Looking for ways to maximise productivity and boost revenue? The right machinery is one part of the equation in providing the best results, but it’s often the overlooked details like machinery implements that offer enhanced versatility across different jobs, faster completion times, and more importantly, increased worksite safety. These attach to common pieces like excavators, loaders and skid steers in construction and roadworks, general material handling, demolition tasks, landscaping and more. 

Another crucial benefit of buying the right machinery attachments is that they significantly reduce operational costs. Businesses and companies can increase profits buy spending less on different machinery for different jobs, and instead use the savings to boost efficiency. This may mean boosting employment, or upgrading current inventory. Here we take a look at the most common types of attachments, where and how they’re used, and alternatives for the same or similar jobs. 

Buckets

Buckets are undeniably the most versatile machinery attachment and are used with excavators, skid steers, and all types of loaders. They’re attached onto the machine’s movable arm and perform common tasks such as digging, scooping, loading, trenching and grading. They come in different shapes, sizes and materials, meaning one type will be better at certain jobs than others. Here’s a breakdown of the most common machinery bucket attachments and what they do: 

• Digging bucket – these are standard on excavators, They have a set number of protruding teeth at the front to break up and dig through hard soil, usually in construction and landscaping. While versatile in multiple jobs, harder soil or rocks may mean you need a different attachment. 
• Rock/aggregate bucket – on excavators, rock buckets have reinforced teeth to penetrate through compacted ground and harder rock. They’re seen in quarrying, mining and construction. Loader aggregate buckets are more about hauling larger quantities of stone, rock, asphalt, with larger flat profiles maximised for loading capacity. To minimise spillage and protect hydraulic lines, loader buckets can also be fitted with rim spill guards. 
• Utility/ general purpose – rounded edges in utility buckets prevent damage to utilities such as pipes and cables in construction and landscaping tasks, especially when clearing ground in new developments.  . 
• Grading – used with loaders, skids, and excavators when smoothing or levelling surfaces, or grading tasks. Ideal uses are on softer soil and sand. Most also have provisions for drainage. 

Other types include trenching or V-buckets when digging trenches for pipes or cabling; snow/light material skid steer buckets when clearing brush, snow or dirt in construction or transporting hay. mulch and wood chips; rake riddles when separating aggregate, clearing roots, conserving soil and other agricultural tasks; and a long list of specialty buckets (high dump, concrete, manure slurry, frost, micro-trenching). Choosing the right one depends on which machinery you work with, machine size and operating capacity, bucket sizes and design specifics. 

Hammers and Breakers 

Where rock buckets struggle, hydraulic hammers or breakers step in. They use pressurized hydraulic fluid to create a rapid and repetitive striking action and enough grunt to penetrate deep rock, asphalt and concrete. 

You’ll see them at the end of excavators, back hoes and skids in demolitions, construction work, roadworks, quarrying and mining among other uses. And they come in light, medium and heavy-duty variants, with differences in size and power and compatibility with different machinery. Choose hammers or breakers for their efficiency and speed in breaking up harder surfaces, high precision and control, and their cost-effectiveness, especially when compared to manual labour or acquiring additional equipment. 

Auger Machinery Attachments

Augers attach to the end of skid steers and excavators and are efficient in getting deep, precise holes in farming, forestation, fencing and landscaping work. They’re also used in laying foundation columns in construction. They come in different sizes and types and can drill into soils of varying hardness. Choose standard auger for general digging, rock augers when digging through harder, rocky soil, and smaller-diameter tree planting augers when panting trees at the desired depth. 

Grapples 

These attachments are used to grab onto and hold items of larger sizes or irregular shapes. They too use the machine’s hydraulics and heavy-duty steel arms or jaws that open and close to move items to where they’re needed. There are several types. Roots grapples efficiently handle roots and brush, log grapples are designed for items in larger circumferences, demolition grapples are good are clearing debris at demolition sites, farm grapples move hay, bedding and manure, and material handling types move building materials, recycled waste, scrap metals and more. 

Forks

Skid steers are favoured for their versatility, with fork attachments essentially replacing forklifts when transporting a range of materials. Forks can be optioned in different lengths and widths and lift and lower items to different heights. Common types are construction forks – when lifting, lowering and moving heavy building materials; pallet forks for a range of a palletised items; pipe and pole forks, log and lumber types and block fork attachments when moving bricks or concrete blocks. Common uses are construction, warehousing, forestry, and farming. 

Ripper Attachments 

These attachments are seen with excavators, skid steers, loaders and dozers. The large, sharp hooked tooth can loosen up, remove or rip through concrete, asphalt, rock, tree roots and almost any material. Besides demolition, common uses are in excavating and landscaping. Designs vary depending on the size and number of teeth, meaning single rippers ideal for small-scale demolition or multi-ripper attachments when ripping and crushing through hard rock and soil in large-scale clearing jobs. 

Other Options 

This is just a handful of some of the most common machinery implements. Excavators and skids can also take different blades providing stability in digging and trenching with the accompanying bucket attachment, as well as basic grading and levelling; shears when cutting through rebar, beams and piping; saw attachments when cutting into hard rock in large-scale mining or quarrying operations; and compactor wheels when levelling uneven ground in infrastructure projects. 

For smaller operations, skid steers go one step further, with additions like trenchers, brush cutters, tillers, mulchers and more. They join larger and more powerful attachments seen with loaders, dozers and backhoes, giving machinery operators more choices in completing varied jobs with efficiency, safety and on schedule. 

Choose attachments based on the specifics of the tasks, those that are compatible with the machines and equipment you own and are built to a high standard and with quality materials. Additionally, consider new or used equipment from established brands and suppliers that fall within budget.