Attachment Awards: Celebrating the Best Implements of 2024
The off-highway equipment industry has made significant strides in 2024, introducing machines that are smarter, greener and more efficient and powerful than ever before. Compact Equipment‘s 2024 Innovative Iron Awards celebrate these advancements, highlighting equipment that sets new standards in performance, sustainability and operator comfort. Below are our picks for the top attachments for 2024.
Loftness 10 Series Battle Ax
With the lightweight, heavy-duty design of Loftness’ 10 Series Battle Ax, mini excavators can tackle big mulching projects. For use on smaller excavators (7,000 to 10,000 lbs), the 10 Series features a rotor with an innovative depth gauge design that optimizes the amount of material being fed into the drum at one time. This results in easier operation, faster production and more desirable particle sizes. The 10 Series also boasts the exclusive Loftness two-stage cutting chamber. The chamber uses two shear bars to help process material more thoroughly than competitive mulching heads. The 10 Series is available with three types of cutting teeth — reversible planer teeth, four-point beaver teeth or double-carbide teeth.
Western Pile Driver XL Hydraulic-Wing Pusher Plow
Transform your skid steer, tractor or wheel loader into a winter weather warrior with the Pile Driver XL Hydraulic-Wing Pusher Plow from Western. Available in 8-, 10-, 12-, 14- and 16-ft widths, the pusher plow features hydraulic, independent 3-ft wings that provide 180-degree variable wing placement. This enables the attachment to go from box plow to windrow to straight blade mode — and anything in between. The pusher plow’s versatility allows operators to scoop and stack snow, as well as maneuver curbs and wide-open spaces. Consistent plowing performance and productivity are made possible with the independent 2-ft sections of the cutting edge and the 3-ft wing sections that raise, oscillate and trip to adjust to surface contours and obstacles.
Ironcraft Terminator Tree and Stump Remover
Trees and stumps won’t be back courtesy of IronCraft’s Terminator Tree and Stump Remover for skid steers and compact track loaders. The attachment is crafted with enough clamping power to uproot trees up to 12 in. in diameter and remove any size stump. Landscapers, contractors and more can benefit from its dual 3.5-in. x 4-in. bore cylinders with a clamping force of 29,000 lbs. This allows for quick and easy removal of shrubs, trees and their roots to prevent regrowth. The Terminator is built with 66 AR400 teeth. Its 5/8-in. vertical teeth (34 total) are used to saw upward through roots and cut the tree or shrub’s root ball. The Terminator’s 32 1-in. horizontal teeth clamp onto the trunk so operators can uproot the tree.
Werk-Brau FHX66 Defender Forestry Mulcher
Thanks to Werk-Brau’s FHX66 Defender Forestry Mulcher, standard-flow skid steers and track loaders can handle projects typically reserved for high-flow machines. With just 17 gpm of hydraulic flow and 3,350 psi, the FHX66 eradicates materials up to 10 in. in diameter. The FHX66 features a 54-in. working width and a 12-3/4-in. diameter cutting drum that’s 3/4-in. thick and fitted with 36 Quadco Quad Tooth cutter knives. These one-piece, 2-in. knives are constructed of alloy steel and can rotate in four positions. The FHX66’s electronically balanced cutter drum with serviceable hubs ensures straight shafts that run smooth for years of reliable, vibration-free operation.
SharpGrade G-109
The G-109 from SharpGrade brings the grading performance of a larger machine to the small size of a compact track loader. This attachment takes advantage of the machine’s maneuverability to precision grade within 1/8 of an inch with ease and efficiency. SharpGrade’s G-109 is suited to machines in the 75- to 90-hp range and is designed to be compatible with industry-leading 2D and 3D systems. It has an impressive range of motion with its blade grading as wide as 109 in. or as little as 66 in. The G-109 is loaded with standard features like the ability to grade forward and in reverse; sealed, shielded and lifetime lubricated linkages that never need greasing; hydraulic side wings; and the patented QuadRod linkage that eliminates cross coupling. Its front wheels can hydraulically retract so operators can grade as close as 11 in. from foundations and curbs.
FAE SCL/RCU Stump Cutter
FAE upped its RCU55 and RCU75 remote control tracked carriers’ productivity with the addition of the SCL/RCU stump cutter. The cutter expands the capabilities of the two carriers — making them an even more versatile tool for forestry and land management tasks. By combining the RCU55 and RCU75’s incline climbing capabilities (up to 55 degrees) and the stump cutter, operators have a solid, safe and efficient solution for clearing slopes along roads, utility lines and bodies of water. The stump cutter features a heavy-duty shredding disc to tackle the most stubborn stumps and roots up to 18 in. deep. Operators also benefit from the great visibility of a remote-controlled unit vs. a cab.
Telehandler Tools: Raise Up Your Machine’s Performance with These Attachments
JCB Precision Placer
Operators are in control with JCB’s Precision Placer attachment. Released in June 2024, the Precision Placer was made to create a safer, more productive jobsite while reducing fuel consumption. By offering both fork positioning and side-shift capabilities, operators are able to place materials with less machine movements and without leaving the cab. The attachment’s fork positioning function allows operators to pick up different sized loads from 12 to 40 in. wide. Its side-shift function gives operators the ability to position the load 13 in. from side to side. These dual features are standard on the attachment and can be operated with any telehandler due to single and dual aux availability. The Precision Placer has an 8,800-lb lifting capacity and a Q-fit carriage for quick attachment.
Genie LED Auger
The new auger attachment for the Genie GTH-5519 telehandler unlocks even more jobsite potential. This auger takes the telehandler’s capability beyond picking, lifting and placing materials and into a “hole” new set of tasks. Get it? The auger comes with the Halo LED Alignment System, an LED light ring that provides a visual aid to operators and eliminates the need for a spotter. With bits ranging from 8- to 48-in. in diameter, the auger can be used with extensions as long as 8 ft for general purpose digging and rock drilling. It can produce a hole depth of 5 to 15 ft. Operators can choose between two drive motor options that deliver either 2,800 ft-lbs of torque or 5,300 ft-lbs of torque.
Pam Kleineke is managing editor of Compact Equipment magazine.
