In general, excavators are favoured by project managers and contractors due to the fact that these machines benefit projects by not just reducing cost, but also by enhancing the level of efficiency of the entire project.
The reason behind these factors may be directly attributed to the level of versatility that excavators offer, as these machines may be equated with a Swiss army knife due to the capability of most new excavator models to accommodate a range of hydraulic attachments.
Even excavators that fall within the compact and small categories have the capability of hydraulic coupling links. Most construction equipment rental companies offer small and mini excavators for hire along with a range of hydraulic attachments for an average of $300 per day or for $2,000 per week, which is a much lower cost compared to hiring manual labour, which could easily be triple the amount.
The cost of hydraulic attachments for a compact excavator could range anywhere from $50 to $150 per day, depending on the type of attachment.
Hydraulic attachments, in essence, expand the level of versatility that excavators offer projects, as these attachments augment the capability of these machines to perform a much wider range of tasks that go beyond digging.
In this article, readers will have a general perspective on some of the more common hydraulic attachments, which include buckets, hydraulic hammers, grapples, rippers, augers and thumbs. The attachments mentioned are basically powered or generally driven by the hydraulic system of the excavato,r which delivers the necessary force required for the attachment to function.
Starting with the buckets, without doubt the most common attachment that comes as a standard fixture with an excavator that is taken for hire, this attachment is generally used for digging, scooping, grading and moving materials among others.
Since buckets come in a variety of sizes and types (apart from general-purpose buckets), choosing the right type and size is a critical factor. Couplers are another feature that allows operators to fit attachments quickly and easily on their own without leaving the cab (The configuration of this attachment varies depending on project requirements).
The grapple is another type of common attachment that project managers assign to manage elements such as rocks, timber or debris from demolished structures. The mechanics of the grapple basically revolve around using hydraulic power jaws that clamp on materials securely.
Hydraulic hammers and rippers more or less function similarly, whereby the hammer basically delivers powerful blows to break hard materials, whereas the ripper is the most practical attachment for breaking up tough surfaces (asphalt, concrete floors or even frozen ground).
Thumbs, another common hydraulic attachment, is generally used in conjunction with buckets as it helps augment material handling in terms of grip, which makes it easier to manipulate objects. Last, but not least, are augers and compactors, and as the terminology suggests, augers are good for drilling or making holes, whereas compactors mounted to excavators are generally assigned towards compacting soil, gravel, and various other materials.