The lagging economy has many contractors doing more with less this year. While cautious about big-ticket purchases, owners are looking to smart buys that maximize production through a diversity of services. Whether that means renting or buying, one economical alternative to a new machine is a versatile skid-steer attachment.
“We’re seeing many skid-steer and compact track loader customers purchasing more attachments as an alternative to buying another machine,” says Rick Harris, senior project manager at Terex.
“The economy is the primary driver of this trend. Skid-steer loaders and compact track loaders provide tremendous flexibility in applications and attachments,” Harris says. “They provide a customer with something like a Swiss Army knife.”
Whether for bread-and-butter septic system installations, or for fill-in excavating, earth-moving and landscaping, attachments can be a cost-effective way to stay efficient and prosper during a difficult time.
Securing the job
Larry Kapellusch, product marketing manager with CE Attachments Inc. of West Bend, Wis., says business conditions may require contractors to become more aggressive in seeking work, taking on jobs outside their normal range. “And that’s where attachments can make the difference in winning or losing potential bids,” he says.
His company’s popular tools include a side-discharge bucket, designed for spreading sand, mulch or aggregate from either side. When it comes to that “must-have” attachment, Kapellusch says that depends on the nature of the business and the geography.
“Typically, landscapers will be using augers for setting fence posts, for digging holes for planting trees and shrubs,” he says. “If they’re involved in building decks, they may be using an auger for setting the foundation columns.”
Marv Haugen, owner/president of Haugen Attachments in Casselton, N.D., believes in the value of diverse tools. “If you have a skid-steer and you don’t have a lot of attachments, you should be looking at attachments instead of buying another machine,” he says. “The more attachments you have for your skid-steer, the more valuable it becomes.”
Tillers and rock buckets
For versatility in landscaping, Haugen suggests adding a rotary tiller and skeleton rock bucket. “Skeleton rock buckets are great back-grading tools,” he says. Designed for field rock picking, construction site pickup, landscape preparation and riprap or boulder work, rock buckets also work well for sifting rocks and debris.
Haugen also sees rising demand for industrial rod grapples for handling rocks and brush. The devices have independent twin grapples, industrial-grade cylinders, 1- by 1.5-inch flat bar tines spaced 3 inches on center, and a tooth bar with replaceable teeth.
Brooms, rakes and forks
Ron Peters, product manager for CE Attachments, says other time-saving and economical attachments are hopper brooms, auto rakes, tilt attachments, mini-backhoes, walkthrough pallet forks, grader rakes, and tree spades.
Hopper brooms offer a quick way to clean up a jobsite, sweeping materials into a bucket along a driveway or other hard surface, says Peters. These items are made to fit any make or model of skid-steer with a universal mount. Other broom accessories include gutter brushes that can be mounted on either side, as well as a dust-control system that includes a 25-gallon tank, pump and nozzles.
An auto rake is a multi-talented tool that can remove rocks from 3/4 to 6 inches in diameter, and break up clods and level soil at the same time. Spoil is deposited in a hydraulically controlled dump bucket.
For more precise grading or leveling, contractors might consider a tilt attachment that can tilt buckets 18 degrees or tilt trenchers for vertical cuts, even on hills. The mini-backhoe is designed for smaller jobs, such as trenches and footings. No stabilizers are required.
Historically, pallet forks have been among the most popular attachments, Peters says. Most owners get a set when they purchase their skid-steer. One unique feature to consider is a walkthrough for models with a cab enclosure —that enables the operator to get on and off the loader easily.
“Another lower-cost attachment that you can get a lot done with is a grader rake,” Peters says. Designed to scarify, smooth and level hard-packed soil, it can separate debris from dirt and soil, making it a handy tool for jobsite cleanup. There’s also a tree spade that mounts to the front of the loader for transplanting trees.
Making the investment
When considering if an attachment makes economic sense, Kapellusch says contractors need to weigh the tradeoff of doing something manually with a large labor force or having a small labor force and dedicated attachments. “I don’t think there’s a magic formula here,” he says. “If a contractor isn’t purchasing attachments, he may be renting attachments from his local dealer or rental yard.”
Proper maintenance also can ensure that you get the most work out and longest life from your equipment. “The life expectancy of attachments will ultimately depend on the attachment itself, the type of work you’re doing and how often you’re doing it,” says Lance Schjenken, attachment-marketing specialist at Terex ASV. “But basic, routine maintenance is easy to do and will really only cost you a little time.”
