Make Sure Your Attachments Can Generate Revenue

Attachment purchases seem simple…until your attachment doesn't perform as you expect. You invest a lot of money in equipment to get the job done, however an incorrect attachment purchase can waste your money. In today’s economy, every ounce of productivity squeezed from your equipment provides more flexibility to profitably run your business. If attachment purchasers make their choices solely on price, critical issues that define the true attachment value might be ignored. Common poor choices include buying attachments that are too small or too big, too low quality for your application, and/or not optimally compatible to your machine and application. Knowing the right facts and questions to ask can make the process painless.

“A lot of buyers make the mistake of trying to gain a certain productivity level without proper consideration of machine and attachment compatibility,” says Jamie Adams, Product Manager for JRB Attachments, a Paladin Construction Group brand. “Most operators are smart and know what their machine can handle, but even the most experienced operators run into trouble when switching between multiple applications and attachments on a regular basis. It’s important to know your application and machine and then discuss it with a dealer you trust to ensure your safety and achieve the best productivity for your money.”

Dealers Often Know Best

Some attachment purchasers prefer to buy online or through low-cost, low-service avenues. While they often get burned due to a lack of serviceability and the low-quality of these attachments, the biggest mistake they make is not taking advantage of the application knowledge of a qualified dealer.

Dealers know what will work on your equipment because they talk with customers like you every day and often work directly with multiple manufacturers. And don’t forget about the inevitable…like all equipment, attachments sometimes require service. Because every hour that your attachment isn't working for you counts, dealers that have strong service capabilities will move your projects along faster. If you go the low-cost route, you will often lose more money repairing a low-quality attachment than you saved on the purchase price. Consider using a reputable manufacturer and dealer in your purchasing decision for the lowest overall operating cost.

Lighter Is Not Always Better

Obviously, if you put more weight or stress on a machine than it’s designed to handle it could break. Unfortunately there are still situations where operators break attachments because they put too small of an attachment on their larger machines.

“One of the problems that we see among operators is under-sizing an attachment for a host machine,” says Jim Koch, Marketing Consultant for Paladin Construction Group. “Universal mounts can be deceiving because they portray a “one size fits all” mentality to operators. They save a little money by going with the smaller attachment. Then a different operator takes over and tries to run the host machine at its full capability [which the attachment is not designed to handle] and the attachment breaks. In other cases, the machine’s hydraulic system is too powerful and can damage the attachments because it works them too hard.”

Before You Walk Through The Doors

Make your attachment purchase easier by knowing these simple things beforehand: