Imagine the savings in expenses and time you could make if you could get all your various machine attachments from just one company. Attach2 Equipment has the solution.
When a company receives constant praise for its products, it’s a sure sign the operation knows what it’s doing … and that it’s doing it right.
Such is the case with Attach2 Equipment, a world leading supplier of attachments for excavators, making them more versatile in the process.
As its motto goes, the company “Gets You Working Faster” by optimising performance, delivering attachments fast, and backing up clients for the long term.
One customer which needs no convincing is earthmoving and civil construction company Burnett Civil, a steadfast customer which has indeed begun working faster thanks to the Attach2 products.
So let’s let Burnett Civil director Ernie Burnett take up the story.
“We’re based at Karangi, west of Coffs Harbour, where we have a sizeable depot, workshop, and office complex,” Ernie said.
“We started as a family company, evolving in the 80s from a primary plumbing business into a civil construction company.
“The majority of our work is on and around the Mid-North Coast of NSW, where our projects include tasks such as commercial and residential site preparation, rural access roads and dam construction, developments and subdivisions, sewer, water and reticulation works, roadworks, stormwater drainage, as well as earthmoving tasks.
“Basically, all sorts of stuff, anything in the dirt, we do it all. Any obscure and hard-to-do projects. We usually manage to get those done when other companies can’t.”
For this wide range of assignments, Burnett Civil has over the years expanded its fleet of earthmoving equipment, trucks, and trailers, while keeping pace with the latest technological and advancements in the industry.
This has enabled Burnett Civil to provide services for all types of civil construction projects.
The impressive fleet includes a veritable list of essential earthmoving equipment: excavators from 1.5 tonne to 30t (with GPS and UTS tracking systems), Posi-Tracks, loaders, crawler dumpers, dozers (Caterpillar D3K and D6T), graders, rollers, dump trucks, water carts, tippers, trucks, concrete crushers, dogs and floats.
The connection with Attach2 started about three years ago when Burnett Civil used the specialist for repair work on some tilt heads, and it was firmly cemented when it sought to buy a tilt head and bucket set.
“Attach2 was a pleasure to work with from the beginning,” Ernie said.
“It started with a prompt quote for the supply of a tilt head and bucket set, then following on with the service of making sure the items arrived on time for installation to our new machine.
“They have since followed up with us to make sure the tilt head and bucket are working correctly and that there haven’t been any dramas.
“We are now using Attach2 as our new tilt head and bucket supplier. In fact, we’re now using only their tilt head and buckets in our operations.
“They’ve lived up to their philosophy of making it easy. The change has been an easy transition as they have been more then helpful with the requirements we have asked for. They have been easy to deal with and they have followed up with support for their product.”
Earthmoving Equipment Magazine caught up with Ernie at Coffs Harbour as Burnett Civil was busy digging away on a residential sub-division named Elements.
“There are 60 lots here, and we have been doing the second stage. From Attcah2 we are using a combination of attachments including the head, mud buckets, general GP dig buckets all the way down to the trenching bucket, so we can do everything with just the one machine,” he said.
And service doesn’t end with the sale. Ernie praised the follow-ups from Attach2, saying the company was checking in regularly to make sure the products were working correctly and that any issues were quickly rectified.
“We would recommend Attach2 to anyone: their performance, customer service and their product have been brilliant,” he said.
Attach2 Queensland Territory Sales Manager Lachlan McDonald said the business was Australasia’s leading earthmoving attachments company.
“We supply leading attachments for excavators, making them more versatile,” he said.
“Our focus is on optimising uptime on site so our customers can complete projects faster.
“We’re bringing better, more responsive service and support to our industry and – crucially – the fastest delivery timeframes, getting clients working sooner.”
Lachlan said Attach2 and Burnett Civil had been working together as a partnership for several years.
The most recent attachments sold to the construction and earthmoving specialists — and used at Elements — came as part of the company’s touted Performance Package, customised for Burnett Civil’s Cat 323 Excavator: it comprised a Heli-Tilt, 1800mm- wide mud bucket, 1200mm-wide general purpose bucket, 900mm-wide GP bucket, 600mm-wide GP bucket, and a ripper.
“So basically you’re pairing our hitch with our buckets,” he said.
“All our buckets also have twin tapered sides as well as a double radius curve, meaning that the entire design from the hitch to the base of the bucket is extremely squat.
“So what we’re aiming for here is ultimate performance, when you’re out in the field being as squat as it can be without sacrificing your capacity.
“With the tapered sides, you will see improvements on cycle time, power, output.”
Ernie was quick appreciate the shape and the profiles of the buckets.
“They’re strong, they’re not over heavy, so you’re not overweighting the machine,” he said. “The buckets are well designed with hooks to pick up second or third buckets when you want to carry other machine buckets around the site.
“And the buckets don’t stick. They don’t get dirt stuck in the back where you have to shake them out all the time. These don’t. The dirt comes out pretty easily.”
Ernie also valued the consistency of the product.
“Since all the attachments, buckets and couplers come from just one single supplier, they work together seamlessly for better performance,” he said.
“Attach2 has designed them all to integrate better with the machine, creating a complete performance package.
“Importantly, this means companies don’t have to buy attachments from different suppliers and then discover they may not work together properly.
“Overall, it’s just a good product. Our drivers love the durability and strength, they’ve definitely tested the attachments on site. They tend to use them as rippers and pulling things, and they haven’t broken anything yet, so they’re definitely strong enough for the task.
“I don’t imagine we’ll be having any warranty issues, as we’ve had no cause for any concerns yet. And the price was really good! I don’t think you can go past the Attach2 product.”
Indeed, Attach2 has just released an enhanced three-year limited warranty, effective from June.
The comprehensive update extends coverage to more components, specifically hydraulic parts, and now offers the full three years or 3000 hours coverage – whichever comes first.
“The other key part of the update is to set out clear expectations and make it easier for customers to understand what is and isn’t included and to make any warranty claims,” Lachlan said.
“The enhanced warranty comes as part of Attach2’s ongoing commitment to product reliability and customer satisfaction.
“Our upgraded warranty policy is not just an update – it’s a testament to the confidence we have in our products and our dedication to our customers.
“We understand the importance of reliability in the construction industry, and we’re pleased to offer our customers peace of mind knowing they are fully supported for three full years.
“We also have three technicians in Brisbane that service the wider area for any maintenance requirements, as well as technicians in Sydney and Melbourne for their respective areas.”
Apart from the extended coverage, the new warranty includes enhanced clarity, with clear definitions and explanations of what is and what isn’t covered, ensuring transparency and trust with customers.
The policy is also simplified, with a streamlined warranty process to make claims quicker and less cumbersome.
“Attach2 strongly encourages customers to register their warranty upon purchase of new attachments to speed up service and support in the future,” Lachlan said.
“Our customer services team will have the required information readily available, enabling us to process after-sales support requests and warranty claims much quicker.”
The Attach2 evolution
Attach2 was founded by Joe Hart in the 60s to overcome challenges he faced in his excavator hire business.
He had been confronted with significant delays with new attachments, which took weeks, if not months, to arrive for his new machinery, preventing the equipment from being put to work quickly and generating income.
Another common frustration was the often- necessary modification of the attachments to fit the machines properly, leading to an industry joke about whether new attachments came with a grinder.
Motivated by these obstacles, Joe began creating attachments for his own hire fleet and saw this as an opportunity to address a gap in the market. By holding stock of these attachments, he could immediately dispatch them to his customers, thus marking the inception of Attach2.
His background in farming and contracting provided the necessary insights to design and build optimal solutions, thereby transforming industry standards and laying the groundwork for the company to evolve into the equipment hire company it is today.
As word of Attach2’s products grew, so too did requests for various kinds of implements, and the business started specialising in couplers and buckets.
Attach2’s current New Zealand headquarters was purpose-built for design and manufacturing of attachments, and has steadily grown in capability since the first product rolled out the door.
The company established an Australian base at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane in 2019, which also hosts a manufacturing hub, and just recently opened a new branch in Dandenong, Victoria.
The company operates on four pillars:
- Fast delivery
When businesses purchase a new machine or need a new tool for their projects, it is critical that they can begin using it as soon as possible. Attach2 has the fastest delivery times in the market by maintaining large stock holdings close to customers. This allows it to pick and ship to quickly, getting customers working as soon as possible.
- Making it easy
Attach2 knows the ins and outs of dealing
with equipment providers, believing that significant investments need to have seamless experiences to go with them. From order and delivery to service and support, Attach2 goes the distance to make the experience as easy as possible, every step of the way.
- Full cover
Downtime will result in project delays and potentially penalties. Attach2 backs all its products with industry leading warranties, an extensive service network and lifetime support.
- Performance optimisation
Machinery needs to be working at optimum performance. Attach2 designs and builds attachments to work seamlessly together as a complete performance package with excavators, so operators can achieve more every hour.
The products
• Couplers
Attach2’s Mini-Tilt is a simple and efficient tilt coupler for mini-excavators. With this, all attachments can be tilted in a compact package.
The Sure-Grip is a best-in-class coupler system that locks and holds attachments fast, but also in just a single step ensuring ease of use without sacrificing safety. Fabricated from milled high-wear steel, the Sure-Grip is made to endure in some of Australia’s toughest conditions.
The Ram-Tilt’s unique twin cylinder design draws from Attach2’s extensive experience in cylinder tilting technology to achieve one of the lowest heights in the twin-cylinder quick hitch category.
The Heli-Tilt hydraulic tilting quick coupler utilises the Sure-Grip coupler base for fast and safe attachment coupling. Built for performance, the Heli-Tilt boasts excellent breakout force figures across the model range, reducing power losses thanks to its low pin to pin height and the Australian manufactured helical motor provides excellent torque to tilt any connected attachment.
• Grabs
The excavator grabs are designed for maximum strength through over-engineering components and by using high-quality hydraulics to maximise output torque. Attach2 claims they are often copied, but never beaten.
Attach2 pioneered the initial Multi Grab Bucket concept and have steadily improved it over the years to make it the leading grab bucket on the market. Utilising an advanced design and chassis, with a heavy-duty thumb, it allows for grabbing and moving in the full crowding range.
• Buckets and attachments
Attach2 is home of the original All-in-one Bucket, an evolution in the digging multipurpose bucket range.
With its full digging bucket capability and extendable front edge, it can easily transition to picking up items from digging without changing attachments.
The bucket features durable materials, parts and innovative design to make it a truly capable bucket: one bucket for all jobs.
Attach2 builds its buckets to perform in unison with its couplers and all excavators. The ultimate performance is created when all three components are working together.
The company calls this The Ultimate Performance Package and encourages customers to build one that suits their needs, as exemplified by the suite designed for Burnett Civil.
Buckets range from general purpose ones to elite tilts, mud buckets, heavy duty rippers and single tilts for smaller diggers.
For more information, visit the Attach2 website at www.attach2.com/au