The FTX200 is a purpose-built tracked forestry mulcher, sometimes called a dedicated mulching tractor or a land clearing tractor. Unlike a mulching head bolted onto a skid steer or an excavator, the FTX200 is a complete machine designed from the ground up for one job, which is clearing vegetation. It runs a 200 horsepower Cummins QSB4.5 engine, a D3 oscillating undercarriage with 24 inch track shoes, and the RK8620 Bull Hog mulching head mounted pin-on at the front. Because the carrier and the head are engineered together, the hydraulic flow, the cooling and the weight distribution are all matched to mulching rather than compromised for general purpose work.

The FTX200 produces a maximum of 200 horsepower, or 149 kilowatts, from a Cummins QSB4.5 four cylinder 4.5 litre engine. Maximum torque is 576 foot pounds at 1,500 RPM. The engine is Tier 4 Final and Stage V compliant, so it meets both the current United States and European emissions standards. Fuel consumption runs at roughly 6 to 7 gallons per hour with a 78 gallon fuel tank, and DEF consumption is around 0.4 to 0.5 gallons per hour with a 10 gallon DEF tank. In practice that means a full working day between fills for most operators.

The FTX200 comes standard with the RK8620 Bull Hog mulching head, which is rated to process material up to [confirm maximum material diameter for the RK8620] inches. Maximum reach with the Bull Hog fitted is 49 inches and it will work to 31 inches below grade, which lets the operator take stumps and low material down without a separate pass. The mulcher circuit delivers 80 gallons per minute at 5,000 psi, and Fecon Power Management keeps the rotor turning through heavy material instead of stalling.

Fecon does not publish list pricing on the website because every FTX200 is configured differently and is sold through a dealer network. Options such as the rear mounted 15,000 pound winch, the fire suppression system, severe duty forestry skids, triple grouser track pads and the DCR option for the RK8620 all change the final figure, as does freight and dealer preparation. For a purpose-built tracked forestry mulcher in the 200 horsepower class you should expect to be quoting in the [confirm the pricing band Fecon is comfortable publishing] range. The fastest way to get a real number is to request a quote through this page or contact your nearest Fecon dealer, who can price the exact build you need.

A Bull Hog mulching head, such as the RK8620 that comes standard on the FTX200, is also available as an attachment that mounts onto a machine you already own, usually a skid steer, a compact track loader, an excavator or a tractor with a PTO. It is the cheaper route and it is flexible, because the carrier can do other work when the head comes off. A mulching tractor like the FTX200 is a dedicated machine where the carrier exists only to run the head. The advantage is production. The hydraulics, the cooling capacity and the undercarriage are all sized for continuous mulching, so the machine holds full power in heavy material all day rather than overheating or derating. As a rule of thumb, attachments suit occasional and mixed work, and dedicated tractors suit contractors clearing acres day after day.

The FTX200 measures 82 inches wide bare, which is 6 feet 10 inches, and 101 inches wide with the Bull Hog fitted, which is 8 feet 5 inches. Overall length is 191 inches bare and 234 inches with the head. Overall height is 114 inches. Operating weight is 21,550 pounds bare and 26,100 pounds with the Bull Hog. Ground pressure with the head fitted is 5.0 psi measured to SAE J1309. Those dimensions mean the machine transports on a standard equipment trailer, but check your state permit rules, because 101 inches with the head fitted is over the 8 foot 6 inch line in some jurisdictions.

Fecon Power Management is the control system that decides, moment to moment, how the engine’s 200 horsepower is divided between the mulching head, the track drive and the lift arms. In heavy material a conventional machine will bog because the head demands more than is available and everything slows together. Power Management keeps the rotor loaded and protects rotor speed, then gives ground drive and lift arm control what is left. The practical result is that the FTX200 can mulch uphill while the operator still has proper control of the lift arms and the tracks, and the head recovers faster after it bites into something heavy.

The three machines are separated by horsepower class and by the size of material you expect to hit. The FTX150-2 sits in the 150 horsepower class and suits smaller acreage, tighter access and lighter material. The FTX200 sits in the 200 horsepower class and is the middle of the range, which is where most full time land clearing and right of way contractors land. The FTX300 sits in the 300 horsepower class for the largest volume work and the heaviest standing material. If most of your work is repeat production clearing on mixed material and you want one machine that will not run out of power, the FTX200 is usually the right starting point. Your dealer can walk you through the trade offs against your actual job mix.

Typical work for a track mulcher this size includes right of way maintenance along utility corridors and roadsides, fire mitigation and firebreak cutting, site preparation ahead of construction, pasture reclamation, and invasive species removal. The 49 inch reach and 31 inch below grade capability of the RK8620 Bull Hog mean the operator can take standing material and low stumps in the same pass rather than coming back with a second machine.