11 attachments to expand your excavator's capabilities

These 11 attachments can add a new dimension to your excavators, enabling them to be more productive on demolition jobs, site work and a variety of other tasks.

These tools can separate rebar from concrete, enable buckets and other attachments to rotate and tilt, or boost your excavator’s lifting power, among other capabilities.

Epiroc Bulk Pulverizers are designed for secondary demolition and reduction of reinforced concrete elements. (Photo shown at the top of this story.) Featuring an angled shape and broad jaw, the pulverizers help speed up work to enable clean separation of rebar and concrete. Epiroc’s range includes two bulk pulverizers for carriers from 18 to 40 tons. They can reduce material into grain sizes suitable for crushing or use as backfill. The pulverizers’ cutting blades are replaceable and reversible. A 360-degree hydraulic rotation device is optional.

NPK Concrete CrusherNPKFor excavators in the 21- to 50-ton range, NPK Concrete Crushers are designed to crush through reinforced concrete to separate concrete and steel rebar. They are designed for primary and secondary demolition and recycling. Features include abrasion-resistant, high-strength, alloy steel teeth, optional 360-degree hydraulic rotation, NPK’s Hydraulic Intensifier System for faster cycle times, and a bolt-on replaceable tooth plate on the movable jaw. The “A” model also uses a bolt-on tooth plate on the fixed jaw.

Komatsu JMHB-V breakerKomatsuKomatsu’s new JMHB-V breakers are designed for rock and concrete demolition. The hydraulic breakers modulate their impact force and frequency with up to 16 working positions to match the task. They are also fitted with a recovery valve that recuperates energy to drive efficiency. Depending on the application’s hardness, V-series breakers automatically select the best piston stroke length and speed, the company says. Standard features include automatic greasing, advanced blank firing protection, swivel hose couplings and heavy-duty housing.

RJB Hydraulic Hammers' HK45 breaker with combo bracketRJB Hydraulic HammersRJB Hydraulic Hammers has designed a combination mini-excavator/skid steer bracket for its HK45 Hydraulic Hammer for carrier machines of 3.5 to 6 metric tons. The company says it produced the bracket in response to feedback from rental yards where the HK45 is the company’s most popular hammer for short-term rentals. The HK45 is a 1,000-foot-pound impact class hydraulic hammer. It can handle larger concrete jobs. It comes with a tool diameter of almost 3 inches.

Caterpillar TiltrotatorCaterpillarCaterpillar says its Tilt Rotate Systems are an industry-first with fully integrated technology for its Next Generation 306 CR, 307.5, 308, 308.5, 309 or 310 compact excavators. The tiltrotators can tilt left and right 40 degrees and rotate 360 degrees, allowing work at various angles without the need to reposition the machine. The devices help improve productivity. Models come with pin-on or S-type coupler top interfaces and S-type coupler bottom interfaces. An optional grapple module allows the operator to move materials out of the way.

Takeuchi TiltrotatorTakeuchiTakeuchi’s new tiltrotator line consists of the DF4, DF10 and the Prop Plus models. The Prop Plus can run both tilt and rotate functions as well as a hydraulic coupler and multiple auxiliary functions using only the excavator’s primary circuit without a separate control box. It comes with two joysticks and a monitor. It can work with a grading system. The DF4 runs tilt and rotate functions with two hydraulic circuits and a control box in the cab. The DF10 can run the same functions as the DF4 without a control box but requires a separate hydraulic circuit for each function.

Werk-Brau Skeleton Rock BucketWerk-BrauWerk-Brau’s new Skeleton Rock Buckets are designed to separate large rock and other debris from smaller loose materials. They are available in various widths and sizes for excavators or loaders. They are manufactured with high-strength T-1 steel in all critical wear points, with abrasion-resistant wear straps to reinforce the bucket bottom. Tapered side plates reduce wear on the bucket and allow for easier dumping. The buckets are ideal for quarry work and anywhere that larger materials are sorted from smaller loose materials.

Yanmar Stowable Utility HookYanmarYanmar’s Stowable Utility Hook provides a factory-designed lifting point for the company’s compact excavators, from ViO25 up to the SV100, without the need to use an attachment. It reduces the risk of damage to the machine, buckets or other attachments resulting from attempts to lift heavy objects with a strap or chain connected to areas not intended to be lifting points, the company says. The hook features a multi-directional design that allows it to swing in each direction and swivel 360 degrees. The swivel hook stows out of the way with a lock pin.

Bedrock Attachments' Long ReachBedrock AttachmentsBedrock Attachments says it has a warehouse full of long reach booms and sticks for excavators. The long reaches range from 18 to 22.86 meters long for various Caterpillar, John Deere and Hitachi models. Bedrock uses computerized analysis for the stress distribution of the long reach and to optimize the design. It uses large milling equipment to improve welding. The hydraulic-oil pipes are made of cold-rolled precision steel and are finished by phosphoric acid washing to make the pipes smoother for reduced flow resistance and oil circuit pollution.

Danuser EP Auger System with Stump AugerDanuserDanuser’s EP Auger System for excavators features a planetary gear drive with greater torque for drilling through hard surfaces. The system is compatible with Danuser’s new Stump Auger, which planes away stumps. A threaded pilot digs into the stump, and large cutting blades shave the stump away. The blades are reversible. EP Auger System models range from 6 to 35 gallons per minute of hydraulic flow and from 1,500 to 3,500 pounds per square inch of pressure. The stump auger is available in 10- and 16-inch diameters.

TVH Americas bucket cutting edgeTVH AmericasTVH Americas offers a selection of reversible, double-bevel, bolt-on cutting edges to help extend the life of buckets for light construction equipment. The edges are made of high-quality steel and come in an assortment of widths and lengths. The bolt-on cutting edges can be rotated or replaced in less than an hour with basic hand tools. A double-sided, or reversal, blade can be rotated to give users essentially two blades in one. The blade also lifts the bottom up off the ground slightly, reducing the amount of drag and wear on the bucket.