Excavator Flail Mowers for Excavators up to 7 tons!

An excavator flail attachment is a type of heavy-duty machinery that is commonly used in construction, land clearing, and forestry work. It is an attachment that can be mounted on the excavator, and it is designed to cut down and mulch vegetation, such as trees, bushes, and other plants, as well as to clear debris and other materials. Typically lighter and cheaper than a full size forestry mulcher – they are more designed towards brush and grass clearing making it ideal on a mini excavator. 

The introduction of the excavator flail mowers adds to our range of attachments suited for the forestry and land clearing industry. Made by Cangini Benne in Italy (a Kinshofer company) these flails are designed to be light and nimble on the machine to allow maximum flexibility. But also heavy duty and well built to last and tackle tough jobs. 

Current Forestry Range from The Attachment Company: 

Auger Torque Hedge Trimmer – Skid Steers & Excavators – Trims branches up to 1.5” 

Cangini Flail Mower/Mulcher – Skid Steers & Excavators – mulcher material up to 2.5-3” diameter

Sidney Attachments TBL1000 Tree Shear – Skid Steers & Excavators – Cuts trees up to 10” diameter

Sidney Attachments HTC & HTC Plus – Skid Steers & Excavators – Cuts Trees up to 16” diameter

Auger Torque Stump Planer – Skid Steers & Excavators – Small to Medium Size Stump Removal

Solesbee’s Stump Puller – Large Excavators – Large Scale Stump Removal

Flail Mower/Mulcher Overview

Flail attachments use a hydraulic motor and a barrel – usually belt driven – equipped with knives or hammer type tools to spin and cut down vegetation and grass. They are designed to tackle material smaller than a mulcher with teeth that is designed to mulch full trees. 

Some specific applications for an excavator flail attachment include:

Land clearing: An excavator flail attachment is useful for clearing large areas of land quickly and efficiently. It can clear brush, trees, and other vegetation, making it ideal for preparing land for construction or agricultural purposes.

Forestry work: An excavator flail attachment is often used in forestry work to clear areas for logging, create firebreaks, and remove underbrush.

Roadside maintenance: An excavator flail attachment is ideal for maintaining roadside areas, such as clearing brush and trees from the roadside, removing rocks and other debris, and trimming back overgrown vegetation.

Pipeline and powerline maintenance: An excavator flail attachment is often used for pipeline and powerline maintenance work. It can clear vegetation and other obstacles from the path of the pipeline or powerline, making it easier to access and maintain.

Flail Attachment Models

Currently we offer the two smallest models from Cangini in the following widths:

TC1 – Excavators up to 3.5 tons

Available 24″, 30″ and 40″ wide

TC2 – Excavators up to 7 tons

Available 30″, 40″ and 48″ wide

Further specifications can be found on our website here – https://attachmentco.com/product/excavator-flail-mower/

Mounting Options

As with all of our attachments, we will custom build the mount to suit your machine and/or quick coupler. This includes typical double pin setups, John Deere Wedge Lock, Kubota Style Quick Couplers, Bobcat X Change Couplers & more. 

Contact us if you have any questions about mounting the attachment to your machine. 

Features

One unique feature that is offered for the Cangini brand is the 4 bar floating linkage system.

The floating system enables the mower to follow the contour of the ground with the machine staying at the same level.

Overall, an excavator flail attachment is a versatile and powerful tool that can be used in a wide variety of applications. It is especially useful for clearing vegetation and debris from large areas quickly and efficiently. Contact us for more information regarding a flail attachment for your excavator or skid steer. 

Extensive Guide to all Excavator Mounting Options

Contents

Single Pin

Double Pin / Cradles for Augers

Dedicated Quick Connect – Kubota, John Deere, Bobcat, Wain Roy

S Type – Tiltrotators

Fully Hydraulic Coupler Systems

Single Pin Mounts

The cheapest and most simple way to mount an attachment to your excavator is through a single pin hitch that pins through the stick of the machine. This would replace your bucket main pin and allow the attachment to swing freely from the machine. 

Of course, not all attachments can be mounted through 1 pin, the most common attachment that would be mounted this way would be an auger attachment. Other attachments like trenchers, shears, grabs etc. must be double pinned in order to change the position of the attachment. Augers mostly just need to hang vertically so the single pin is the fastest, cheapest option. 

Other attachments that use a single pin system are clamshell buckets for material handlers, demolition grapples for use in scrap yards etc. Most attachments require more flexibility that working in the vertical position all of the time. 

Double Pin 

The most conventional system for mounting attachments on excavators is a double pin setup. One main pin through the stick of the machine and a second pin through the H link, lets the operator change the angle of the attachment. Conventionally this would have been the setup on the first excavators that only used buckets. 

As mentioned earlier most attachments need to be mounted this way to allow more flexibility for the operator. However, what makes this mounting setup more complicated is the variation of pin dimensions across different manufacturers’ makes and models. 

For example, even for a similar size machine, a John Deere excavator and a Caterpillar excavator will have different pin dimensions. We have an extensive list of machine’s pin dimensions available here.

Here is a rough guide of the pin diameters for machines based on weight class (rough guideline): 

1.5 to 2.5 tons – 25-30mm

2.5 to 3.5 tons – 30-40mm

3 to 5 tons – 40-50mm

5 to 10 tons – 50-60mm 

10-15 tons – 60-70mm

15 to 22 tons – 70-80mm

22 to 25 tons – 80-90mm

There are a few main pin dimensions that need to be verified to build a mount for an attachment to suit: 

Pin Diameter

Dipper/Stick Width

Link Width

Pin Center to Center

For a pinned attachment for a machine without a quick coupler, we would build the attachment to these dimensions to allow for a good fit to the machine. This would mean that it would be a tight fit around the machine and the pin centers would be what the manufacturer requires to enable full movement of the attachment. From The Attachment Company this would require a short lead time in order to build the attachment mount to suit the OEM pin dimensions.

Quick Couplers

Quick couplers are an attachment that is fitted to the excavator to allow the operator to easily change between buckets and other attachments. 

Manual Quick Couplers

A manual coupler is manually opened and closed by the operator in order to lock the attachment in place securely. The operator would pick the attachment using the front on, before getting out of the machine to open the coupler and lock in the rear pin. These couplers require the operator to get out of the machine but are a lot faster and easier than manually knocking out the pins of one bucket to put on another. 

Hydraulic Quick Couplers

A Hydraulic coupler uses the same concept but is hydraulically opened and closed meaning that the operator doesn’t have to leave the machine while changing attachments. This makes changing buckets or other tools even faster and easier on the job site, saving time and effort.

What does this mean on the attachment side? 

Quick couplers make it slightly easier on the attachment side for building a mount. The pins can be welded/fixed in order to prevent more movement/slop from having loose pins. However, we can still provide loose pins in case the attachment ever has to be manually pinned on another machine, or the coupler has to come off the machine to be fixed etc. 

Manual couplers tend to be specific to the excavator and pick up the OEM pin dimensions. The distance in between the ears on the attachment isn’t as crucial as long as it is wide enough for the coupler to drop down and grab the pins. A wider space between the ears or bosses isn’t too bad since the coupler will lock the attachment tight in place. 

However hydraulic quick couplers usually pick up a range of pin centers and pin diameters on the attachment side. This means that you can usually pick up some attachments that are actually built to suit other machines as long as the dimensions fall in the pick up range of the coupler. And again providing the boss spacing or distance between the ears is wider than the coupler. 

For this reason, to try and create faster lead times, we have created a universal standard for each pin diameter. This will allow for faster shipping of machines that are manually pinned and also for machines with a hydraulic coupler (since they pick up a range). For a machine with a manual coupler we will still have to build the mount to suit the specific dimensions. 

We have looked at all the machines with a specific pin diameter and made a standard stick width dimension that suits the machine with the widest stick. For machine’s with a narrower stick, we will provide a shim kit in order to achieve a slim fit. 

For the pin centers, we have averaged all the pin centers measurements for machine’s with each pin diameter. This means most hydraulic couplers will be able to pick up this center to center measurement. Also manually pinned on attachments will be able to be pinned on normally. The pin center will be slightly different from the OEM dimension, but the difference shouldn’t make much of a difference in most cases. 

This will allow us to keep a stock of these standard/universal hitches that we can then adapt to suit the attachment that you need, and ship with a shorter lead time. 

Dedicated Quick Connect Style Mounts

In the US there are a variety of machine manufacturers that have their own dedicated coupler styles. They equip the machine with these quick couplers and then it means that you can pick up any of their attachments easily across the range. 

Here is a list of some of the more popular manufacturers dedicated coupler systems: 

Bobcat Quick X Change

Kubota Style Quick Connect

John Deere Wedgelock Style

Wain Roy Style

Verachtert (CAT) less common

S Type – Tiltrotators

Next we are moving onto one of the newest styles of hook ups for excavators that is more dedicated to the tiltrotator attachments. If you would like some more information on tiltrotator attachments, you can read our complete guide to the NOX tiltrotator here.

Tiltrotators add a lot of extra height on the end of your machine’s stick to enable the tilt and rotation movements of the attachment. This means we really want a quick coupler underneath the tiltrotator that is the most compact, in terms of height.

This is where the S type, or S Lock, couplers come in:

As well as keeping the build height low, the S couplers have standardized dimensions for each pin diameter making it easier to find attachments that you know will suit your coupler. 

For example any tiltrotator brand with an S45 coupler will pick up all S45 attachments, no matter the brand. This makes our job as attachment suppliers a lot easier. 

The S type coupler is the standard when it comes to tiltrotator attachments. Although other styles are available we always strongly suggest the S type, and some manufacturers have recently switched to only offer tiltrotators with S type couplers. 

Because of the reduced build height of these couplers, it means that you can put a standard quick coupler on the machine that is used to pick up the tiltrotator itself. This makes it a lot easier if you ever need to drop off the tiltrotator to do some work where it is not needed. 

The term sandwich is used because the tiltrotator is in a coupler sandwich. Since you have the same coupler on top and on bottom, you can pick up all your attachments without the tiltrotator too. So if you have any problems you can drop the tiltrotator and pick up buckets as normal. 

Fully Hydraulic Coupler Systems

 Last but not least we are going to look at the fully hydraulic coupler system. “I thought we already covered hydraulic couplers?” You might say. We did. However a fully hydraulic coupler setup runs the hydraulics to power the attachment through the coupler as well. Meaning you can pick up a hydraulic attachment and go straight to work without having to get out and connect hoses.

This is the most advanced system for excavator attachments that greatly reduces time and effort needed to switch between work tools. On job sites where there is a lot of switching back and forward this can save a lot of time and money. 

The attachment and the coupler both have a bank of hydraulic connectors. When you pick up the attachment and lock it in place – the hydraulics connect together in a few seconds giving you use of the attachment immediately. 

Most tiltrotator manufacturers offer this option on the tiltrotator and also on the top coupler. Meaning you can drop off the full tiltrotator seamlessly without getting out of the machine. 

Other than the tiltrotator manufacturers, the main manufacturer of this style of couplers is OilQuick. This is the most advanced piece of excavator technology that has come to the forefront in recent years. With more and more attachment tools available for excavators, the coupler setups are extremely valuable on the job site. 

Conclusion

There are various types of excavator mounting systems available making it tricky to determine what you need when looking for an attachment. Hopefully this article explained the different type of mounting systems that are available from simple single pin mounts up to fully hydraulic coupler systems.

If you have any questions, as always you can reach out to us on (941) 212 0037 or through our contact us page here!

Maximizing Your Skid Steer with Trencher Attachments: A Comprehensive Guide

If you own a skid steer, you know just how versatile and indispensable these machines can be. But did you know that you can make your skid steer even more versatile and capable with the right attachments? One attachment that can greatly enhance your skid steer’s capabilities is a trencher attachment. In this blog post, we’ll take a comprehensive look at skid steer trencher attachments and how they can help you tackle a wide range of digging and trenching tasks with ease.

What is a Trencher?

A trencher attachment is a device that is usually attached to the front end of a skid steer, or onto an excavator to transform it into a trench digging machine. Trencher attachments come in a range of sizes and designs, making them suitable for digging trenches for a variety of applications, including drainage, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping.

Types of Trencher Attachments

There are several types of trencher attachments available, each designed to meet specific needs and requirements. The two most common trencher types are:

Chain Trenchers: These trenchers use a rotating chain with cutting teeth to dig into the ground and create a trench. They are best for digging in soft or loose soil, and are available in different sizes for different trenching depths. These are what you will find on excavators and skid steers.

This is what we would traditionally think of as a trencher attachment for a skid steer. There are also older dedicated trencher machines that use the same design and technology. However these can only be used for trencher whereas a skid steer trencher can be swapped out for a lot of other attachments to help with other jobs/tasks.

Wheel Trenchers: Wheel trenchers use a wheel with cutting teeth to dig into the ground, creating a trench. These trenchers are best for digging in harder soil and are capable of digging deeper and wider trenches than chain trenchers.

Chain Trencher Attachments for Skid Steers & Excavators

Trencher attachments for skid steers and excavators use a hydraulic motor and planetary gearbox with a sprocket to drive the chain. The chain engages with the ground and moves the dirt up the chain to the auger. The auger then neatly movies dirt to the side of the trench.

There are a variety of chain types of trencher attachments. Mostly what we provide is called a combination chain. The chain has a combination of earth/dirt teeth to move the dirt, and tungsten carbide, shark like, teeth to break up the ground. You can however get a chain that has all of the same teeth. A chain of completely earth teeth would be used in softer ground whereas a complete carbide chain would be used in harder ground.

There are other types of trencher chain teeth in the market to deal with harder or more rocky conditions as shown below:

Advantages of Skid Steer Trencher Attachments

There are many advantages to using skid steer trencher attachments, including:

Speed and Efficiency: With a skid steer trencher attachment, you can quickly and efficiently dig trenches, reducing the time and effort required to complete the job. Neatly displacing the dirt to one side of the trench makes it easier and faster to backfill the trench.

Accuracy: Trenchers allow the operator to work at a specific depth and width. You can dig an accurate trench at a desired depth and width without effort maintaining the correct depth. Our trenchers have depth control that allows you to vary the digging depth of the trench.

For example with our 48” trencher, you can dig at 32”, 40” as well as 48”.

Versatility: Skid steer trencher attachments are highly versatile, allowing you to tackle a wide range of digging and trenching tasks with ease.

Also since there are many other skid steer attachments on the market, you can easily switch to another attachment to complete another job once you are done trenching.

Cost-Effective: Compared to traditional digging methods, using a skid steer trencher attachment can be much more cost-effective, especially for smaller projects. As mentioned a trencher attachment is much cheaper than a dedicated trencher unit.

Improved Safety: Trencher attachments allow you to dig trenches from the safety of your skid steer, reducing the risk of injury and improving the overall safety of the job.

Purchasing a Trencher Attachment For a Skid Steer

Firstly, you will have to determine how deep and wide that you want to dig your trenches.

The maximum depth and width that you can dig with your skid steer will be determined by the size and hydraulic flow and pressure of your machine. The most common trencher on the market for skid steers with standard flow hydraulics (anything up to 25-30 GPM) will be able to trench 48” (4 feet) deep.

If you have a larger skid steer with flow over 30 GPM you can use a high flow larger trencher unit that can go as deep as 5 feet. Also with a bigger machine you will be able to dig a wider trench at 4 feet compared to a standard unit. Here is the breakdown of the skid steer trenchers that we offer at The Attachment Company:

Auger Torque MT Trenchers: Hydraulic Flow from 12 to 27 GPM

Auger Torque MT24 Trencher: 24” deep – Maximum 12” Wide
Auger Torque MT36 Trencher: 36” deep – Maximum 10” Wide
Auger Torque MT48 Trencher: 48” deep – Maximum 8” Wide

Digga XD High Flow Trenchers: Hydraulic Flow from 25 to 45 GPM

Digga XD High Flow Trencher: 48” deep – Maximum 12” Wide
Digga XD High Flow Trencher: 60” deep – Maximum 12” Wide

For more information you can visit our website listings here!

Installing Your Trencher Onto Your Skid Steer

Most trenchers come delivered to you ready to go straight to work. Our trenchers all come with hoses and flat face couplers to connect straight to the machine. It’s just a matter of picking up the unit, connecting the hoses and you are ready to go to work.

Be sure to check the manual for any run in periods and to familiarize yourself with the operation of the attachment. Also to check for maintenance schedules to look after your trencher to enable you to enhance its longevity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, skid steer trencher attachments are a great investment for anyone who owns a skid steer. Whether you need to dig trenches for drainage, plumbing, electrical, or landscaping, a trencher attachment can help you tackle the job with ease and efficiency. With the right trencher attachment, you can make the most of your skid steer, completing projects faster and more cost-effectively.

Transform Your Skid Steer into a Tree-Cutting Machine with a Tree Shear Attachment

We are happy to add to our range of skid steer attachments with the heavy duty tree shear from Sidney Attachments. Designed and manufactured in the US to the highest standards, the Sidney Tree Shear is one of the best on the market today. 

The addition of the tree shear range from Sidney Attachments adds to our range of forestry & landscaping products with the likes of the Auger Torque Hedge Trimmer, Stump Planer & Stump Puller attachments.

The range of shears help fill a gap in our range that we have had with the ability to cut trees up to 16” in diameter. 

Current Forestry Range from The Attachment Company: 

Auger Torque Hedge Trimmer – Skid Steers & Excavators – Trims branches up to 1.5” 

Sidney Attachments TBL1000 Tree Shear – Skid Steers & Excavators – Cuts trees up to 10” diameter

Sidney Attachments HTC & HTC Plus – Skid Steers & Excavators – Cuts Trees up to 16” diameter

Auger Torque Stump Planer – Skid Steers & Excavators – Small to Medium Size Stump Removal

Solesbee’s Stump Puller – Large Excavators – Large Scale Stump Removal

Tree Shear Overview

Are you tired of using outdated and inefficient methods for tree-cutting tasks? Look no further than a tree shear attachment for your skid steer. These attachments offer increased efficiency and versatility, allowing you to tackle any tree-cutting job with ease.

Tree shears use a large heavy duty hydraulic cylinder and sharp cutting edge to shear through trees. This allows for cutting flush with the ground and fast, efficient tree removal. The Sidney design moves the cutting edge of the shear to push the tree into the fixed arm of the shear. 

There are two main types of tree shear attachments available – standard and rotary. The standard option is perfect for straightforward cutting tasks, while the rotation feature offers a 110-degree cutting range, making it ideal for more complex jobs. 

Sidney Attachments manufacturer 3 types of tree shear attachments that are available to suit both excavators and skid steers. 

TBL1000 – 10” Cutting Diameter

HTC – 14” Cutting Diameter

HTC Plus – 16” Cutting Diameter

Specifications 

Model: TBL1000

Rated Capacity: 10″ diameter

Weight: 655lbs

Blade Cylinder Size: 4″ x 18″

Tilt Cylinder: 3″ x 8″

Solenoid: 12v

Blade Material: “T1” Steel

Model: HTC14

Rated Capacity: 14″ diameter

Weight: 1,280lbs

Blade Cylinder Size: 5.5″ x 18″

Tilt Cylinder: 3″ x 8″

Solenoid: 12v

Blade Material: “T1” Steel

Model: HTC16

Rated Capacity: 16″ diameter

Weight: 1,300lbs

Blade Cylinder Size: 6″ x 18″

Tilt Cylinder: 3″ x 8″

Solenoid: 12v

Blade Material: “T1” Steel

Features

• Cut trunks in a single pass, flush with the ground
• Hydraulic tilt cylinder rotates up to 110 degrees to move cut trees
• Major pivot points are machined and greasable for long lasting life
• Shear is made from 1″ high tensile steel plate
• The single blade design encourages trees to fall the direction of the blade’s travel
• Serrated jaw grips tree to allow all power to be applied to the blade
• Blade Cylinder is rated for 3,000psi operating pressure
• Single 1-1/4″ blade
• Comes standard with Universal Skid Steer Attach

An extremely simple attachment however the output of a Sidney Tree Shear is unmatched. An optimal design with US build quality, the Sidney range of tree shears are able to tackle most jobs with great efficiency and safety. 

Another great aspect of tree shear attachments is their compatibility with various skid steer models. This means that no matter what type of skid steer you own, you can easily add a tree shear attachment to increase its functionality. 

Shears have a relatively low hydraulic flow requirement, meaning they can be fitted to most skid steers without any modification. An operating pressure of 3,000psi is easily obtainable for most machines, too. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using a tree shear attachment for my skid steer?

It offers increased efficiency and versatility in tree-cutting tasks, as well as customizable cutting length and robust construction.

What types of shear attachments are available?

Standard and rotary options are available as well as models with a grapple and saw feature. 

Will a tree shear attachment fit my skid steer model?

Most tree shear attachments are designed to be compatible with various skid steer models. Using the universal hook up and usually a wide operating range of hydraulic oil and pressure, means that they can be suited to most skid steers. 

How do I install a tree shear attachment on my skid steer?

The installation process will vary depending on the specific attachment and skid steer model. But it typically involves connecting the attachment to the skid steer’s hydraulic system. For a rotating shear – a control kit will be included that will be fitted into the cab to allow the operator to switch between the cutting function and the rotating function. Meaning that you only need one hydraulic circuit to work the shear fully. 

How do I maintain my tree shear attachment?

Regular maintenance, such as lubricating moving parts and tightening bolts, will help extend the lifespan of the attachment.

What are the safety precautions I should take when using a tree shear attachment?

Always wear protective equipment, such as safety glasses and hard hats, and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and safety procedures.

Testing out the shear on smaller trees to get comfortable with how the tree will fall and directing the fall away from the machine, is also important. 

How does the pricing of tree shear attachments compare to other skid steer attachments?

Pricing will vary depending on the type and brand of the attachment, but it is generally comparable to other skid steer attachments. Heavy duty models, built in the US, will tend to cost a little more than some skid steer attachments, but the quality and support is unmatched compared to cheaper, simpler models. 

Now available from The Attachment Company through our website here!

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through call or text (941) 212 0037 or through the website. 

Ultimate Guide to Auger Attachments for Skid Steers & Excavators

At The Attachment Company we have been providing auger setups to our customers longer than any other attachments in our range. We have experience in all sizes of auger setups for mini skid steers up to 30 ton excavators. A simple concept, however there are often many auger options for the exact same machine, depending on the job at hand, budget and many other variables. 

We have created the ultimate auger guide to try and answer as many questions as possible and cover all the bases when it comes to auger setups for both skid steers and excavators. As always if you have any questions that we have missed you can post a comment underneath or contact us here.

Contents

1. What is an auger setup and how does it work?
2. Advantages of using an auger attachment
3. Why it is important to select the correct auger drive for your machine
4. Hydraulic Oil Flow & Pressure Specifications
5. Mounting options for skid steers & excavators
6. Output shaft sizes and auger diameters
7. Auger Bit Types
8. Auger Packages from The Attachment Company

What is an auger setup and how does it work?

In the construction industry, auger drives are common on job sites of all shapes and sizes from small fence posts to large holes for screw pile foundations. While there are hand held auger units that you can rent from your local Home Depot, and also large dedicated drilling machines, we are just going to focus on the hydraulic auger drives that are suited for skid steers and excavators. 

To cover the basics, an auger is just a large drill for drilling holes in the ground the same way that you would drill a hole in a wall, for example. Using the hydraulic capabilities of the piece of equipment, hydraulic auger drives were developed using hydraulic motors and planetary gearboxes. 

A hydraulic motor just takes hydraulic oil flow and pressure inputs to turn an output gear

This motor is then matched with a planetary gearbox in order to amplify the torque output. A planetary gearbox is a common gearbox setup that transfers a high speed, low torque input into a low speed, high torque output. Keep in mind that more torque is the name of the game when it comes to drilling holes. 

For each auger drive size, a gearbox is specifically designed to give the desired output torque and rpm to suit the needs of that specific size of machine. The more gear sets that are added to the gearbox, the more torque we will get as an output, but we lose speed in terms of revolutions per minute. 

For example, for a smaller machine with a certain hydraulic flow and pressure output, there is a balance between getting enough torque to turn an auger into the ground, but also not losing all of the RPM. We will cover this more later when we look at the specifications of some of our popular auger drive units. 

See below cutaway for an example of a fully assembled auger drive. On this smaller unit, there is only 1 set of gears in order to keep a good level of output speed as well as amplifying the torque. 

Underneath the gearbox is the output shaft of the auger drive. This is what is used to connect to the auger bit that will in turn spin into the ground. See a picture of a full setup below:

Advantages of using an auger attachment

Now that we have covered the basics of the auger setup and how it works, you might be asking yourself why someone might need to spend more money on another attachment when they could just dig a regular hole? 

The main advantage of using an auger as opposed to regular digging is that you can drill the hole to the exact size that is needed. This limits the amount of backfilling that is needed. For putting 4×4 posts into the ground, it would be impossible to dig a 6” diameter hole with a bucket. An auger setup lets you drill smaller as well as larger holes, deeper and faster than digging. 

Another main advantage of using an auger setup is speed. Many customers that purchase an auger are drilling hundreds of holes per day for fence posts etc. An auger lets them drill the same size and depth of hole over and over again. 

Why it is important to select the correct auger drive for your machine

All attachments for excavators, skid steers or any type of machinery have various options. When it comes to hydraulic attachments like augers there is often more than one size or option that will work, even on the same machine. 

It is vital to select the correct model for a number of reasons. Firstly a unit that is not correctly specified, has a much greater chance of breaking down. This is especially true if a unit is undersized for the machine that it is fitted to. A machine with too much hydraulic pressure or oil flow will blow the motor or gearbox seals very quickly after use. 

Every hydraulic attachment has an operating range for oil pressure and oil flow. We will cover these more in the next section. These are the two main factors when choosing a hydraulic attachment, after the overall weight of the machine. Most manufacturers will design the attachments operating ranges around a weight class of machines. For example our 6000-40 drive unit has the specs below and is designed to work with excavators in the 7-10 ton range.

Also an undersized unit has greater chances of breaking or bending auger shafts and flights because it will not be designed to handle the weight of the machine that it’s on. 

Equally though, an oversized attachment will not work properly or as designed due to the lack of hydraulic pressure or flow. As well as being too large and heavy for the machine. This is why it is important to select the correct size when looking at any attachments for excavator or skid steers. 

At The Attachment Company we have attempted to make our range as narrow as possible, while still covering all of the needs of the industry. On our website we tend to display the operating ranges in the title of the product to make it easier to find what you are looking for. 

In the product listing you can find all of the important specifications and information about the attachment to ensure it will suit your machine. Most products have a rough guideline of the different machine makes and models that are suitable for the attachment. This doesn’t cover every machine, but will give a rough guide for similar machines.

Hydraulic Oil Flow & Pressure Specifications

Besides the weight of the skid steer or excavator, we use the hydraulic specifications of the machine to determine the correct auger attachment. As mentioned earlier, this would be the hydraulic pressure and hydraulic flow of the machine. 

This can often get complicated as not every manufacturer makes it easy to find a certain machine’s hydraulic specifications, but usually a quick Google search will find what you need. 

It’s important when searching for your machine’s hydraulic specifications that you find the pressure and flow relating to the auxiliary circuit of the machine. The auxiliary circuit is on the machine to run attachments. You can check your machine’s stick for hydraulic lines/ports as pictured below:

It is also important to note that some older machines may not have an auxiliary circuit or may have what we call a single acting hydraulic circuit. This is a circuit that only runs in one direction. 

The way to tell if your machine has a single acting circuit is how it is operated. If, in the cab, the circuit is operated by a button or pedal, then it is likely a single acting circuit. If it is operated by a roller on the joystick, or a two way pedal then it is likely a two way/double acting circuit. This means that you can change the direction of flow. Most machines in the US now come with one double acting circuit, which is usually set up to run a hydraulic thumb. 

It is vital to have a double acting circuit for an auger attachment, as you must be able to change the oil flow direction, in order to change direction of the auger. If you get stuck in the ground, you must be able to change the direction and back out, the same as drilling a hole with a hand drill. 

After making sure your machine has the correct hydraulic capabilities we can determine the correct auger drive to suit your needs. 

For this example we will use a Takeuchi TB240. Here you can find the specs on the TB240. Under “Hydraulic System” we can find that the Auxiliary Hydraulic Flow is 17.1GPM or 64.9LPM. 

We can then compare that to one of the excavator auger drives on our website. As mentioned above we list our products by weight range for excavators and flow rates for skid steers. 

Under the excavator category we find the 3300-30 model for excavators up to 6 tons. 

After clicking on this package we can find the detailed specs here: 

This unit will run on a flow range of 15-30GPM which suits the 17GPM of the Takeuchi TB240. The 3,481psi Hydraulic System Pressure of the TB240 also falls within the range of the TB240. This drive will be ideally suited for this machine.

Under the 3300-30 package we also list the output speed and output torque of the unit depending on the machine’s capabilities.

On the TB240 this drive unit will output just over 55RPM and around 2,900ft-lbs of torque. 

For skid steers we use the same process, although it is even easier as we list all of our skid steer drives by flow range. Most standard skid steers fall into the LC300 category while some high flow models can use a larger drive for more torque. 

Mounting options for skid steers & excavators

Mounting options for auger drives are fairly simple. Skid steers are the easiest so we will start there. 

Most skid steers use the universal mounting system. For more information on this you can read our skid steer attachment guide here. This will cover most applications. 

Mini skid steers have a smaller version of the same idea. Here are some manufacturers that share the mini skid steer mounting system: 

Vermeer

Toro/Dingo

Ditch Witch

Boxer

Some other mini skid steers use their own style such as:

Bobcat MT’s 

ASV RC30/Terex PT30

Excavator Mounting Options

Excavators are a little more complex as there isn’t a universal mounting system like the skid steer hook up. Each machine uses different pin dimensions and this affects what buckets or mounts will fit correctly. 

Many hydraulic couplers that are fitted on machines can pick up a range of pin dimensions but not all. 

The pin dimensions shown below are what is needed to build an excavator mount to suit your machine. 

A & B = Machine’s Stick/Dipper Width

C & D = Pin Diameters

E = Pin to Pin Centers

These measurements vary from machine to machine. We have a very in depth list of machine dimensions that can be found here.

If you can not find your machine on the list – not to worry, you can always just take a coupler measurements from a bucket or attachment that fits on your machine. 

On the smaller drives you can avoid the hassle and lead time of building a mount, by using a single pin mount that mounts through the main pain or dipper of the machine. This is the cheapest and easiest solution but doesn’t give as much control of the unit.

Single Pin Mount

The other two options require fabrication and will often have a short lead time to build. 

Double Pin Mount

Double Pin Cradle Mount

You can see the difference between the two mounts is one has what we call a “cradle” and one does not. The cradle allows you to tuck the drive in when moving the machine and stop it from swinging. 

It also allows you to reverse the mount and hold the drive horizontally for horizontal drilling. Where possible we recommend the cradle mount as it also makes it easier to change out auger bits too. But there is a price difference between the two, so as always it depends on the application/budget. 

At The Attachment Company we build double pin and double pin cradles in house, and try to keep the lead time to 1-2 weeks. 

Output Shaft Sizes and Auger Diameters

Many different regions of the world use different size output shafts and augers compared to the US market. Below is a rough guideline for the drives and augers that we supply:

The above table is a rough guideline and can vary from manufacturers. 

In the US market the 2” Hex drive is by far the most popular and The Attachment Company only offers 2” hex drives on the smaller units. However there are adapters available to switch between round and hex and even from 2.5” hex down to 2” hex etc. 

The auger diameter range is also a rough guideline and depends on the ground conditions, torque output etc. 

Auger Bit Types 

As with all other aspects of the complete auger setup, there are more than one option when it comes to auger bits. 

These vary depending on the drive that will be turning it as well as ground conditions and more. Again, we try to break down our range to separate the different auger sizes to suit the specific drives in the range. 

Of course, larger drives with more torque require a heavier auger with thicker flighting and tubing etc. First let’s look at the details of an auger bit and the different components.

The above diagram shows each part of the auger bit. 

Hub/Collar: Changes depending on the output shaft size as discussed the chapter before

Tubing: The size and wall thickness of the round tubing increases with the torque output of the drive in order to cope with the torque and stress

Auger Flighting : The flighting changes depending on the diameter of the auger. The thickness also increases as the drives get larger. Some heavy duty rock augers start with a thicker fighting and then step down further up the shaft.

Boring Head: The boring head designs can vary from flat regular augers to tapered and then to spiral rock augers like in the diagram above. This all depends on the ground application and severity of the conditions. 

Teeth & Pilot: Teeth and pilot change spending on the ground. Regular augers have a more flat style tooth and rock augers have more aggressive round style as above. All teeth and pilots are replaceable for when they wear out. 

Auger Packages from The Attachment Company

The Attachment Company offers auger packages of all sizes that enable you to get all of what you need to get straight to work. This makes it easier to place an order and make sure you have everything included. 

We have split up packages into Mini Skid Steer, Skid Steers & Excavators. Many packages share the same drive units and augers, but the only difference is often the mounting system.

If there are any other items that have to be added to an auger package, you can always get in touch with us here!

NEW PRODUCT – Skid Steer Sickle Bar Mower from Auger Torque

For the last few years we have been offering the hedge trimmer from Auger Torque as part of our attachment range for excavators. We are happy to bring to you our new Skid Steer Mounting System for the Auger Torque T150 Hedge Trimmer / Sickle Bar. 

We have seen an ever growing popularity for our excavator setup and believe that our new skid steer setup fills a large gap in our product range! Affordably turn your skid steer into a landscaping and trimming machine to trim bushes, hedges, long grass and brush.

Contents

Overview 

Specifications

Hydraulic Angle Mounting System 

Control System 

Overview

Sickle Bar attachments have been around for a long time, but now are more effective and flexible than ever. Using the hydraulic capabilities of excavators and skid steers, these type of attachments give another use to these machines than just moving dirt. Feedback from our customers indicate that they can increase their workload and take on new jobs with the right attachments on hand. 

The sickle bar mower attachments for both skid steers and excavators allow for fast, neat and effective trimming of vegetation and bushes. 

Applications

• Roadside hedges/bushes
• Ditch cleaning and maintenance
• Tree trimming and thinning
• Golf course maintenance
• Residential lawn maintenance
• Brush & long grass trimming

Specifications

Although we offer one standard length bar, there are other changeable features to our hedge trimmer attachment that allow it to suit a range of mini excavators and skid steers. However, focusing on skid steers for the purpose of this article, we offer the following specifications: 

Trimmer Bar

Motor Size: 100cc

Oil Pressure Range: 2176-3191 psi

Oil Flow Range: 13.2-18.8 gpm

Max. Cutting Diameter: 1.58”

Standard Cutting Length: 5ft (60”)

Optional Extension Bar: Extra 40” – Total of 8ft

Dimensions (h x w x l): 7.99” x 10.61” x 60.5” 

Weight: 152lbs

Extension Bar

Cutting Length: 40” (Combined Cutting Length: 100“)

Max. Cutting Diameter: 1.58”

Dimensions (h x w x l): 4.65” x 8.86” x 46.93“

Weight: 57.3 lbs

Hydraulic Angle Mounting System

After having great success with the simpler excavator mounted hedge trimmer attachment, it is the perfect time to launch the new skid steer mounting system. 

Mounting this style of trimming attachment to a skid steer loader does have benefits, however it does not offer the flexibility of the excavator without an innovative mounting system. Step in the hydraulically adjustable angle mount for skid steer loaders. 

Using a heavy duty hydraulic cylinder and an electric solenoid configuration, the trimmer can sit outside the width of the skid steer and the cutting angle can be easily changed without leaving the machine. The mounting configuration can also be adjusted to sit on either side of the machine. 

Control System

Each attachment is supplied with a standalone control box that allows us to bypass the specific electrical differences between the skid steer manufacturers. A control box is mounted in the cab that only needs to be connected to a 12V power supply. This box operates the solenoid valve on the mounting frame to switch between operating the bar and changing the angle.

As with all products offered by The Attachment Company, we stand behind the build quality and robustness of each attachment but also carry spare parts to get you back up and running as soon as possible. 

For the hedge trimmer attachment, specifically, we offer the standard Auger Torque warranty of 3 years on the hydraulic motor and a 2 year warranty on all other components. If you have any issues beyond that time frame we are always open to working with you to get the problem resolved in a cost friendly manner. If the attachment doesn’t meet your expectations when it arrives, we will return the product and provide you with a full refund. 

If you have any questions regarding this attachment or anything else offered in our product range, you can contact us on (941) 212-0037 or [email protected]

Skid Steer Sickle Mower / Sickle Bar from Auger Torque listing!

Thank you for reading!

The Attachment Company LLC

Above is a main pin hydraulic thumb. You can see that the pivot point of the thumb is through the main bucket pin that goes through the excavator’s stick. This is the most common setup as it requires the least amount of installation because you are utilizing the main pin as the pivot. However, this is not the only way of setting up a thumb. 

This main pin hydraulic thumb uses a hydraulic cylinder that is supplied with the thumb to open and close the thumb. The cylinder pins onto the thumb and also to a base plate that is welded on the stick of the machine. This allows the operator to work in different positions depending on how stretched out, or close to the machine they are working. 

Again, this is not the only way of operating a thumb as the traditional thumbs were what are referred to as manual thumbs, that are fixed in position. Only using the rotational of the bucket to hold against the thumb. However, this offers very little flexibility. 

Complete Guide to the NOX Tiltrotator

Tiltrotators are one of the most advanced and complex attachments in the world for excavators. They allow for endless 360 degree rotation of the attachment as well as up to 50 degrees of tilting angle each side. Tiltrotators are a lot more advanced than most attachments on the market and therefore have many different setup configurations, like mounting options, control systems, quick coupler options & more!

Our aim with this article is to provide you with a complete guide to tiltrotator attachments, not just the NOX tiltrotator that we offer from Kinshofer. The NOX does have some unique features however, most tiltrotator concepts are very similar across all manufacturers. 

Contents

• Overview & Applications
• NOX Specifications
• Machine Side Mounting Options
• Lower Coupler Options
• Control Systems & Installations
• Attachments & Tools 
• 3D Grading Systems

Overview & Applications

As mentioned earlier tiltrotators offer the greatest flexibility and efficiency for your excavator by allowing a degree of movements that are not possible with a standard setup. Increased range of motions allows you to operate in places that were before inaccessible with your machine or required a lot of repositioning. 

However it is not only digging, grading and earth moving that a tiltrotator is useful for. With a range of attachments specifically designed for use with tiltrotators such as compactor plates, grabs, brushes/brooms, grippers and pallet forks, the tiltrotator turns your machine into a multi functional tool carrier. 

It is estimated, by most manufacturers, that a tiltrotator can increase the operator’s efficiency by more than 30% and can prove a return on investment in just a few years. This is achievable by completing jobs faster, with less ground workers, burning less diesel and less wear on the excavator. A competent tiltrotator operator requires fewer workers on the ground as they can often complete tasks with the added functionality of the attachments at hand. In short, although they are a large investment, after looking at the numbers they can prove to be a certain smart investment. 

NOX Specifications

The next section of this article is going to be more specific to the NOX tiltorator from Kinshofer, however there are still many similarities between the other brands of tiltrotators on the market. For example, the overall range of movements are very similar, the NOX just uses different mechanisms to achieve them. However, the main difference between the NOX tiltrotator and others, is the tilting mechanism so let’s start there. 

Tilting Mechanism

Most tiltrotators on the market use 1 or 2 hydraulic cylinders to achieve the tilting motion. This has its advantages but does add to the overall width of the units. The NOX uses an elliptical piston and sleeve mechanism to achieve a greater range of tilting with 50 degrees each direction. This is the same mechanism that is used in many tilting couplers. 

Although this does increase the overall weight and height of the attachment, the idea is to achieve the most tilt possible, as well as keeping the width of the unit to a minimum. This also means that the tilting torque of the unit is constant regardless of the angle. Meaning you will get the same torque in the middle, as you do at 40 degrees on one side. 

All tiltrotators use a worm drive for endless 360 degrees of rotation. This enables good rotational torque, as well as being able to withstand high loads. In the case of the NOX, the worm drive is specifically designed to keep the overall width of the unit to a minimum. 

Machine Side Mounting Options

There are two common ways of mounting a tiltrotator to an excavator. You can directly mount the unit through the machine dipper/stick, which we refer to as a “direct mount” setup. See pictured below: 

A direct mount setup reduces the overall loss of breakout force, as it keeps the added height to a minimum. Breakout force is the amount of digging power that the machine has when curling the bucket. Any added height by an attachment on the end of the machine dipper incurs a loss of breakout force, therefore directly mounting the tiltrotator means the tiltrotator can use its maximum force. 

The second way to mount a TR is by picking it up with a quick coupler. This requires a fixed pin setup on the upper bracket of the tiltrotator that can be picked up by a hydraulic or mechanical coupler. This adds height to the overall attachment configuration but has the main advantage of being able to easily drop the tiltrotator for jobs where it is not needed. This is referred to as a “sandwich” or “top hitch” setup. 

Something that we will get into in the next section is the type of lower couplers that are available underneath a tiltrotator. Of course, the standard setup is to have the same style coupler on top of the TR as is underneath. This means that you can pick up the same buckets with the NOX as you can without the NOX attached. If you ever have any issues with the unit, you can revert back to a standard coupler and bucket combination. Or if you have a job that requires a lot of breakout force or is hard digging, you can simply drop the TR and use a standard bucket. 

The common standard coupler type used for tiltrotators is called an S Lock or S Type, which originates from Scandinavia. These countries have been at the forefront of tiltrotator technology for many years and many manufacturers are based in Sweden. This style of coupler keeps the build height low, which is vital in a TR setup. For the NOX, we don’t recommend a sandwich setup, unless you are using a S lock coupler, as the overall build height becomes too large. 

Lower Coupler Types

This brings us to the lower coupler that is at the bottom of the unit, and is used to pick up all of the attachments and work tools. 

As we mentioned above, the standard configuration in the tiltrotator market, is the S type. The S type has standardized pin dimensions that are able to be picked up by the coupler. As you can see below that the S Lock has the lowest overall height, meaning you keep the most breakout force. 

This means that everyone that uses an S40 coupler for example, can pick up any S40 attachment. Unlike a pin grabber style coupler that will pick up a range of pin dimensions, the S Lock will only pick up S Lock dimensions. See a list of the dimensions below. 

Pic of S Lock Dims

We strongly recommend using the S Lock setup as it is designed specifically for tiltrotators and we believe it is the best combination. However, this does mean that you will either need a new set of S Lock buckets, or you can adapt your existing buckets to the S type pin dimensions. Of course, this is an added cost, but we strongly believe that it is worth it. 

However, there are many different options available to suit different markets, industries and countries. 

If you are determined to be able to use your existing buckets, there are “pin grabber” style couplers available to work in conjunction with a tiltrotator. However, this will greatly add to the height of the unit.  Also, standard digging buckets are not designed to work with tiltrotators and can often be heavy and lead to a loss in performance. Later in the article, we will cover the attachments and tools that can be used with tiltrotators and why there are specific buckets designed for these setups. 

Control Systems & Installations

Control Systems

Perhaps the most complex part of each tiltrotator attachment is the control system that is used to control the unit. What makes this harder to understand is the amount of different options that are available for the same unit. When you combine this with the coupler options and mounting options, there can be more than 20 configurations of the same tiltrotator model. 

To try and simplify the options, we can split the control systems into two different categories and from there we will explain the two most common setups, at least for NOX systems. 

Let’s break down each tiltrotator function: 

Tilt 

Rotation

Open/Close Coupler

Extra Function 1 (to operate hydraulic attachments like grabs etc.)

Extra Function 2 (for smaller hydraulic attachments like grippers) 

Now imagine that each of these functions require a two way hydraulic circuit to operate it. The circuit would have to be a two way circuit to run the function in both directions. Each circuit would also have to be a “proportional” circuit. This just means that we can control the oil flow through a roller switch on the machine’s joystick, and not a button or a pedal.

DF10

The simplest way to operate the tiltrotator then, would be to have a hydraulic circuit for each function on the machine – this would be called a “Direct Feed” system. Each hydraulic circuit on the machine directly feeds the function on the tiltrotator. 

Above picture is what we refer to as a DF10 system on the NOX tiltrotator. 10 refers to the number of hoses required, 2 for each circuit and 5 circuits total. 

Now, we understand that there are not many machines out there that would be equipped well enough from the factory to be able to directly feed each NOX function. Most excavators come from the factory with 1 or 2 auxiliary hydraulic circuits to operate attachments. This is where the electronic control systems come into play. 

For each function that is lacking on the excavator side, we must make up for it with the NOX control system. You can think of it this way – the less equipped the machine, the smarter the control system has to be on the tiltrotator has to be – therefore the more expensive too. 

NOX Prop+

On the opposite side of the range from a DF10 system would be the NOX Prop + control system. This is the smartest control system available with the NOX tiltrotator that is able to operate with only one single-directional hydraulic circuit. The NOX Prop + system uses electrical solenoids to turn a single hydraulic circuit into 5 functions and is operated by a fully independent control system that is installed onto the excavator. 

This control option includes a 7” touchscreen monitor that is mounted in the cab of the machine and is used to control every aspect of the tiltrotator. All functions are interchangeable and can be adjusted to suit the operator. 

NOX Prop + also includes new joysticks that are installed on the machine to make use of the added functionality. The standard configuration for each joystick would be 2 rollers and 7 buttons on each. This allows full control of the tiltrotator functions, as well as the existing machine functions like the horn, accel/decel of revs etc.

Because of this new technology in the control system, there is an added cost compared with any of the direct feed systems. However, this does come with a great increase of functionality and features that can prove to be worth the extra cost. Also for machines with only 1 auxiliary circuit, like the US market, this is often the best option. 

DF04

However, there is a good option in between the DF10 setup and the NOX Prop + control. This is referred to as a DF04 for the NOX. (These names will be different for each manufacturer).

A DF04 uses the same direct feed principle we discussed before, using two hydraulic circuits from the machine. These two circuits will directly feed the tilt and rotation functions. We include a much simpler control system that allows you to switch between the tilt function and either the coupler open/close, extra 1 or extra 2.

This offers a more cost effective solution than the NOX Prop + system for machines that come with 2 hydraulic circuits, like is standard on a lot of European machines. However, this system does have drawbacks, for example you are limited to only 2 functions at one time. This might mean if you are using a hydraulic attachment like a grab, that it may be slightly awkward to operate.

Installation

NOX Prop + 

Installation of the NOX Prop + control system is a lengthy process that usually takes around 2 full days. This includes the hydraulic connections, boom cable, new joystick wiring, monitor wiring and mounting etc. 

DF04

The DF04 system is a much simpler installation and can be carried out in a single day. The control box is similar to a standard hydraulic coupler control box. After running the boom cable from the NOX back into the cab, the box just needs to be connected to power. Like mentioned earlier, this box only switches one function to another. 

DF10 

A DF10 installation would only require connection of all 10 hydraulic hoses for each circuit. Machine hydraulic flows and pressures may need to be adjusted to suit the NOX specifications. Although this is true for all control systems. 

Attachment & Tools

Tiltrotators are only as effective as the attachments and the work tools that work in combination with them. Each tiltrotator usually comes with at least a set of buckets. At The Attachment Company we offer a 3 bucket kit as standard. 

Our tiltrotator bucket kits comprise of a narrow/cable bucket, digging bucket and grading bucket. Tiltrotator grading buckets are usually tapered to help with shaping edges, etc.