Everything About Excavator Attachments

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When it comes to moving large amounts of soil, debris, and clearing brush, there is only one piece of equipment capable of getting the job done – an excavator. In terms of heavy-duty equipment, excavators are known for their extreme durability, high levels of efficiency, and incredible carrying capacity.

 

As one of the most efficient pieces of equipment that can be used on a job site, we understand that your excavator can’t do all the work alone. With the right excavator attachments, maintaining right of ways, farmland, and construction sites are easier than ever before.

 

If you want to learn more about the advantages of excavators, excavator attachments, and how to care for your excavating equipment, we’re here to discuss everything you need to know about excavator attachments.

What is an Excavator?

 

If you’re unfamiliar with this machine, an excavator is a heavy-duty piece of equipment designed to move soil, dirt, and debris. They are also used for drilling, cutting, and managing a variety of different landscapes. Because of their job diversity, excavators are most commonly used in the scrap business, construction business, landscaping business, excavating business, and waste business. Their ability to move earth, transfer soil, and till land makes excavators very appealing to multiple types of professionals.

 

Similar to the piece of machinery they’re attached to, excavator attachments are also very diverse, durable, and capable of operating in tough areas of land. The sheer number of excavator attachments on the market today, and their capabilities, are what make excavators such a diverse tool to have in your equipment collection. In addition to normal excavator attachments, there are also mini excavator attachments for sale, that bring additional flexibility to the job site.

 

While excavators are known for their ability to move Earth, dig holes, and move debris and objects, the right hydraulic excavating attachments can take your work capabilities to the next level. For instance, excavators are also capable of tree removal, cutting brush, and turning tree debris into mulch. Your excavator attachments will take work proficiency to the next level in no time.

 

Now that you know more about the excavator itself, take a moment to review the parts of an excavator, and why they are so important.

Parts of an Excavator

 

Before you go attaching a brand new excavator mini disc mulcher or tree slayer to your machine, it’s important to know about the different parts of an excavator. Understanding the parts of your excavator will simplify annual maintenance for your machine, and can reduce how long it takes to attach and reattach excavator attachments.

 

The parts of an excavator are broken down into the following:

 

 

The Undercarriage 

 

The undercarriage serves as the base of the excavator. Its primary job is to support the weight of the house and arm, so everything stays level while the excavator is being operated. Additionally, the undercarriage contains the excavator’s drive system, so it’s able to move around and keep it’s traction as it shifts over loose soil, mud, and other diverse landscapes.

 

Attached to the undercarriage of the excavator are either tracks or wheels. This is what gives the excavator mobility, and traction on the job. Essentially, the undercarriage is what supports, controls, and gives the excavator the ability to move on many different terrains.

 

 

The House 

 

As its name suggests, the house is a structure that sits on top of the undercarriage. It’s connected to a turntable, which is the piece of machinery that is attached to the undercarriage. This turntable gives the house the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees, so you can see every angle of terrain while you’re on the job. The arm is also directly connected and can be controlled from within the house.

 

Other parts of the house that are essential for a fully functioning excavator are the engine and control valves, along with the cab and the control deck. The engine and control valves are the operational components of your machine, while the cab is where the control deck is located. All of the respective controls are in the cab, where the cab driver can start, steer, and stop the excavator.

 

 

The Arm

 

The arm of the excavator is the structure that does the majority of the work on your job sites. It can be raised to different heights and positions, opens and closes, and is where your respective excavator attachments are connected. The parts of the arm are called the boom, stick, and bucket. The boom is what connects the arm to the house, while the stick leverages power and control from the boom to the bucket. Lastly, the bucket is the component that does various tasks on a job site, such as lifting and clearing debris. However, the bucket can be interchanged with other various attachments that you’d like to use on your excavator.

 

On the arm, in place of a traditional bucket, you can use a diverse range of excavator attachments, such as excavator mini disc mulchers, excavator tree slayers, excavator tree cutters, excavator brush cutters, and mini excavator brush cutters.

Where and When to Use an Excavator

 

An excavator is a great piece of machinery that can move, clear, and manage a wide variety of landscapes. As such, it’s important to know the best conditions and locations to use an excavator.

 

Typically, most equipment performs best on flat surfaces, so you can guarantee optimal performance rates. However, an excavator also performs extremely well on inclines, steep areas, and other more challenging types of terrain. 

 

An excavator can work on a variety of surfaces, such as tilled up earth, uneven landscaping, and rocky areas of land. No matter where you are, your excavator will be capable of handling the toughest terrain. Even excavator attachments and mini excavator attachments are capable of maneuvering in those hard to reach areas, making an excavator one of the most diverse and useful pieces of equipment in your collection.

 

In terms of job sites that are suitable for excavator attachments, there are quite a few that would be perfect for an excavator.

 

 

Construction Sites

 

These long-term projects are typically labor-intensive and require multiple pieces of equipment. An excavator is ideal for construction projects, especially for commercial and residential areas. These projects typically need multiple excavator attachments, such as buckets, augers, brush cutters, as well as mini excavator attachments. However, thanks to the diversity of an excavator, your daily workload will be significantly reduced.

 

 

Farming

 

For terrain like farmland, excavators come in handy for removing trees and excessive landscaping. If you plan on making unruly acreage reasonable for personal use, then an excavator is ideal for brush removal and navigating the more complex areas of your property.

 

 

Landscaping

 

Landscaping can be a truly unruly job for a number of reasons. Tall native grasses, unwanted shrubbery, and dense trees are all obstacles that obstruct views and the beauty of a space. With an excavator, you can remove the eyesores on your property, while streamlining your workload. An excavator tree cutter and brush cutter are ideal for landscaping projects, so you can clear land faster.

 

 

Quarry’s

 

The carrying capacity of an excavator is extremely helpful in certain terrains, such as the uneven surface of quarries. All that heavy rock needs to be cleared quickly, and nothing is capable of removing such heavy loads like an excavator. Excavator buckets are ideal for quarry jobs, and their ability to maneuver around the complex terrain makes them a must-have for such complex areas.

 

 

 

What’s the Difference Between an Excavator and Mini Excavator?

 

While a normal size excavator is capable of moving debris and can be maneuvered in a variety of ways, a mini excavator is another incredible piece of equipment that is a huge asset. The main difference between these two types of excavators is size. While a normal excavator comes in handy on multiple job sites, a mini excavator is more suitable for those hard to reach places.

A mini excavator has the advantage of fitting in narrow areas that need additional work, without the risk of on-site damage. Their accessibility, high-performance rating, and functionality make them a huge benefit to many job sites and professions.

Excavator attachments such as an excavator mini disc mulcher, excavator tree slayer, excavator brush eliminator, excavator tree cutter, excavator brush cutter, and mini-excavator brush cutter, can be used on normal size and mini size excavators. For more information on must-have mini excavator attachments, review 6 Mini Excavator Attachments that Get the Job Done.

Types of Excavator Attachments

 

Excavators are suitable for a wide range of job sites, in part because they have so many diverse attachments. From buckets to couplers, there is a wide variety of excavator attachments and mini excavator attachments you can choose from. In most instances, excavators are seen spreading material, moving material, even grading job sites. However, if you’re profession requires multiple attachments for a long-term construction project, an excavator is fully capable of getting the job done.

 

If you want to see which excavator attachments are must-have’s for your line of work, we’re going to take a close look at all the different types of excavator attachments you can benefit from.

 

 

Excavator Augers

 

If you’re on a job site that requires a lot of work, augers are a great addition to your equipment collection. Augers are designed to drill holes, so you can plant large quantities of trees, or install posts and poles with ease. 

 

 

Excavator Brush Cutter 

 

If you are working on a job site with overgrowth, the first step is eliminating the vegetation. Not only can it be a safety hazard, but it also obstructs most of your job sites. A brush cutter is designed to cut down excessive growth, so your pathways are cleared to continue working. With a multi-blade system and hydraulic flow rates, brush cutters are heavy-duty pieces of equipment that can expedite your workload in no time.

 

 

Excavator Bucket

 

A bucket is an incredibly diverse attachment that can do multiple things on a job. From digging, clearing, and grading, you can achieve so much more with an excavator bucket by your side. It’s going to come in handy throughout every phase of your job, so you can work and clean as you go.

 

 

Excavator Clamp 

 

A clamp is a perfect addition to jobs that require tree removal and clearing dense areas. Clamps can grab large objects, such as stumps, rocks, concrete, and other heavy obstacles. Once you’ve cleared an area, a clamp helps speed up the cleanup process.

 

 

Excavator Coupler

 

An excavator coupler isn’t exactly a tool, but it’s critical to optimize your workload. A coupler is designed to let you switch in between excavator attachments with ease, so you can rotate between a bucket or rake during a job. These are especially useful when you are working on personal land and don’t have other team members there to assist you.

 

 

Excavator Disc Mulcher

 

A disc mulcher is another excavator attachment that consistently goes the distance. It’s great for managing unruly land, preventing forest fires, cleaning up undeveloped areas, and annual land maintenance. It can be used at the beginning and end of a job site, which makes it a great asset for various projects.

 

 

Excavator Grapple

 

Similar to a clamp, a grapple is designed to move large obstacles that are in the midst of your pathway. If objects are particularly long or complex, a grapple will be able to handle these objects with relative ease.

 

 

Excavator Tree Cutter 

 

As its name suggests, a tree cutter is designed to remove trees of all shapes and sizes. Tree cutters are capable of removing stumps, cleaning edges, removing limbs, and managing densely wooded areas. Personal property is easier to manage, and you won’t spend the same amount of time managing dense areas with this attachment by your side.

 

 

Excavator Rake

 

Rakes are great for clearing and managing job sites. You can keep things cleared, structured, and on track with a rake. Brush, debris, and other obstacles are very easy to manage with a rake on the job.

 

 

 

Our Excavator Attachment Product Spotlights:

 

At Rut Manufacturing, we have a wide range of excavator attachments and mini excavator attachments that are equipped to optimize your workload in no time. However, we have a few featured excavator attachments that can truly go the distance and are compatible with excavators and mini excavators.

 

 

Mini Excavator Disc Mulcher

 

If you’re ready to double down on your workload efficiency, then the mini excavator disc mulcher is a must-have. What makes this machine so unique is that our excavator disc mulcher fits into those small, hard to reach areas you have difficulty reaching on most jobs. This forestry disc mulcher can truly go the distance on a variety of complex areas, like dense forest, narrow pathways, and tough terrain. From residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, or tough landscaping tasks, this excavator mulcher attachment is ideal for so many properties. 

 

At Rut, we currently offer five different sizes of the disc mulcher, based on the weight of your machine, so you’ll be able to select the right fit for your piece of equipment. Outside of its heavy-duty nature, various sizes, and extreme durability, the disc mulcher is extremely fast and efficient thanks to its 36 carbide tip grinding teeth. These grinding teeth are ideal for cutting down growth, trimming trees, and cleaning up hard to reach surfaces. 

 

Overall, it’s unique design is unlike any other small mulching machine. Between its compact size, durability, and diversity, this must-have excavating attachment will become your new staple on every job site. The mini excavator disc mulcher is a great complementary attachment for those who are currently using excavator mulchers, skid steer mulchers, or other dedicated mulching machines. To take a closer look at this incredible attachment, view our product spotlight on the Mini Excavator Disc Mulcher.

 

 

Tree Slayer Excavator Cutter

 

If your typical workload involves tree removal, shrubbery removal, and clearing limbs, then the tree slayer is a must-have for your profession. It’s capable of clearing limbs, brush, and stumps with ease.

 

This excavator tree slayer cuts, trims, and mulches down trees, minimizing your total daily workload. With an excavator tree removal attachment like this, your job sites will become easier to manage, and your average work time will be cut in half. Most tree cutting attachments aren’t designed to do it all, but Rut’s tree slayer will change the way you tackle tree removal.

 

A powerful tool on its own, the tree slayer does even more when fitted with Rut Manufacturing’s customizable tree slayer attachments. You’ll gain the ability to load and move remaining debris with just the use of your thumb and be able to turn the tree slayer into a prime mulching attachment. This excavator tree cutter can remove trees at ground level thanks to its incredible features.

 

If you or your team are ready to maximize their daily workload, it’s time to add the tree slayer to your equipment collection. For more stats about this incredible tree slayer, review our product spotlight on the Tree Slayer, an Excavator Brush Cutter.

 

 

Brush Eliminator Cutter

 

When you’re on the job, you never know what to expect from your terrain. That’s why it’s a good idea to have an excavator attachment that can clear pathways with ease – like Rut’s brush eliminator cutter. 

 

From small pathways to large clearings, our universal brush cutter can clear anything on a wide variety of terrain. Our excavator brush eliminator is designed to cut thick, dense, heavy brush – and it does its job well. You’ll be able to complete the most complex job sites in a fraction of the time, thanks to the Brush Eliminator. 

 

The excavator brush eliminator is ideal for farmers, tree companies, municipalities, or anyone who wants to maintain their personal property. With so many blades cutting through overgrown places, this dependable brush cutter will devour any unwanted growth on your property. If you need a mini excavator brush cutter, this attachment is perfect for you.

 

Once you try our excavator brush cutter, you won’t look at traditional powerheads or hedge trimmers the same way again. At Rut Manufacturing, we design our attachments to be the top performers in the industry, so you can get the job done in half the time. If you want to brush up your knowledge on the brush eliminator, review our product spotlight on the Brush Eliminator excavator attachment.

 

 

 

Other Featured Excavator Attachments:

 

 

 

If you need more accessibility on the job and want to have an attachment on your side that provides additional reach, the excavator auger is the perfect solution for hard to reach places. 

 

This piece of equipment is compatible with our mini-excavator and is a must-have when tackling those tough jobs with narrow inclines and slopes. Adding an Excavator Auger to your equipment arsenal will reduce the total amount of manpower, equipment, and transportation cost needed at your job sites. By adding the excavator auger to your mini excavator equipment collection, your workload is going to increase in no time. Review more information about the auger from our product spotlight of the excavator auger.

 

 

Excavator Brush Mower

 

Our excavator brush mower is ideal for personal property and commercial areas. You can use this attachment to clean and maintain overgrowth around ponds, ditches, hillsides, and other hard-to-reach areas. Our high powered mower is capable of cutting up to 2″ diameter material, so you can start saving yourself and your team additional time spent on the job.

How to Buy an Excavator Attachment 

 

If you’re looking to add another excavator attachment or mini-excavator attachment to your equipment arsenal, then it’s important to buy an excavator attachment that fits your daily work environment. Whether that is an excavator brush cutter, tree cutter, brush eliminator, or disc mulcher, you’ll have to ask yourself a few key questions before making a purchase.

 

What does a typical job site look like?

 

• Depending on your line of work, certain attachments are going to be more useful than others. If you’re in the landscaping business, a brush mower is a must-have for your equipment collection. However, if you work in construction, it’s beneficial to have an auger, brush mower, and tree cutter, because of the variety of job sites you work on.
• Consider your typical work schedule, and what is a priority, so you have a better idea of what you’re shopping for.

 

 

Is this for personal or professional use?

 

• Excavators aren’t just great for the workforce – they can maximize your productivity at home as well. If you are planning on using this for personal use, you can pick something that suits your at-home needs, such as attachments that are most suitable for farmland. However, if you’d like this to apply to your professional needs and personal use, find a more diverse attachment that can perform as well at home as it does at work.

 

 

What is your budget?

 

• If you have a certain price point in mind, it might be more cost-effective to purchase a used excavator attachment. However, at Rut Manufacturing we offer no interest on our purchases if the attachment is fully paid off within 6 months of your purchase, which is more budget-friendly for your workload and wallet.

 

 

What are the dimensions of your excavator?

 

• Before shopping, measure your excavator for its height, width, and depth. Refer to your owner’s manual for additional information and dimensions you’ll need while shopping. At Rut, we design our attachments to be highly diverse, and they come in multiple sizes and widths so you can find the perfect fit for your excavator.

 

 

Do you have a ‘high flow’ or ‘standard flow’ machine?

 

• Most excavators and mini excavators have specifications when it comes to their flow rate, which affects how fast their attachments can operate. The standard flow rate operates between 17-24 gallons per minute, while a high flow rate operates at 30-37 gallons per minute. If an attachment with the incorrect flow rate is attached to your machine, you could end up damaging your excavator as well as the attachment. Be sure to check the flow rate of your machine before you purchase an attachment.

 

 

How much maintenance does your excavator attachment require?

 

• If you don’t have more than a few minutes a day for attachment maintenance, then research how much annual maintenance your attachment requires. Daily maintenance must be a part of your work routine, so consider what you do and don’t have time for.

 

 

Once you’ve asked yourself the following questions, it will be far easier to buy an excavator attachment that suits your budget, and workload requirements.

Excavator Maintenance: Maintaining Your Excavator and Excavator Attachments

 

When it comes to caring for your excavator and excavator attachments, there are many similarities in how your equipment should be treated. An excavator attachment has as many moving parts as the machine it’s connected to.

 

Whether you’re using an excavator mini disc mulcher or an excavator tree slayer, routine maintenance must be performed regularly, so you can prolong the life of your excavator. Once you find the best excavator attachment for your workload, you can start implementing the following daily excavator maintenance:

 

Check The Hydraulic Oil

 

• Every morning, inspect the oil level before you start working, and top off as needed.

 

 

Inspect Your Fuel Level

 

• Having the right type of high-quality fuel in your tank is essential for any job. If you are on a commercial site, a fuel technician will likely be hired to come and refuel your excavator, so your tank stays clean.

 

 

Check the Cooling System

 

• Replace coolant as needed, and clean your heat exchangers often. This keeps your system from overheating and creating unnecessary damage to your system.

 

 

Check for Leaks or Damage

 

• Inspect your system on a weekly basis for fuel leaks, oil leaks, or external damage. Your attachments will need similar maintenance and should have any excess debris that gets trapped in its teeth or gears removed. 

 

 

Perform Regular Cleaning

 

• Regularly clean your attachments by wiping off excessive dirt, and greasing its gears, so your equipment runs like new at all times.