Tips for Choosing an Excavator Demolition Attachment
Demolition is a necessary step in construction, but also in scrap yards and recycling facilities. While our ancestors handled demolishing projects by hand, today we use heavy equipment such as excavators, back hoes, and skid steers because it’s much more efficient. Though heavy machinery isn’t quite enough for our daily operations, we also require several attachments for various uses, one of those being demolition. Unfortunately, in the past, many companies either didn’t have the right demolition attachments or didn’t know what to look for in a quality attachment––until now. In the following guide, our experts break down several tips for choosing an excavator demolition attachment. Read on if you’d like to learn more.
Not all attachments are created equally, have a variety
Depending on your company and the type of demolition you perform, you might need all of the following attachments or you might only need just one or two. In construction and structural demolition, many companies merely demolish buildings with the standard excavator bucket. While the bucket is fine for that application, it’s not the only useful attachment. Some of the other important demolition attachments include grapples and magnets as well. Grapples are a vital attachment for more than demolition, they’re also common in shipbuilding, railroad maintenance, and construction. Every company should have a grapple because they give the machine operator the option to lift items with a reliable and more secure grip.
Far too many companies forget to have a magnet in their attachment arsenal which is a mistake for three reasons. First, after the demolition project, how do you plan on cleaning up the worksite? Additionally, most industries (some more than others) have ferrous materials to clean up and a magnet will make that process much easier. Moreover, unless your company handles ferrous materials, you could sell the materials to scrap yard and earn a profit that you otherwise would’ve thrown out.
Consider the material you’re working with
Much like our previous point, knowing the material you handle primarily will help guide your purchase towards the appropriate attachments. If you’re a scrap yard or recycling facility for example, you’ll certainly benefit from a scrap yard magnet for a couple reasons. First and foremost, you need to sort materials with like materials, and a magnet will help you perform that task efficiently. Moreover, your facility may receive a vehicle that’s still intact. The easiest and most efficient way to handle a complete vehicle is with the aid of a magnet.
We recognize that not all of you run recycling facilities and scrap yards, though. For those of you working in construction, for example, you might only need the excavator’s bucket and a grapple. Though, we’d encourage you to invest in a magnet as well, because it’s better to have the attachment as an option rather than wishing you had one.
Know your excavator’s specifications
While many attachments are universal and fit on most excavators, that doesn’t mean it will fit for sure. Every excavator has different specifications, so it’s important that you know your specifications prior to investing in attachments. Probably the most important specification know is the excavator’s weight limit. Some attachments are heavier than others and you must ensure your excavator can handle such an attachment. If your attachment exceeds the weight capacity of your excavator, you’re asking for machine trouble. Some of the troubles you’ll experience is your excavator being unstable and performing poorly. Ultimately, if you’re overloading the machine’s weight capacity, the machine might not operate at all if you’re well above the weight limit. Furthermore, an attachment that exceeds the excavator’s specifications requires more work from the machine, which can lead to long term damage, expensive repairs, and more frequent maintenance.
Don’t forget to consider to your power source
Similar to the excavator’s specifications, you must take the attachment’s power source into consideration. Are you planning for hydraulic attachments? If so, you’ll need to know your excavator’s circuit requirements and hydraulic flow rating. If the attachment doesn’t receive adequate oil, it won’t operate at peak performance. Alternatively, those of you interested in magnets might opt for a permanent or electromagnet because it doesn’t require a hydraulic power source, although you might need a generator or battery. Without the appropriate power source, excavator demolition attachments won’t perform as well as they should, and poor performance leads to inefficiencies. Few metrics are more important in demolition than efficiency and productivity, and an inadequate power source will force your attachments to operate poorly and cost your company time and money.
Don’t skimp on quality
As with any company, you’re probably trying to keep expenses low by searching for the best deal possible, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem with looking for the best deal is that people often settle for lower quality, and your excavator attachment is no place for mediocre quality. Whether you work in construction, metal recycling, or scrap yards, you know that your equipment is the lifeline of your business, so why would you want unreliable attachments? Your company and your workers deserve to work with high-quality equipment, so invest in quality and invest in your business’s future.
There are several factors to consider when buying attachments for heavy equipment and we get that. To help you make an educated decision that’ll improve your business, we put together this list of tips for choosing an excavator demolition attachment. We’d argue that the most important point on this list after the safety of your workers, is the quality of your attachments.
You shouldn’t take quality lightly because it directly affects your business’s bottom line, the safety of your workers, and the efficiency of a job site. We understand that quality is vital at Moley Magnetics because we have extensive industry experience. Whether you’re in the need for demolition magnets, grapples, or even shears and shredders, we’ve got you covered. Our business is family-owned and we take pride in the work we do and the successful company we’ve built over the years. Because we’re passionate about the work we do and supply high-quality products, we only use the best materials available. We love supplying high-quality products because we see how they benefit our customers and their businesses. We don’t like to use mediocre products and you shouldn’t either, so if you have any questions or would like to request pricing, contact our team today. We look forward to supporting you.
