Product feature: Attach2 mini-tilt coupler

Date: 17.03.2023

Ideal for mini excavators, the Attach2 mini tilt couplers give operators the ability to easily tilt all attachments with a total range of 70 degrees

HireWays offers both short- and long-term hire solutions

Jed Hart is the fleet manager for HireWays, a machinery rental business that was started by Jed’s grandfather and father in 1997 in Palmerston North and today has three additional rental locations in the lower North Island – Porirua (Wellington), Masterton, and Whanganui.

Jed Hart

"Our company was founded on honest, hardworking work ethics," says Jed, "originally supplying agricultural equipment but moving more into excavators when they started to become popular.

Today, we supply machinery equipment to those who need to hire a specialist piece of kit to fulfil a certain job or who perhaps only need equipment for a specified time period."

Earthmoving companies of all scales make up a big part of HireWays’ clientele, but the company is also happy to hire to individuals or DIYers. "We’re happy to help however and wherever we can — whoever has a need," says Jed.

Responding to client needs is something HireWays prides itself on, so when the company noticed a demand from smaller earthworks and subcontracting businesses for more tilt capability on their smaller model excavators, it responded by trialling the mini-tilt coupler from Attach2. The results were immediate.

Half of HireWays’ existing 1.8T excavator fleet is fitted with mini-tilt couplers

Half of HireWays’ existing 1.8-tonne excavator fleet is fitted with mini-tilts and the coupler is fitted to all new 1.8-tonne excavator purchases. The coupler empowers smaller excavators in the one- to 2.9-tonne range with greater functionality when most come with a fixed non-tilting hitch.

Operators get 70 degrees of tilt as well as the ability to easily change attachments. "A mini-tilt coupler increases a machine’s versatility allowing it to do more.

This is why we typically hire one with a bucket package that includes a wide, trench, and digging bucket," says Jed. First-time users who are not used to having tilting functionality on their coupler also need not worry.

"The draw-pin system to swap over attachments is incredibly easy to use as is the mini-tilt itself. We’re often hiring to new users, sometimes with little digger experience, and the feedback we’ve had from them has been how straightforward and easy to use the coupler has been," says Jed.

At under what Attach2 says is half the price of comparable quick-release couplers that offer slightly wider tilting arcs, the price of the mini-tilt is something that Jed doesn’t mind either.

"It’s affordable and at a nice price point in the market for this size of excavator. The three-year warranty that’s included gives us peace of mind too." Problems or issues with the product are not something that Jed has yet encountered.

"We’ve been using the mini-tilts for over a year now and some of the excavators have more than 1500 hours on them. There haven’t been any issues whatsoever, so for me, I’ve found the durability and reliability of them to be very good."

Jed has purchased from Attach2 previously, and the company has now become a preferred supplier to HireWays.

"In our dealings with Attach2, I have been impressed with both the speed of their quoting and the after-sales support.

If anything arises, they get onto it straight away for us," says Jed. "With having used these couplers on our own machines, I would definitely recommend them to people looking for a versatile coupler, and I would recommend purchasing from Attach2. The team is great to deal with and the product is exceptional."

For more information, visit attach2.com.

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