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.”
