstand all the elements. The steel casing ensures long component life. The fuel caps on all our diesel/petrol tanks are lockable. Drainage plugs are situated at the bottom of the tank. Our hydraulic systems also comprise of spin-on filters. The spin-on filters are used to protect the hydraulic pumps, hydraulic motors and valve banks from contamination, which improves the reliability of the hydraulic system and in turn increases the lifespan of hydraulic components and reduces the wear & tear (which could lead to component failure) on components.