The 3400XT Wood Hog is the first machine from Morbark built for a global audience
The latest machine from Morbark has also become the company’s top seller. The 3400XT Wood Hog horizontal grinder is a mid-range machine introduced earlier this year. It is ideal for the primary reduction and regrind of wood fibre.
“We’ve sold more of these this year than any other model,” said Bob Miller, field specialist with Morbark. He credits the machine’s price point, weight of 32,613 kg and availability to Europe as the reason behind its success. “We do follow a lot of trends and we could see this was coming,” Miller told Equipment Journal during the Waste & Recycling Expo Canada in Niagara Falls on Oct. 25 and 26 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre. “The width of this machine is legal in Europe. We built this machine to be sold around the world. It’s the first time we took this approach.”
The 3400XT attracts two types of customers; those who see value in wood fibre and those that just want to get it out of their way. “Land clearers, they just want to get the product smaller, they don’t see value in it. Then there’s guys that see value in the product,” Miller said. “These are popular machines for mulch producers, or maybe someone that makes compost.”
Add value to wood
Regardless of the Wood Hog’s application, Miller said it presents the opportunity to add value to wood.
“This machine is really a manufacturing plant,” he said. “You have one form of material coming in one end, you have a processing portion and you have a discharge.”
To protect the grinder from damage and contaminates, Morbark equipped the 3400XT with a Brunel torque limiter — a first for the horizontal grinder industry.
“It disconnects the engine from the mill,” Miller said. “If something happens, the horsepower of the engine is no longer driving the mill on this machine.”
As well, the primary shear anvil is secured by bolts on the outside of the grinding chamber. “That anvil takes a lot of impact as the hammers strike. Bolts have a tendency to wear or break,” Miller said. “When that happens, that primary piece of metal may all of a sudden drop into your machine.”
Smooth and steady
For a continuous grind, the 3400XT monitors its own engine speed and automatically adjusts its feed based upon the load of the engine. As the engine feels more load, its will slow down, allowing a chance for it to recover.
Miller explained this keeps the machine running consistently forward, rather than forward and back.
“The idea is that slow and steady wins the race, rather than fast and sporadic,” Miller said. “Rather than send the material in at one speed, back it off and go at it again, we’ll actually modulate that speed and slow it down.”
The 3400XT was designed for easy serviceability. Instead of opting for a shorter length, Miller explained Morbark opted for space to create access points.
“All of these machines will require maintenance,” he said. “We try to focus on allowing people access to the critical aspects.”
Customizable
The Wood Hog is equipped with a 675 hp Cat engine. As well, the machine is available in an electric version. The machine is also available with a tracked, wheeled or stationary configuration, and the undercarriage is available from Cat or Strickland. Under the hopper, the Wood hog is also equipped with a removable subfloor.
“It discharges under the machine as opposed to bringing it to the front,” Miller said. “It allows people the advantage of discharging their material in a track application.”
