Visionary Implements: We Pick the Best Attachments Released in 2016
We’re big fans of the tool carrier concept. Machines like skid steers, track loaders, mini excavators, wheel loaders, telehandlers, backhoes and beyond can run various hydraulic and non-hydraulic attachments usually through some quick-attach plate (sometimes universal). This gives contractors great diversity with just one piece of equipment, and each year that diversity expands as manufacturers create new and innovative implements to widen the marketplace. The latest in breakers, brush cutters, plows, stump cutters, compaction plates, asphalt cutters and coring units are broadening the markets for small, attachment-taking, off-highway equipment. Here are some of our favorite new releases in the attachments and implements category for 2016.
Vacuum Lift
Vacuworx’s awesome vacuum-lifting attachment systems have been around for a while, but this year the company finally released a skid steer version, and it rocks out most convincingly. The new Vacuworx SS 2 Vacuum Lifting System allows your skid steer to become part of a system that can lift steel plates, saw-cut concrete, granite/marble slabs, landscape pavers and other materials faster, safer and smarter. Featuring all-aluminum construction, the patent-pending design has a hydraulically driven vacuum pump and can be easily attached to any skid steer. BONUS: The SS 2 can also be used with a variety of mini excavators or small cranes using the clevis hook connection. The compact design weighs just 98 lbs (without a mounting plate) but has a lifting capacity up to 2,716 lbs.
For more info, visit vacuworx.com.
Precision Cores
Are you in need of a powerful keyhole coring attachment, perfect for any utility construction projects that require quick and efficient pavement core cuts commonly used for daylighting or potholing purposes? Look no further than the new MC-450 minicor coring attachment that fits skid steers as well as Ditch Witch SK 850 and Vermeer S800XT compact tool carriers. This keyhole coring attachment from Utilicor Technologies Inc. cuts pavement cores up to 18 in. in diameter for keyhole repair applications. Due to the MC-450’s narrow width, coring in tight spaces or up close to buildings or other structures is also possible. Simple intuitive controls ensure ease of operation and quick connect to the auxiliary hydraulic systems.
For more info, visit utilicor.ca.
Hammer Time
Productivity is the name of the game on the demo jobsite, and demolition is more powerful and efficient than ever with the new John Deere line of hydraulic hammer attachments (the HH20C, HH40C, HH60C and HH80C) for skid steers, compact track loaders and compact excavators. The new line of hammers is the fastest in its class, says Deere, and they are more efficient and easier to maintain than previous models. The hydraulic hammers are the newest product added to the consistently growing line of Worksite Pro attachments and are optimized to work with select John Deere G- and E-Series skid steers and compact track loaders, G-Series compact excavators and most competitive models. The ever-expanding lineup of Worksite Pro attachments includes more than 100 models overall.
For more info, visit deere.com.
A Grade Above
More and more compact loaders are being used for final grade-type applications. That requires high-tech attachment automation. Enter the Trimble GCS900 3D Grade Control System, which allows contractors to perform rough and finish grading operations with 3D grade control from Trimble using a skid steer or track loader. The GCS900 technology is a game-changer because it is the only integrated 3D grade control system on the market for track loaders and skid steers, according to Trimble. Using digital 3D models prepared in Trimble’s Business Center-HCE office software, the Trimble GCS900 system is ideal for footpaths, parking lots and sidewalks. While the GCS900 was available for Bobcat in 2015, it will be available for all brands in November 2016.
For more info, visit construction.trimble.com.
Ultimate Driver
The backbreaking work of driving those tough, metal T-posts has never been easier. The new and improved T3 Driver from Danuser is a small driver that delivers big-time results. Drive T-posts up to 3 in. in diameter at a rate of up to six strikes per second. Unlike hand-held units, the T3 Driver attaches to the tractor, skid steer, mini ex or backhoe to carry the weight of the driver. The new hydraulic manifold means the T3 Driver operates on vehicles with hydraulic flow from 0-30 gpm, similar to Danuser’s Hammer Post Driver. It’s also simple plug-and-play operation. Hoses and couplers can now be interchanged without affecting the performance of the T3 Driver. The new T3 Driver also has increased weld sizes on the housing from 3/8 to 1/2 in. and an added gusset for a more robust design.
For more info, visit danuser.com.
Cutting Your Teeth
The Loftness Carbide Cutter G4 is a new, extreme breed of mulching head. The secret behind its breakthrough efficiency is in the two-stage cutting chamber. Material that enters the spinning rotor (clipping at 2,000 to 2,400 rpm) is forced through moving carbide teeth and the primary shear bar. The primary shear bar has also been made adjustable, so the clearance can be narrowed or widened depending upon the desired material size and production rate. Other advantages of the G4 include: a precisely engineered spiral, staggered tooth pattern; a smoother interior body shape that decreases drag and helps prevent buildup; and a machined anti-wrap design that protects the bearings from debris and wrapping of vines.
For more info, visit loftness.com.
Easiest On/Off Tractor Bucket
Kubota’s new BX80-Series of tractors is making it crazy easy to attach tools and implements. The LA344 Swift-Tach loader, offered for the BX1880, BX 2380 and BX2680, and the LA340 Swift-Tach loader for the BX23S, is a bucket that can be removed or attached without the operator leaving the operator’s station. Operators can use the single lever hydraulic disconnect on the LA340 and LA344 Swift-Tach loader to disconnect all four hydraulic lines at once. The Swift-Tach loader’s no-leak grease fitting, with a grease cap that prevents grease from leaking out the side of the pin, will help keep garages, sheds and barns clear from unwanted messes. The flat-faced “no-spill” coupler also helps keep loader storage areas clean when the loader is disconnected.
For more info, visit kubota.com.
Precision Compaction
Proper soil compaction is essential for any type of construction project. This is a process in which the soil, which consists of air and water particles, is reduced to some extent by applying weight. When it comes to precision compaction, Chicago-Pneumatics’ new RC compactors feature higher performance, overload protection and less maintenance to help contractors get jobs done efficiently. We dig that the oil bath around the shaft bearing ensures continuous lubrication, and this auto lube system eliminates the need for regular manual greasing for the eccentric bearings. The compactors also require no special installation; they arrive ready for the jobsite. Designed to have better distribution across the plate, the housing is offset by 15 percent, which reduces stress on the compactor during operation.
Cost-Effective Asphalt Cutting
Sometimes attachments don’t have to be complex, hydraulic-sucking tools. Take General Equipment Co.’s 130C Cut-R-Tach for example. This is a cool and cost-effective attachment for all types of asphalt cutting projects, such as road patching, scoring and edging and various tasks for pipeline, street, water and sewer applications. The 130C clamps to most backhoes, tractor/wheel loaders, road graders, dozers and other construction vehicles. No special tools, modifications or adapters are required. The patented, twin-screw pivot clamp can be used in forward and reverse cutting. A 13.5-in. diameter cutting blade is machined from a special service, heat-treated alloy steel and is capable of producing smooth-sided cuts up to 5.5 in. deep at a rate of 6,000 ft per hour.
For more info, visit generalequip.com.
Scrape Maxx
Any snowplow can push snow, but there can be a dramatic difference in scraping performance, particularly on hard packed snow. The Scrape Maxx down-force kit allows SnowEx plows (with the exception of UTV plows) to apply increased active downward force to break up hard packed snow and maximize scraping performance down to the pavement. The game-changing element to this technology is that it allows a lighter-duty plow to produce heavy-plow performance; therefore, contractors can improve their back dragging and overall clearing capabilities without having to upgrade to a bigger vehicle or plow. Because Scrape Maxx utilizes the capacities already built into SnowEx plows, installation takes just minutes, and the feature is engaged at the simple touch of a button.
For more info, visit snowexproducts.com.
Winter Pushers
Snow pusher attachments are becoming increasingly popular for off-highway construction equipment, which work parking lots and open spaces in the winter. To help meet these needs, Case Construction Equipment introduced a new line of six heavy- and light-duty sectional snow pushers compatible with both current and older model wheel loaders, skid steers, compact track loaders and backhoes. The independent moldboard sections move independently, allowing each section to shift up and down in response to uneven pavement or obstacles. The light-duty models, designed for compact equipment and backhoes, feature pushers up to 13 ft wide. The heavy-duty line offers pushers up to 17 ft wide for full-sized wheel loaders. The new Case pushers are also compatible with competitive equipment.
For more info, visit casece.com.
