Vermeer’s new FT100, FT300 forestry tractors designed for easy customization between land-clearing jobs

Updated Sep 11, 2015
FT100 forestry tractorFT100 forestry tractor

Designed for knocking out any job with demanding land-clearing, Vermeer has launched its two new forestry tractors with powerful mulching attachments.

First up is the FT100, a compact track loader outfitted with Vermeer’s above-ground mulcher attachment. The machine is powered by a 111-horsepower Perkins E3TA Tier 4 interim engine with a hydraulic system that optimizes horsepower to the mulcher.

Eighteen inches in diameter and equipped with 18 disks and 17 tip mounts, the mulcher’s ringed rotor is designed for single-pass clearing and is capable of controlling the depth of each cut. The attachment’s push bar reaches 7 inches below grade.

Thanks to the rotor tips’ interchangeable design and availability in planar, clad-face planar and impact-resistant tip options, contractors can customize the FT100’s cutting capabilities to their specific jobsite conditions without having to rebalance a drum. Plus, Vermeer says the cutter tips’ dual-bolt system can be torqued with a wrench small enough to be stored in the machine’s cab.

The machine features 15 inches of ground clearance for traversing uncleared sites and its track system features two independent torsion axles on each track frame.

FT300FT300

When more cutting power is needed, contractors can opt for the FT300 tractor with mulcher head. Powered by a 300-horsepower, Tier 4 Final, Cummins QSL9 engine, the FT300 features a horsepower “bulge” allowing the engine to up its production to 320 horsepower when engine speeds drop from 2,200 rpm to 2,000 rpm under load.

Like the FT100, the FT300’s mulcher head features a ringed rotor design but with 23 interchangeable cutting tips.

Two track options are available for the FT300: 30-inch-wide steel tracks for more traction, or 33-inch-wide low ground pressure tracks for soft conditions. The machine also features a 30,000-pound rear-mounted wench.

Inside the cab, operators will find air-ride seating, ergonomic controls, optimal sightlines and a rearview camera. A 7-inch color display provides real-time machine performance data.