Most heavy machines such as excavators these days come with what is known as a hydraulic coupling mechanism that enables the attachment of a wide variety of power tools. These mechanisms are also referred to as quick couplers as the operator of the machine is able to change between different attachments rather quickly directly from the cab using the hydraulic system itself. The hydraulic powered system in essence enhances the efficiency of these machines by enabling the switching between the various power tools which include among others buckets, augers, grapples, cutters and hydraulic hammers not just quickly, but also safely.
The need for manual intervention during changes is not required as hydraulic quick couplers allow operators to automatically lock and unlock these attachment tools. With manual couplers, operators are required to exit the machine to insert or remove locking pins that hold the connection between the tool and the excavator’s hydraulic mechanism. Most excavators, including mini excavators below the 2T category that are offered for hire by construction equipment rental companies come with automatic hydraulic couplers.
Some small excavators for hire by these companies even come with tilting and rotating features which basically refers to the capability of the hydraulic coupling mechanism of these mini excavators to tilt and rotate. This capability adds to the already highly versatile machine especially within the scope of controlling the excavator’s movement to align with the position of the attachments. This feature in mini excavators becomes especially useful in project environments that are constrained for space.
The ability of compact excavators to move along narrow paths and work in position efficiently despite the close proximity of objects around them render these machines indispensable in some congested project environments. Even in spaces where space is an issue, connecting or disconnecting these hydraulic tools is quite easy with fully automatic hydraulic coupling links. Everything is done from within the cab, for instance in order to disconnect, operators simply activate the coupler’s hydraulic system via a switch which releases the pins on the current attachment and move the excavator arm away from the attachment.
To connect to another tool, the operator simply manoeuvres the excavator to a suitable position aligned with the attachment and then flicks a switch to activate the lock which secures the hydraulic tool to the excavator.
When taking excavators for hire and to achieve optimal efficiency, it is advisable for project managers to choose excavators that feature fully automatic hydraulic couplers. The fully automatic versions allow operators can switch attachments in seconds which reduces downtime dramatically between one task and another.
Apart from that, excavators with this feature can be quickly be adapted to manage a wide array of tasks that ranges from digging, demolishing, landscaping or even clearing jobs. Fully automatic coupling links also increase safety significantly as operators are not required to leave the cab to manage the locking pins, which in turn eliminates the risk of injury when handling the attachment outside of the cab.
