Tag Archives: safety

Digger attachments for latest affordable new build homes scheme

digger digging dirt

The latest government announcement involves the kick start of new homes being built. Only recently have companies begun operating again, but what will the latest announcement mean to you?

Latest Government Announcement

As the economy rapidly plummets, Boris Johnson has revealed the latest attempt to get the economy back on track.

Along with the VAT reduction for the leisure and hospitality industry, a housing scheme has also been introduced. A 12 billion pound affordable home scheme will be rolled out for first time buyers. This would aim to support up to 180,000 new build homes. 

Along with an affordable scheme, small construction companies will be given 450 millions pounds to fund housing developments.

Schools have also been given a one billion pound fund for repairs and any required upgrades. 

The government has announced that they will plant up to 30,000 hectares of trees for the environment. The best, suitable digger attachments will be needed to get the job done efficiently.

How will the housing scheme work? 

If you’re a first-time buyer looking to get on the property ladder, then you’re in luck!

Affordable homes will be built around the UK for all first-time buyers. The only difference will be that a 30% discount will be applied to the property.

Meanwhile, it’s not just the buyer who benefits from the discount. When the home is sold the next occupants will also get the discount on the home.

As new build homes are increasing, companies will need extra plant equipment as well as digger attachments. Companies will need to be cost effective, and what better way than to add resourceful attachments.

Digger attachments available from Masterhitch Europe Ltd

Here at Masterhitch Europe Ltd, we have a range of digger attachments available to suit all construction projects. What attachment would you choose for building homes?

Adjustable Reversible Forks

Reversible Forks - Digger Attachments

Firstly, with operators, materials and even machines, a housing development site can get pretty packed. Limit the amount of different machines needed and opt for the adjustable reversible forks. This specific attachment will take on the same tasks as a telehandler. It can be attached to any digger, limiting the need for excess amounts of machines on site.

Make the most of the versatile equipment and carry materials around with the forks facing towards the operator. This will eliminate any accidents happening on site, it will also stop any loose materials falling off the forks.

The adjustable reversible forks can be created to fit 7 to 45 tonne machines.

Concrete Pourer

The latest addition is the concrete pourer. With two spouts, the operator has the freedom to select which way the concrete or other material is poured. 

Concrete Pourer - Digger Attachment

The concrete pourer is made as standard to fit machines from 8 to 24 tonnes. On a construction site, machines would typically be this size.

This particular attachment is unique to the construction market. Give it a go today and make your construction projects easier. View the concrete pourer in action.

Excavator Buckets

If you’re looking to buy a digger bucket we have plenty of options to choose from. Select standard pin buckets for everyday tasks such as lifting and transporting materials. We also have tilting buckets available to fit into tighter spaces.

Digger attachments

The ground on housing sites will need to be flat, and digger buckets are also great for grading.

As trusted digger bucket manufacturers, all of our buckets are of excellent quality and are incredibly durable. At Masterhitch, we can also suggest bucket sizes to suit your needs.

About BuyADigger Ltd

We work very closely with our sister company BuyADigger Ltd, who are also part of H.E. Group.

The sales team offer a large range of used plant machines including:

  • Excavators
  • Dumper Trucks
  • Rollers
  • Telehandlers
  • Backhoe Loaders

Buy extra plant equipment for your fleet today!

Why should you purchase digger attachments from Masterhitch Europe Ltd?

Buying digger attachments shouldn’t be difficult, so here at Masterhitch we make the process easy.

We aim to make high quality products for our customers, so if you have any requirements then let us know. Our expert engineers will always aim to exceed the customer’s expectations. In addition, we can also offer the other services including:

  • Ram Guard Replacements
  • Quick Hitches
  • Profile Cutting
  • Brokk repairs

If you’re looking to buy digger attachments then contact a member of the team today for a quote.

Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest news.

Digger attachments for farming and agriculture

digger by farm

Farming and agriculture is needed more than ever in this difficult and uncertain time. As we deal with the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, digger attachments for farming and agriculture are essential now more than ever. 

As countries cease imports and exports, people need feeding and UK farmers are being relied upon to fulfill those requirements. 

Farming and agricultural businesses want to be able to use the right tools for the job. We’ve broken down our top suggestions for achieving your farming and agricultural needs. 

Adjustable Reversible Forks

Reversible Forks - Digger Attachments

You may not have a telehandler on site, however you still need to lift barrels of hay and other feed for your animals or be able to lift pallets. That’s where forks come in very handy. They attach quickly and easily to many diggers such as a JCB Mini Digger or a Komatsu PC80. As well as much larger tracked or wheeled excavators such as a Komatsu PC210 or JCB Hydradig

The adjustable reversible forks that we can provide, can be made for use with any excavator from 7 to 45 tonnes. 

The benefit of using adjustable reversible forks as opposed to any other fork attachment, is that adjustable reversible forks can be used with the load either facing towards or away from the machine. You may for example be travelling downhill or driving the digger down into a ditch. Having the forks and load facing the operator provides additional safety and protects the load from sliding off the attachment. Turn the attachment around and you’re all set for offloading. 

By using the existing machinery and investing instead in attachments, will help to keep costs down. As our friends at Tesco say, ‘every little helps’!

Power Rakes 

Power Rakes - Digger Attachment

The power rake is one of many digger attachments that is perfect for farming and agricultural needs . Perfect for sorting and raking out weeds, roots and branches, the power rake is as versatile as it is useful. You’ll have your fields ready for plowing and laying crops in no time.

Just like the adjustable reversible forks, the power rakes can be made by Masterhitch to fit 7 to 45 tonne machines. They can also be custom made to fit other machine sizes. Literally no job is too big or too small for the Masterhitch team!

Digger Buckets

Excavator Buckets

Buckets aren’t only used for lifting earth, digging holes and backfilling. You may be looking to dig a trench in order to lay crops in a nice neat line. Alternatively a trench could be used to plant trees for the likes of growing apples or just to provide shade or cover for vegetation that responds well to this type of environment. Digging trenches in the farm serves multiple purposes. From serving as rain water harvesting pits to protecting the seeds and saplings planted in them, this is where a digger with a bucket comes in handy. 

At Masterhitch, we make buckets to meet a wide range of requirements. Depending on your machine type and size, we can suggest the bucket size you will need for the job at hand. 

Riddle buckets are perfect for tasks that involve the sort or processing of multiple materials. This includes vegetation or any other debris that needs separating from soil. They’re ideal buckets for landscaping in particular. 

Custom Made Digger Attachments

Some great equipment is used in farming and agriculture, such as a forklift sweeper, bale grabs, plows and seed spreaders. If any of your attachments need replacing or there’s something not quite out on the market and you need a team to design and make something specific, then get in touch. 

Our design team will work with you to ensure your every need is fully met. Our fabricators and welders will also manufacture your custom equipment using the latest and state of the art machines. 

Customers are more than welcome to visit the Masterhitch design office and workshop. Simply call ahead to book in a date and time, and our team will happily assist. 

Contact The Masterhitch Team

Give us a call today on 0208 804 2000 or email sales@masterhitch.co.uk

Introducing the Masterhitch Roto Wrist

Roto Wrist

It may be all about the Coronavirus for now, but we have the pleasure of introducing the Roto Wrist, which is exclusive to Masterhitch. As the world comes to a halt, at present the construction industry is still in action. Construction machinery can be useless if you haven’t got the correct tools for the job. If you haven’t already added the Roto Wrist to your list, then you need to, and here’s why… 

WHAT IS THE ROTO WRIST?

The Masterhitch Roto Wrist, also known as a Rototilt, is a hooker quick hitch attachment. It will give the operator a rotation of 360 degrees, and a rotating actuator which will tilt in every direction. This particular tool will be the difference between a job well done, and a job done with extreme precision. 

The Roto Wrist is generally used for grading and landscaping projects. A great example would be the renovation and reconstruction of a golf course. Due to the various gradients of the ground, it can be difficult to work with without the use of the Roto Wrist. 

The Masterhitch Roto Wrist is made as standard to fit the following machines:

  • MH08 – Will fit a PC80
  • MH15 – Will fit a PC138, PW160 and PC210-SLF (SR15)

The MH08 version can tilt up to 90 degrees each way, and the MH15 version can tilt up to 65 degrees in any direction.

ADVANTAGES OF USING THE ROTO WRIST

When the Roto Wrist is mounted onto an excavator, it will transform machinery into a flexible, well-equipped machine that is capable of undertaking the majority of construction tasks. It is a time efficient tool to have on any plant fleet, and therefore saving time for the operator as they will not need to keep swapping and changing machinery. 

Another advantage of the Roto Wrist is that it is capable of working on construction sites with restricted access. When an operator utilises the tilt and angling to its maximum ability, an excavator bucket or other relevant attachment will be able to reach into, and grade areas that may be quite tricky.

ABOUT H.E. SERVICES (PLANT HIRE) LTD

Here at Masterhitch, we work closely with our sister company H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd. They are the largest excavator hire company in the UK. With a fleet of over 3500 items of plant, you’ll be guaranteed a large choice of machinery for all types of construction work.

Around the UK, Plant Hire customers have access to 10 depots stocking only the best brands including: JCB, Komatsu, Hydrema, Bomag and Manitou. Customers can also get a quote for delivery, as well as have any standard fit or bespoke excavator attachments and buckets made.  

ABOUT BUYADIGGER

BuyADigger is the sales division of H.E. Group. Responsible for the sale of machinery used previously by Diggerland Theme Parks and H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd, a variety of construction machinery passes through their doors. 

BuyADigger have the following construction equipment in stock:

  • Mini and Midi Excavators
  • Long Reach Excavators
  • Tracked Excavators
  • Rollers
  • Dumpers
  • Telehandlers
  • Backhoe Loaders

Here at Masterhitch Europe Ltd, a variety of bespoke excavator attachments are made directly for BuyADigger customers, from Hydra Grapples to Riddle Buckets.

Have you got the machinery to operate with, before you purchase a Roto Wrist from Masterhitch? Contact the sales team today and get a quote.

ABOUT MASTERHITCH EUROPE LTD

Should you require a Roto Wrist for your projects, we can assist you here at Masterhitch. If you’re looking to buy any of our bespoke digger attachments, we stock them in standard sizes or you have the option to  have them bespoke made. All of our products are manufactured using the highest quality British Standard Steel to ensure long lasting and durable attachments. 

At present, our workshop does remain closed until further notice due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), but we can still provide you with a quote over email. If you’re looking to get a quote for a Roto Wrist or any of our other bespoke excavator attachments, contact us today via email.

 

Profile Cutting: Our exciting new plasma cutter machine

plasma cutter

We love getting new toys at Masterhitch; they help us provide quality products to our customers. Profile cutting is an important part of plant engineering, and it is integral that we have a machine that is able to cut quickly and with great precision in order to keep up with our standard of work. That is why we are so excited to have our new Kerf RUR 2500 plasma cutter. In this post, we’ll cover what profile cutting is, the different methods that can be used, and what our new machine is capable of.

WHAT IS PROFILE CUTTING?

Profile cutting is the process of following an outline on a piece of material (usually metal) to cut out the shape of a product, or part. Much like you could trace your hand onto a piece of paper, the machine follows the outline from the design software to cut the shape from the sheet. It is a CNC  (Computer Numerical Control) machine, meaning a computer program controls the cutting process.  This ensures that the cut is as high quality as possible. Parts are cut in a 2D fashion out of large metal plates of varying thickness, but certain types of machines have to be used to cut larger thicknesses.  Masterhitch use profile cutting for many different buckets and attachments because of the high quality finish it produces.

OXY-FUEL CUTTING

Oxy-fuel cutting is one of the original methods of plate cutting, dating back to 1903 with the invention of oxygen-acetylene welding. It was shortly after this in 1904 that the first oxy-fuel cutting torch was born, and the process has remained largely unchanged to this day. The process uses an oxygen jet to cut through materials such as mild and low alloy steel, and can even be used for weld preparations. The process is as follows:

  • A fuel gas flame brings the material up to its ignition temperature (816oC for steel)
  • A jet of oxygen (at least 99.5% pure) is blown onto the heated spot
  • The oxygen jet oxidises the metal, and as the torch moves it creates a narrow cutting kerf, splitting the material

The quality of the cut depends on the surface condition of the material, cut velocity, and thickness of the plate. All low-alloy steel can be cut with this process, and an oxy-fuel torch can reliably cut any plate from a thickness of 3mm to 900mm; up to 900mm, there is no alternative to oxy fuel cutting.

Oxy-fuel profile cutting is a slow process, and takes a lot of time to make the cut. Thicker metal takes longer to cut due to its density. An extra cutting torch can be added as a “pre-heater”, which would speed up the cutting time relative to the angle of the cut, although this obviously requires more fuel to be used. 

PLASMA CUTTING

Profile Cutting - Kerf RUR 2500 Plasma Cutter

Plasma is the fourth state of matter. The first three are solid, liquid, and gas. The state of an element is dependent on how much energy it has. Take water for example: as a solid it forms ice, then when heat energy is added it becomes its fluid form, water. When more heat energy is added it becomes gas, or steam. It is when the steam is heated up that it becomes plasma. When water becomes steam, it is really becoming two separate gases: oxygen, and hydrogen. When heated further, the gases ionize and become electrically conductive. This conductive gas is plasma. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The plasma profile cutting process uses the conductive gas to transfer energy from an electrical power source through a cutting torch, to the material. The power supply is a constant current DC, usually between 240 – 400 volts. It is the output of the power source that determines the speed and cut thickness capability of the system. A plasma cutting system works using the following process:

  • Plasma gas flows in a swirl around the electrode inside the torch nozzle and then out through the orifice
  • The Arc Starting Console generates a high frequency spark, which then ionizes the plasma making it electrically conductive
  • The conductive gas now enables the current to move between the electrode and the nozzle, generating a pilot arc
  • When the pilot arc makes contact with the work piece, the current path shifts from electrode to work piece
  • The next step is to increase the DC current to the cutting amperage as required
  • The preflow gas is replaced with the optimum plasma gas for the material.
  • A shielding gas flows outside the nozzle and constricts the plasma to a neat column, to ensure a clean cut

Plasma cutters can cut through material from 0.8mm to 150mm in thickness, and thus are a lot faster than oxy-fuel cutters. They also require a lower heat input, and produce higher quality cuts than oxy-fuel cutters. This makes them incredibly efficient machines to have on hand, especially when cutting relatively thin plates.

OUR NEW MACHINE

Masterhitch’s new profile cutting machine is a Kerf RUR 2500 400W plasma cutter. It is a CNC machine, and takes its orders from a Burny 10 LCD Plus control system. The 400W model is top of the range, and is capable of cutting through steel plates up to 50mm thick. The RUR model is the best selling machine in its class. It’s already been in heavy use at Masterhitch, check out this video to see it in action.

ABOUT MASTERHITCH UK

Masterhitch Europe Ltd are engineering experts in digger buckets and attachments. They operate from a 70,000 sq. ft. factory in Strood, Kent, and are equipped with the latest technology. Masterhitch manufactures a variety of machines as standard to fit most machine sizes. We can even manufacture bespoke attachments to your machine’s specifications.

To get a quote for any of our products or services, call today on +44 1634 290022.

 

Using the Quick Hitch on your Plant Equipment

Hooker Quick Hitch attached to excavator

Attaching buckets and tools to plant equipment can be a tedious, and sometimes dangerous task. It wastes a lot of man-hours and leads to longer downtime of machines. More importantly can put operators in harm’s way when changing over attachments. This is where quick hitches can save a lot of time when it comes to attaching plant equipment to machines.

What is a Quick Hitch?Hooker Quick Hitch

A quick hitch, sometimes called a ‘quick coupler’ is a plant accessory that stays attached to a machine, and allows for the attachment of different plant equipment without having to use a specific adaptor for each tool. Quick hitches allow for buckets and other attachments to be fixed from inside the cab. The only exception is in cases where the tool requires a hydraulic line to be connected as well.

What benefits do they have?

Quick hitches are an extremely useful plant accessory, and can help to increase the efficiency and safety of your workforce. A traditional mount will require an attachment to be installed manually from the outside of the cab. Quick hitches allow tools to be attached from inside the cab using the bucket tilt and lift functions. This maximises efficiency and reduces the number of man-hours manually attaching plant equipment by hand.

Using a quick hitch is also much safer for operators than attaching tools manually. There are many dangers on a construction site, and the cab of an excavator is sometimes the safest place to be. Getting out of the cab can leave operators exposed to the dangers of the work environment. This could include tricky terrain, or other heavy machinery that may still be operating around them. Equipping the attachment from the safety of the cabin ensures that the operator will be protected from any risks.

Quick hitches can also save you money when it comes to plant equipment. Attaching a quick hitch to your machine means it can use any attachment with the same machine, without having to buy a specific adaptor for forks, buckets, etc. A quick hitch can perform any task with the equipment you already have, rather than having to buy specialised machines.

The Masterhitch Quick Hitch

Masterhitch Brochure

If you want to maximise your workforce’s efficiency and keep your employees safe, the Masterhitch Quick Hitch is the option for you. It’s built to last with high quality British Standard steel, making it durable and suitable to negotiate even the toughest tasks. The lifting points have been designed specifically for UK and European markets, and it is fully CE certified and ISO 130031 compliant.

In terms of safety, the Quick Hitch comes out on top, and has been named the “safest quick hitch in the world”. It is much easier, not to mention safer, to remain in the cab and let the heavy machinery do the work for you.

With our Masterhitch quick hitch, you can attach and detach buckets and tools without having to leave the safety of the cab. Thanks to the unique safety features of the Quick Hitch, it is impossible for the attachment to accidentally detach from the machine. It also has an audible warning alarm within the cab when attaching/detaching plant equipment. Combine this with the unique high capacity spring in the hooker’s hydraulic ram, and it’s easy to see how we’ve made the safest quick hitch in the world.

About H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd

At Masterhitch we work closely with our sister companies, including H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd. They are the UK’s largest plant hire company with 10 depots around the country, and a fleet of 3500 plant machinery including:

  • Excavators
  • Dumpers
  • Telehandlers
  • Tractors
  • Rollers
  • Backhoe Loaders

We manufacture a lot of bespoke parts for H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd, and can arrange for attachments to be made for hire machinery.

About BuyADigger

BuyADigger deals with the sales of second hand plant equipment and machinery. They sell used plant equipment that was previously purchased for H.E. SERVICES (Plant Hire) Ltd and Diggerland.

They have a wide selection of machinery available of varying ages, so customers are sure to find something to suit their budget. BuyADigger even ships internationally, so if you’re overseas, you need not worry!

About Masterhitch Europe Ltd

Here at Masterhitch we manufacture and stock Quick Hitches of all sizes to fit 2.5 – 50 tonne machines. We also offer a bespoke service for all our attachments, meaning that if you need a size that is bigger or smaller than our standard stock, we can manufacture these to your specifications. 

We offer a wide range of attachments including riddle bucketsbreakers and tree shears, all available to fit either quick hitch or on pin applications.

For a quote, call us today on 01634 290022, or email our team.