Handling a construction project requires considerable expertise. This will nonetheless only do so much without the right set of tools. The heavy machinery needed for construction is unfortunately costly and out of the reach of most contractors nowadays irrespective of the size of their companies.
Moreover, the technology used for machines changes continuously. As such, it might be expensive if not altogether impossible to buy machines year in and out and maintain them when running your business.
Thankfully, there are now rental companies specialising in digger hires and other heavy machinery services for a much lower fee compared to that of upfront purchase of a machine.
To maximise your heavy machinery use, it is prudent to get a few attachments for it. This way, you can handle multiple tasks using one machine. The most versatile among the construction machinery you will get is the bulldozer.
With a simple change of the blades, your dozer can be used for multiple tasks. Here are your dozer’s blade attachment alternatives.
The S Blade
This is a straight blade that attaches to your dozer using its lower back corners, thus ensuring there are no angles. Some straight blades also have braces to stabilise them and a hydraulic lift cylinder for their adjustment. The blade can be used for ditching, shaping, backfilling, stripping, and stumping on your site.
Though the dozer’s ability to haul material is somewhat limited when using an S blade, you can have a push through for enhancing its carrying ability. The blade is ideal for use on hard landscapes owing to its straight design.
The U Blade
This has a semicircular shape and is the choice attachment for the carrying and loading of materials since it has minimal risk of spillage. For tasks that need to move materials across long distances, the U blade is what you are looking for.
It works best for medium and soft soils. If you are working on compact surfaces, you can consider using a ripper attachment to boost the blade’s penetration. U blades will be used for ditching, material handling, crowning, and moving soil.
SU Blade
This is somewhat a cross of the U and S blades. SU blades have more curved sides compared to the S blades and thus a reduced risk of spillages and improved carry and load capacities. Though the penetration of SU blades is somewhat reduced, the enhanced material handling makes up for the reduced penetration.
The blades suffice for backfilling, levelling, stripping, ditching, crowning and stumping.
Angle Blade
Unlike the other attachments, an angle blade is mounted on the dozer’s centre C-frame. This allows the machine operator to move it to the right and left for an enhanced side casting. The angle blade is used for ditching, stumping, stripping and trail pioneering on medium-hard and soft landscapes.
Before choosing the blade attachments for your project, it is prudent to have an idea of the landscape. This, after all, will be among the primary elements that determine what blade will suffice. Provided you rent the machines from a company that maintains theirs rather than the one with the lowest rates, your project will go on without a hitch.
