More and more earthmoving businesses are looking to Attach2 for attachments that enhance the efficiency and reliability of their operations, ensuring secure, high- quality connections for equipment in demanding projects.
As the adage goes, bad workmen may blame their tools; but good workmen certainly know the value of only using quality implements to ensure their projects are completed to maximum success.
It’s a pillar that heavy civil and bulk earthworks contractor CRE Group leans on, with the acronym encompassing the company’s deliverables – Civil, Resourcing, Engineering — while also outlining the key tenets of how it operates and delivers – Culture, Respect, Excellence.
CRE Director Patrick Doheny said the business — established in 2019 — has established itself as a leading operator in its field, based on hard work, reputation, quality, and experience.
“We are a company driven by culture with a passion for civil construction and machinery and are a major earthworks and material processing contractor in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland,” he said.
“From humble beginnings, CRE Group have organically grown and diversified into several related sectors and deliver civil construction, bulk earthworks, remediation works, and crushing and screening services across Australia.
“We have put a lot of time into building a team of really good, like-minded people that fit into a great culture and hold the same values as the business.”
Earthmoving Equipment Magazine recently visited a bulk earthworks project that the group was involved in, a job that required levelling steep 3-in-1 batters: the side slopes that connect the road surface to the contour of the surrounding land.
As if that wasn’t challenging enough, the project required very tight tolerances, meaning a level of accuracy that ensures rises and runs match together as perfectly as possible.
But it’s typically the sort of assignment that CRE Group specialises in, and one that it carries out with perfection as it recognises the need for using the right attachments to achieve the precision required.
“We do a lot of final trim work on batters with difficult angles and corners with very tight tolerance allowances, so we really need tilt hitches on our excavators rather than the conventional rigid ones,” Patrick said.
And when it comes to sourcing the tools, CRE Group made a beeline for specialists Attach2. “Attach2 has a great range of products for all machine sizes,” Patrick said.
“We like to stay brand-loyal once we find a good partner, so it’s important that they can service all our needs.
“We found that Attach2 seem to have perfected its ram tilt hitch, which is one of our favourites, and there’s not too many suppliers that offer the ram tilt option.
“They are also based in every major city which works well for us as we do a lot of work up and down the East Coast.”
The Attach2 ram tilt hitch is a hydraulic coupler engineered for smooth, high-precision control of attachment tilt and rotation.
It provides up to a 90-degree tilt range, enabling operators to adjust attachments to challenging angles that enhance the machine’s reach and flexibility.
The “ram” refers to the hydraulic cylinder or actuator that powers the tilt function, which allows the hitch to tilt at various angles, enabling operators to adjust the attachment’s position without repositioning the entire machine.
It works by extending and retracting through pressurised hydraulic fluid, allowing smooth, controlled tilting of the hitch and attached equipment.
This coupler is especially valuable in situations where accuracy in shaping and grading is necessary, as it allows the operator to tilt the bucket or attachment with precise control. Additionally, the hitch features quick-release mechanisms that make attachment swaps both safe and rapid, significantly reducing downtime and maximizing on-site productivity.
Its usefulness was praised by CRE Group supervisor at the site, Chris Powell, who said the hitch was of invaluable benefit for these sorts of demanding tasks.
“We like the rigidness of the ram and also the shorter distance to the attachment which increases our breakout force when we hit hard ground,” he said.
Chris loved the integration of an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor in the unit, which made the attachment more versatile, safer, and easier to control.
By monitoring the hitch’s tilt angle, the IMU sensor enables operators to maintain a consistent angle and ensures the attachment remains at the desired orientation. This precision is particularly beneficial for tasks that require high accuracy, such as grading or trenching.
IMU data can also be integrated with machine control systems to automate certain functions or assist in following predefined angles, reducing operator fatigue and improving productivity.
“For the nature of our work, the A2 tilt hitches are well suited. They’re heavy-duty. And the IMU sensors are well-protected in a good location on the hitch,” Chris said.
“A lot of other brands can make the machine very unstable as well, but not the A2 hitch. We’ve had no complaints so far with the operators. And they’re the ones who spend the hours in the machine.”
Indeed, Supervisor/Operator Kieran Mooney was rapt with the tool.
“It’s a winner because it just has cut the amount of time to do work that would be done with a rigid hitch,” he said. “One of the simple jobs I had today would have taken me most of the day without the tilt hitch. It was done in less than one hour with it attached.
“And it’s a good weight for the high batters that we work on. It’s just making our life easy.
“It’s a mighty hitch and I’ve seen quite a few different ones.”
To complement the tilt hitches, CRE also employs mud buckets from Attach2.
The wide bucket attachment is designed for efficiently handling and moving large quantities of mud, clay, sand, and similar materials, with its wide, flat cutting edge and large capacity allowing for efficient scooping, levelling, and grading, making it an ideal tool for ground preparation and clearing operations.
Both Chris and Kieran gave the thumbs up for the combination of tilt hitch and bucket, which when used together provide a highly adaptable setup for handling a wide range of ground conditions and excavation angles.
The hitch’s tilting capability allows the bucket to be positioned at ideal angles, even in difficult-to-reach or uneven areas, minimising repositioning and enhancing precision, especially valuable in tight spaces or on slopes.
By reducing the need for repositioning the excavator, this pairing also enhances operational safety and productivity, allowing the machine to remain stationary while the bucket does the fine-tuned work.
Attach2 Victorian Territory Sales Manager Darryl Fish said the hitch and bucket formed part of the company’s Performance Package, which pairs up attachments to provide superior materials, advanced hydraulics, and innovative attachment control all in one.
“We’ve put a lot of design into our hitches and buckets to keep the whole the whole set-up as short or as squat as possible, thus maximising output,” he said.
“We’ve also put a lot of work into the design of our buckets. We’ve got the double radius curve and the twin-tapered sides, giving less wear on the sides of your buckets, and better visibility.
“There’s less drag and wear on the base of the bucket, thereby extending its life.
“The design really gives the most power without sacrificing the capacity of the buckets.
“When you’re using coupling our hitches and our buckets, the improvements that you’re going to see include less fuel burn, less wear and more longevity in the life of your buckets and attachments.”
Darryl said the relationship with CRE started when the earthmoving business wanted a tilt hitch.
“They came to us because they had purchased a machine without a tilt hitch,” he said.
“They were doing a job that required tilting function to do a lot of intricate batters and detail work, and were having a few frustrations.
“They came out and visited us in our warehouse and they liked the look of the ram tilt. It had enough tilt function for what they needed, and Kieran had a look at it as well and really felt that it was going to be the perfect attachment to suit the requirements for that project.”
Complementing this partnership has been the level of service provided by Attach2.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in our product, and that’s backed up by our three-year warranty,” Darryl said.
“It covers all manufacturing and material defects and also all hydraulic components. So for the tilting hitch, that covers all the hydraulics that are built, the rams, all warranted for that three-year period.
“It gives peace of mind as an operator or an end user excavator company.
“When you’re putting the investment into your equipment, you need to have that level of backup service support.
“Our motto is making it easy. And that’s what we’re really here to do.
“When you’re getting a new machine fitted up, just having one single source supplier for hitches and buckets makes it easy for our clients.
“One phone call, one point of contact for follow-up product care and service and support.”
Chris backed up Darryl’s comments, saying “relationships are everything”.
“We have got a very good connection with Attach2. Darryl really looks after us,” he said.
“When we had the tilt hitch and bucket fitted to the machine, they came out to the site, and worked with the equipment manufacturer.
“We got the machine fitted up, we got it calibrated with our GPS system. They got everything fitted together.
“There’s been some very, very minor issues but I could quite often call very late in the evening and immediately obtain their backup and support.
“For example, we wanted a bracket slightly changed around. There was no problem.”
Chris said that in terms of reliability, CRE hasn’t needed much backup support so far, “which is phenomenal”.
“On previous hitches we’ve had, the cylinder type, we’ve had a lot of problems with leaking seals and stuff like that, but not with the Attach2 hitch.
“Our operators also like the fact there are very few grease nipples to service, so the hitch can be greased up for work every morning in less than two or three minutes.”
The last word comes from Patrick, who believed Attach2 would remain an important part of CRE’s business as it continued to grow and expand the fleet.
“I certainly would recommend Attach2 to anyone wanting quality attachments: the product, support, communication and ease of working with the team has been flawless to date,” he said.