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?
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
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 buckets, breakers 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.