Attachments are king

In many off-road industries, the eye-catching prime mover acts merely as a host, accommodating the operator by providing a safe and comfortable working environment.

It also hosts, powers and moves the attachment, which the operator uses to make the money. For some, the most significant part of the buying decision is an attachment that best suits their needs, while machine that is going to host it is of secondary importance.

An increasingly important part of this buying decision is how the attachment is going to be controlled, laser- and satellite-based systems offering an incredible level of automatic accuracy. The host excavator merely provides data on where it and its working equipment are positioned, then reacts to commands from the machine control system.

Gone are the days when a bucket was simply pinned to the end of a dipper; at the very least there will now be a quick coupler, perhaps even a tilting hitch. However, excavators in the UK are increasingly being equipped with tiltrotators, resulting in the use of Scandinavian-style buckets.

By no means am I suggesting the entire industry should run eyewateringly expensive heavy-duty buckets. Rather that there is a bit of fuel to be saved and a little more productivity to be eked out by more precisely matching bucket specification to the typical conditions encountered. It’s a lesson long since learnt in heavy-duty applications such as mining and demolition.

Yours till next month

Graham Black, Editor

38

Looking at the latest developments in automatic excavator quick-hitches.

45

Attachment used by JC Thomas & Sons to reduce oversize scrap metal.

49

D475A-5

Details of the first 9000 hours put on the largest dozer at work in Europe.

55

High-tech kit used to construct large, super-flat industrial concrete floors.

JCB 220X

High-spec excavator spearheading Waitings Group charity fundraising. 63

RBS BANK HQ

The CJ Charlton Group at work on a demolition site in Edinburgh. 68

South-east Ireland operator has added a used Hyundai HX220 excavator.

April

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Tail End

73 EDITOR’S COMMENTS BACKHOES

Graham Black on the future of these versatile multi-purpose machines.

75 Factory Profile Cummins

Latest developments at this long-term manufacturer of heavy-duty engines.

78 Classic Plant Stripping Shovels

The history of giant stripping shovels produced by Marion and Bucyrus.

84 Machines Past Working Events

Machinery highlights of the 2022 Morris Leslie classic working weekend.

89 Interview Balfour Beatty

Technological advances in recent years on large public-funded projects.

94 Plantmobilia Liebherr R9600

The latest 1:50-scale mining backhoe from NZG is a monster with plenty of fine detailing.

96 Next Month

Here’s a taster of just some of the exciting features planned for the next issue.

98 Picture Post

Got any interesting or unusual pictures of earthmoving men or machinery? WIN £20 for our ‘Pic of the Month’.