When Andy Brown’s boss at Freestone Construction LLC saw a three-prong ripper with an unusual tooth design offered by Leading Edge Attachments, he bought one for a midsize 50,000-pound track hoe. That was in December 2012; by January 2013 he had purchased a second one.
The Waynesboro, NC-based company, which has branched out to North Dakota and Montana, digs trenches and ditches for public utilities and oil fields. At the northern locations, the crews encounter a lot of frost. “It’s 5-6 feet deep up there,” estimates Brown, adding that crews work 365 days a year in the oil fields.
Doing the work with a regular bucket with teeth is time consuming, he says. Using the Multi-Ripper Tooth from Leading Edge Attachments is four to five times faster than using a tractor. Brown says, “We can do the same amount of work in one day that takes one week with a bucket if the ground is frozen 5-6 feet deep. It does the job.”
The MTG KingMet Multi-Ripper Tooth is an award-winning rock ripping tooth designed for excavators and backhoes that allows the operator to easily rip rock, coral shale, caliche, decomposed granite, limestone, sandstone, asphalt, or frozen ground with the maximum breakout force. Special twin tiger teeth are positioned using the patented “SHARC” technology (SHanks on an ARC), which places the points at staggered positions along an arc that has a center near the bucket/stick pivot point. This allows the tooth to rip out a relatively flat bottom while focusing the entire excavator breakout on one point at a time.
“The teeth are not straight,” Brown observes. “They’re offset, so they last longer and do a better job.” This design improves the ripping effect by directing the excavator’s full breakout force individually on one point at a time for increased ripping force, unlike conventional side-by-side teeth that share the force when they come into contact with rock.
In addition, the self-sharpening sides of the tooth are shaped for improved sidewall ripping. According to LEA Inc., the MRT has the penetration of a single tiger with the sidewall ripping of a twin tiger.
“It rips easily,” Brown confirms. “There are no clods. It keeps the ground ripped up in manageable pieces and chunks.” He says Freestone Construction has already logged “a lot of hours” with their rippers, and because they’re “just metal teeth,” there’s no maintenance. Fabricated of tough alloy steel, the teeth meet the most rigid criteria.
Whether Freestone Construction is using the ripper on the sandstone rock in the Appalachians, clay-which is like rock, Brown says-or below the frost line in the northern tier, he says the company has had no problems. “They do what they say.”
They do that and more. JD King Corp., based in Seminole, TX, acquired a ripper from LEA Inc. at the beginning of the year. According to Dennis Ledbetter, it saves time, extra equipment, and manpower.
“There’s no wait time; one operator does it all,” Ledbetter says. “No hammer hoe needed.” Instead of waiting on a hammer hoe, a single operator can use a quick connect to “drop the bucket, pick up the claw, and go down the line.” An added benefit of doing it with one operator and one machine is particularly noticeable in confined areas where it’s difficult for two pieces of equipment to maneuver.
Calling the MRT ripper a “good tool,” Ledbetter says it works well in hard caliche. “The teeth dig easier in everything but real hard rock. It’s quicker where a regular set of teeth won’t work. It has more teeth in the ground, so it’s faster, and as you turn and pull, the teeth dig in.”
In addition to using it in pits where they drill wells, Ledbetter says the JD King crews use it to trench pipeline. His crews often dig under “hot” gas and oil lines that are as deep as 3 feet. “We used to plow to rock and cover it.” Now the crews dig a ditch with a dozer or a hoe-and because they need more cover on the lines now, they need to dig deeper. Fortunately, he says the teeth are able to dig under the lines.
The MRT fits any backhoe bucket and is designed to be interchangeable with any MTG KingMet 30- or 55-size class. “If you don’t need it, it just sits there, taking up very little space,” Ledbetter points out. “It’s better than renting and will provide a return on investment in one week or less.”
My, What Big Teeth You Have!
Bobcat also offers tiger teeth for buckets on excavators and loaders used in rocky or clay soil. The forged, cast teeth have a “bigger bite,” says Katie Althoff, attachment product specialist. Bobcat offers bucket teeth in many styles suitable for dirt, rock, and other types of soil.
To protect the bucket and provide bucket strength, most Bobcats have bolt-on cutting edges that are reversible, which doubles their life. An economical feature is the ability to replace individual teeth or the whole bar as needed. Bobcat’s Bucket Bite tooth bar helps smooth-lip buckets in tough digging conditions.
The choice of cutting edge depends on the soil and the job. For example, Althoff mentions a one-piece cutting edge for loader buckets from Rezloh, with “a little bit of tooth” for sandy soil. Made of polyeurethane, it is particularly useful near gas utilities to avoid sparks. Another Rezloh cutting edge is better suited for rocky conditions. “It digs deep into rock and in frozen ground in the winter,” Althoff says.
Benefits of the cutting edge include less wear on the bucket edge, which extends the life of the bucket. It also extends bucket strength and strengthens the bucket. Many manufacturers add a plate for strength, which can also add weight. Bobcat’s proprietary waffle plating on the bottom adds strength, balance, and minimal weight. “It keeps the bucket from flexing,” Althoff explains. “Lots of engineering and design goes into a bucket that is lightweight yet strong.”
When it comes to sales, Althoff says, buckets are No. 1 in all markets, adding that contractors should have more than one-and most do. Not far behind buckets, though, are augers. Best suited to digging footings for decks and piers or holes for trees, augers from 6 to 42 inches are offered by Bobcat in three models: low torque/fast speed for sand; medium torque and speed for brown dirt; and high torque/low speed, heavy duty for clay and rocks.
This Bobcat bucket offers greater capacity for handling such materials as snow or mulch.
Heavy-duty hydraulics and high torque help the auger attachment dig through most soil conditions. Carbide auger teeth take the force in hard soil, shale, rock, and hardpan so the flighting doesn’t take the pressure.
Unlike auger attachments that feature a planetary auger drive, Bobcat’s simple design has fewer parts, resulting in fewer grease points, less maintenance, and lower operating costs. Its versatility enables it to be used by machines ranging from a mini-track-loader to a large-frame loader or excavator.
If the job calls for digging holes and trenches, many contractors use a trencher attachment on an excavator. It’s different than grading by “back-dragging” the bucket, which effectively pulverizes rocks, Althoff notes. She recommends a shark-tooth trencher for utilities because there is less spoil. It acts like a pick for rocks, she says, using carbide bits and a lot of torque to power through rocky soil, coral, shale and clay. “It’s great to use in established environments.”
If you don’t have an excavator, using a backhoe attachment on a loader is another way to save on rental equipment. The attachment can dig a hole down to 9 inches. “End users want to buy as little equipment as possible,” Althoff states. “They want one machine to do everything. Trailers have limited space, and contractors have limited budgets.”
Thumbs up for Versatility
If contractors don’t want to purchase-or rent-a lot of equipment, it’s important to have the right equipment in their fleets. “Having the right bucket on the job is important for productivity,” says Bill Pratt, marketing director for Rockland Manufacturing Co.
Having the right bucket means accurately assessing the conditions. For example, buckets have different lip thicknesses for different applications. “It depends on the soil, abrasiveness and the work: digging rocks, stockpile work, or digging in sandy soil,” Pratt explains.
Details are important; the designation of “rocky soil” isn’t always enough to determine which bucket to use. “The type of rock and abrasiveness dictate which bucket to use,” he continues. Geological conditions are taken into consideration. For example, he says, the rocky soil in Pennsylvania is different than the conditions in Texas.
Sometimes, the conditions are so abrasive, special precautions must be taken to protect the bucket. Customized liners are often used for especially abrasive rock, which destroys buckets. Side cutters bolt on to protect the end plate of a bucket. Liners made of chromium carbide can be installed for ultimate abrasion resistance. They are three-eighths to 1 inch thick and are used in extremely abrasive applications.
To determine the appropriate bucket, Rockland sales staff asks such questions as: What did you use in the past? How did it work? What kind of wear did you see in the past? What’s the weight per cubic yard of the material? What is the material? Materials are classified on an abrasions chart to help with selection of the appropriate bucket. Most experienced contractors know what works, Pratt adds, because “if the bucket breaks, you’re done.”
Buckets shouldn’t break, but if they are quick and easy to remove, it can expedite changes. Rockland offers a unique bolt-on header plate option that works on ditch buckets and excavator buckets and grapples, allowing an operator to drop the attachment on a truck for transporting to another site or machine.
The Sonic SideGrip vibratory pile driver allows the operator to perform the entire task from the cab.
It was a theory imagined during the manufacturing process that was put into limited production. “We got good feedback,” Pratt discloses. “Many larger companies have mixed fleets. It’s easier to move a bucket than a machine.”
The bolt-on bracket is set up to use different machines in the same weight class, even across manufacturer lines. With the top plate, they may find they need just one bucket to accomplish several jobs. “Some [contractors] have backup buckets,” Pratt says. “Now they need only one backup for six or seven machines. It saves money and space. The guys like it.” It’s also an advantage for heavy equipment dealers, who can put it on all their machines for increased versatility and revenue.
With a bolt-on header plate, operators can switch attachments instead of having individual designated units. “Big mines don’t carry more than one spare bucket anymore,” Pratt says, adding that Rockland’s Canadian customers order one bucket for demolition and use it across machine lines. With 130 standard products to choose from, Rockland’s customers take advantage of the manufacturer’s commitment to customize buckets at every build. “It’s what drives our customer base,” Pratt says. “Experienced guys understand the benefits of that; they want the right bucket for the application. If there’s a constraint on a job, we do not want it to be the bucket.”
For even more versatility, Rockland offers a “combination product” that attaches to an excavator. The Krypto Klaw is used in demolition because its built-in thumb is adept at moving all different types of material. It’s also successful in scrap handling and land clearing operations where strength and versatility are necessary.
The bucket can dig, rip, and tear. Its wide, heavy-duty clamp delivers more clamping force in all position than any bucket thumb and it can be used over 100% of the excavator’s reach. It is also available with a bolt-on header plate.
Humans aren’t the only ones with an opposable thumb.
Packed and Pile Driven
On wet days when excavators can’t work, Rockland Thompson Slope Packers can. Mounted in place of the existing bucket using factory pins, the slope packer packs slopes 10 times faster than a dozer can-without the carriage wear. It can surface rough and compact in a single pass, making it more efficient, as well. Its ability to work close to boundaries and obstacles makes it an asset on tight job sites where clearance is limited.
Heavy-duty roller bearings and cleats and a self-cleaning drum that eliminates carry-back further increase productivity. According to Rockland, it’s a faster, cheaper way to pack slopes.
A faster, cheaper pile driving method is provided by the Sonic SideGrip vibratory pile driver with Movax robotic technology. The excavator-mounted attachment with articulated arms and side-gripping jaws allows an operator to load, unload, separate, stack, place, drive, and extract sheets of piling without ever leaving the cab, says Tom Dame, national sales manager at Hercules Machine Corp.
Its 360-degree rotation and three-axis of movement allow an operator to pick up piling, carry it across the job site, place it into position, and drive it into the soil with one fluid motion. This reduces the need for additional manpower and equipment such as cranes, loaders, and lulls, which in turn decreases mobilization costs. It also reduces time, thereby increasing productivity and efficiency.
As Dame explains it, traditional pile driving is performed by a crane. That requires a couple of trucks to haul the equipment and a couple of crewmen to set it up. The crane is suspended on a cable is 60-80 feet in the air. It moves with the wind and swings like a plumb bob.
In contrast, the Sonic SideGrip features an auto-steering system. “The computer takes over the hydraulics to drive it plumb,” Dame explains. “The robotic arm ensures it remains in constant and mechanical contact.” This measure of constant control adds extra safety to the procedure, which some clients require. “Eli Lilly enforces stringent safety controls on all its jobs.”
Another advantage it has over the traditional crane-style pile driving is that it works in limited access areas like under bridges, indoors and on narrow roadways. “The crane-hung unit grabs only from the top,” Dame elaborates. “We can grab in the center.” That enables the operator to maneuver in areas of low headroom.
Its maneuverability in tight spaces makes Hercules Machine Corp.’s pile driver ideal for working under bridges or doing utility work in narrow urban spaces. It’s also good for indoor work, such as digging new pits to mount big equipment at manufacturing plants. Pipeline companies also like it for laying new pipe.
In soils that make trench digging difficult, such as sand, it drives sheeting on either side of the trench. Dame says it’s been used extensively in the southeast and northeast after hurricanes to drive round timber piles for home foundations or to perform remediation work to contain soils. “It was used for floodwall protection in Indianapolis,” he recalls. Crews drove sheeting 5, 6, and 10 feet deep along existing earthen floodwalls, formed a concrete wall and covered it for additional permanent protection from floodwaters.
“It can do temporary and permanent work on any brand of excavator with the proper hydraulic flow and pressure,” Dame notes. Available in five sizes, each uses the same pins as the bucket for quick change-out.
Breaking ground is an important step, the first step of most construction projects. Using the right, reliable ground-engaging tools not only get those projects off to a good start, they also increase productivity and protect buckets, blades and ripper shanks.
