When trenchers were first introduced to the residential
and commercial contractors, they rapidly became the
backbone of the crew. The time and labor trenchers
saved when they replaced the pick and shovel was
simply incredible. The contractor was able to double
the number of jobs his crew could complete in the
same amount of time – or less.
The standard [...]
Digging trenches is one of the oldest types of work
with both construction and excavating. Prior to World
War 2, trenches were dug by hand. As workers dug the
trenches deeper, the sides needed to be shored or
supported, to keep the walls of the trench from caving
in.
Following the World War, several innovations were made
in [...]
The skid loader is a rigid frame, engine powered
machine with lift arms that are used to attach a
wide variety of labor saving tools or attachments.
Skid loaders are normally four wheel drive with
left side drive wheels that are independent of
right side drive wheels. With each side being
independent to the other, the wheel speed and
direction [...]
There are always going to be times when, no matter
how carefully an excavation company plans out a
project, there simply isn’t enough equipment on hand
to handle the requirements of the project without
running out of time. The choices at this point are
clear – rent the machines you need or go ahead and
make the purchase.
It is [...]
A skid steer loader with backhoe attachment or a backhoe
loader in general can be very productive if it is
operated safely and efficiently. The best way to
get the job done safely and efficiently is to know
yourself, the job site, and your equipment.
Even though the models of backhoes will vary, there
are safety features with all of [...]
Hydraulic machinery are machines and tools that use
fluid power to do the work. Almost all types of
heavy equipment is a common example. With this type
of equipment, hydraulic fluid is pumped to a high
pressure then transmitted through the machine to
various actuators.
The hydraulic pumps are powered by engines or electric
motors. The pressurized [...]
There are many different opinions as to what
machines should actually be classified as earth
moving equipment. There are many different types
of equipment that fall in this category, such as
excavators, backhoe loaders, dump trucks, and
even loaders.
Other machinery that falls in between are articulated
trucks, wheel and track tractors, and even
scrapers. The thin line is [...]
The harvester is a type of heavy machinery that is
employed in cut to length logging operations for
felling, buckling, and cutting up trees. Normally,
a harvester is employed alongside a forward that
will haul the logs and trees to a roadside landing.
Harvesters were developed in Sweden and Finland,
and today they do nearly all of the commercial
felling in these [...]
Also known as a front end loader, bucket loader,
scoop loader, or shovel, the front loader is a type
of tractor that is normally wheeled and uses a
wide square tilting bucket on the end of movable
arms to lift and move material around.
The loader assembly may be a removable attachment
or permanently mounted on the vehicle. [...]
Sometimes called a forklift truck, the forklift is
a powerful industrial truck that is used to lift
and transport material by steel forks that are
inserted under the load. Forklifts are commonly
used to move loads and equipment that is stored on
pallets. The forklift was developed in 1920, and
has since become a valuable piece of equipment in
many [...]