An excavator’s design allows it to serve many versatile purposes. Hydraulic cylinders, booms, arms and attachments provide digging and holding functionalities, while a house-like cab provides the driver with controls to direct the excavator. A rotating platform and wheels provide the necessary mobility to lift and remove debris from the worksite.
Excavators use a variety of hydraulic attachments that serve different purposes. In addition to a bucket, other common attachments include an auger, breaker, clamp and quick coupler.
Bucket
Buckets are the most common attachments seen on excavators. These steel attachments have teeth-like edges that can provide digging and scooping capabilities. Buckets come in different varieties, the most common being ditching buckets designed for grading stones and trenching buckets used to dig trenches.
Auger
Attaching an auger allows you to bore into the ground. Powered by hydraulic circuits, these helical attachments can reach over objects and drill deep holes. Augers come in different specifications and sizes for various digging conditions and terrains — they range from 4 inches to 50 inches in length and can dig up to 32 feet.
Breaker
Breakers are similar to jackhammers but are much larger in size. With the ability to provide up to 1,000 pounds of impact energy, these attachments can break into tougher surfaces like stone and concrete.
Clamp
Clamps allow excavator operators to pick up large materials that are too oversized for a bucket, such as tree stumps and concrete. The attachments can be used with buckets or as pieces in a grapple. Clamps are easy to attach and detach from excavators.
Coupler
Couplers allow you to quickly switch between tools and attachments without a crew. Their versatility is handy when moving between different tasks and processes on a job site.