Getting the most out of your equipment makes a difference in your profitability. The more uptime per machine the greater your ROI. One way of squeezing the maximum uptime out of a piece of equipment is through the use of attachments. Virtually every machine has attachments that will expand its functionality. There are machines like toolcarriers that are designed specifically for attachments. In today’s equipment market there are Integrated Toolcarrier (IT) versions of a wide array of machines – wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, and the list continues to grow.
Buying and fitting attachments to equipment isn’t always as simple as it sounds. You have to make certain that there are matches between the machine’s lifting capabilities and the size attachment being applied, as well as the machine’s hydraulic system capacity for hydraulically powered attachments.
Safety is an important consideration when fitting an attachment to a piece of equipment. You need to know if the attachment will throw the machine off balance or effect it’s maneuverability or other handling characteristics. Or will the attachment slow the machine’s operation to the point that it can’t perform safely?
These questions and others can be answered at an online attachments site, AttachMart.com. The founder has years of experience with construction equipment specializing in attachments. AttachMart.com sells all brands and all types of attachments, both new and used. The site also functions as a trading center, so if you have attachments you no longer want to inventory…
Another site for answers to equipment related questions is Heavy Equipment Forums, which is exactly what the name implies. It is a group of forums populated by equipment owners, users, dealers, and others who have interests in the industry.
This site provides a medium for discussion about heavy equipment. You can take a tour but need to become a member to participate. I have only recently joined and have found it to be very interesting and informative. Let me know what you think.
Hitachi ZX85USB-3 compact, swing-boom excavator
The Hitachi Zaxis 85USB-3 excavator is a compact ultra-short machine suitable for landscaping, light residential, urban renewal, and underground utilities. The compact design eliminates problems with tail swing and allows the operator to get close to buildings or other structures.
It has undercarriage options. You can choose steel shoes or outfit it with rubber pads or rubber crawler belts. The shape of the backfill blade provides better crowding performance, additional machine stability and is easily seen by the operator. The swing boom adds yet another dimension of performance by enabling parallel digging to walls, guard rails and foundations, making it ideal for excavation and utility work.
A turbo-charged Isuzu 4LE2X engine powers the Zaxis 85SUB-3 and Hitachi’s own patented HIOS III hydraulic system. The Tier-4 certified engine works very well at high altitudes without sacrificing performance.
Two operating modes can be selected to match engine rpm to the operating conditions and application. The E (economy) mode for light-duty work reduces fuel consumption from eight to twelve percent, by lowering engine speed. It also reduces noise levels. The P (standard) mode provides power and fuel economy for most tasks. It controls the engine speed from slow idle to fast idle in response to the position of the engine speed dial.
Regenerative flow on the boom, stick and bucket cylinders result in faster down movements, extremely fine control and multitasking.
The special shape of the ZX85USB-3 cab accommodates the path of the swing boom without sacrificing comfort or convenience. The cab also features a deluxe suspension cloth seat, advanced multilingual LCD monitor, slide-open front glass, generous leg room, short-throw/low-effort controls and tinted, transparent roof window.
Brief specs:
Engine Isuzu 4LE2X
Net power (ISO9249) 54 horsepower
Standard weight 18,821 pounds
Max. swing speed 10.5 rpm
Max. digging reach 25 feet 3 inches
Max. digging depth 14 feet 8 inches
Bucket sizes range 0.40 – 0.66 cubic yards
Greg Sitek