Back

Heavy Equipment Attachment Buying Guide

Nov. 24 2020 Buying Guide By FMI Equipment

Share

Your heavy equipment is only as good as the attachments you use with it. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that you choose the right attachments for both the type of equipment you have and the type of work you intend to use it for. Various industries make use of heavy equipment attachments every day, including landscaping, agriculture, construction, forestry and shipping, among many others. Each type of task has a specially suited attachment that will make the work quicker and easier to accomplish.

FMI Equipment in Spokane Valley is your eastern Washington State heavy equipment attachment dealer. Read on to learn more about attachment types for heavy equipment and what they’re used for, as well as what you should take into consideration when shopping for the perfect attachments.

Types of Attachments

There are hundreds of attachments out there that are designed to suit specific tasks. Here are some of the most common attachment types and what they’re used for.

  • Bucket: the most basic attachment that simply scoops and carries loose material. May come as a four-in-one bucket or a grapple bucket, too.
  • Auger: made to dig holes cleanly and quickly in different depths for fence posts and other needs.
  • Pallet Fork: used to turn a piece of equipment into a forklift for hauling and moving pallets and other large items.
  • Broom: sweeps up loose debris on a worksite.
  • Hydraulic hammer: breaks up tough materials on a worksite like concrete or solid rock.
  • Snow plow: used to scoop up and move snow on a lot.
  • Root grapple: designed to pick up heavy debris such as tree stumps, brush, roots and recycling.
  • Cold planer: scrapes and levels pavement.
  • Trencher: comes in various sizes; is made to dig trenches of various widths and depths for construction, farming and other purposes.
  • Tiller: turns over and chops up soil so that it’s easier to plant seeds in.
  • Backhoe: a smaller version of the standard digger arm for tighter areas.
  • Dozer: angled blades that push and level materials similar to a bigger bulldozer.

Budgetary Concerns

You’ll want to develop a budget to ensure that you can afford the attachment(s) you need for your work. Remember that you can always look into used options if new options are out of your price range: many used attachments have a lot of life left in them and can be resold when you’ve gotten as much use out of them as you can. Don’t forget to consider maintenance and storage costs as well; your attachments will need to be stored somewhere secure and dry to prevent rust and they will also need some maintenance to ensure that they perform their jobs properly.

Think About Your Work

When shopping for an attachment, it’s important to think about the task or tasks you want done and what type of attachment is going to be most efficient for doing them. For example, if you have a lot of material to haul, you don’t want to get a very small bucket that will require you to make multiple trips when a larger bucket would be more suitable for your work. Consider how much time you can save by obtaining the correct attachments for your heavy equipment.

Take a look at our website to see our vast array of new and used heavy equipment attachments for sale at our Spokane Valley, WA, dealership location. You can even talk to our staff about our financing options if you need them. FMI Equipment proudly serves all of the greater Spokane, WA, metro area as well as nearby Coeur d’Alene, ID.