New & Interested in learning what to look for

[AK_Mike]

Hey everyone,

My name's Mike. I run an online retailer for attachments (here to learn, though, not promote) and one of the things I'm interested in doing is setting it up so that shoppers can filter off of the exact types of attributes that make/break an attachment for them.

I'm interested in learning about exactly what those decision points, if any of you are interested in sharing your thought processes. I know the attachment weight, max load capacity, & hydraulic flow rate are pretty major qualifiers, and make/quality of steel is a pretty major factor for quality, but I'm curious if there are any things that experience has taught you are crucial deciding factors in your purchase process.

 

[cdmccul]

Welcome aboard!

Awesome intro... I'll have to mull it over. Going to post in the other forum areas about it?

 

[AK_Mike]

Yeah, I plan to ask around a bit for sure. Got any recommendations?

 

[mrbb]

welcome to the site
first thing that tends to come to mind on things I find is, rather simple
CHEAP attachments tend to be just that CHEAP and don't last and have lesser quality most times,

the other is, just cause something costs a LOT more than the rest DOESN"T mean its the best!

and IMO< nothing beats being able to physically inspect build quality before buying!
well that is as long as you know what to look at and know what quality is, , and KNOW the difference in GOOD metal and good weld s over bad one's and such!

 

[AK_Mike]

I agree wholeheartedly. My hunch is that that's quantifiable -- at some point there's an internal decision-making process of "yes, this steel is thick enough" or "yes, this alloy is the grade I need".
So what exactly is it that you look at when you physically inspect it? It sounds like the weld quality is a big marker as well -- do you have specific types of welds that you look for, or specific types that are dealbreakers?

 

[JakeK]

Welcome ! some of the major things I find when looking at attachments is weld quality, reinforcement plates at stress points and hydraulic system simplicity (where it applies). Most of my attachments I've built myself (toothed bucket, log grapple, push bar) as it's cheaper to build and built to handle the abuse I know I'm going to throw at it. Looking at an attachment, like a bucket, and seeing welding that's poor or minimal is a turn off. I bought a slightly used 72" hydraulic angling snow plow 2 years ago because it was priced "right" at $1200. First time it caught a rock under the snow it broke 1/2 the welds at The pivot mount and looking at the welds it made sense as there was little weld penetration at all and wleding area was minimal. Ended up re-welding everything and running complete seams instead of stitch welding and it's been great since. Now when I look at attachments and see stitch welding or poor penetration I walk away.

 

[AK_Mike]

This is excellent information, I appreciate you taking the time to post this. I'll look into classifying the weld quality of attachments; that makes a lot of sense as a mark of reliability.

 

[cdmccul]

I look for something that is renewable. If a cylinder needs rebuilt, will it come off the machine intuitively, and are the seals common size? Are wearable items replaceable? Are those items available from the dealer down the street, or do I have to buy them from a single source?

Yes, sometimes bolt-on is a weakness... Can I fit an angle grinder in the spot to cut the old weld off and weld in the new edge/point/axle?

 

[mrbb]

yes something I forgot to mention, is, where the item is made, and what are the odds of finding parts for it if needed, as this matters, there have been a lot of here today and gone company's that made attachments, so some time brand name has a perk when long term ownership is planned!
also,. GOOD info on SPEC's , as in what metal is used and where, as knowing what metal is used can help tell if its going to last or not IMO
also, spec's on how long attachment hoses are would be nice, over the yrs have found many to be to too short or way too long!
back to welds,
well as I said, if you KNOW what a GOOD weld looks like and what a bad one does as well, that about sum's it up
as once you learn, and can look at things, you will be able to tell what was built better or not on that side of the build,
but again, what metal is used, both thickness and make up of the metal,(mild steel, ar 400/500 and the likes and so on) is always good info to know,
as it can tell you some what to expect on wear and tear and how fast or slow it maybe!
also, something I have noticed a lot more the last few yrs is, spec's on quick attach plates, on the back of implements, some are not as universal as others, meaning I have found some that are way wider or narrower, as well as Taller, which I think would be nice to see listed in spec charts when giving info on them!
nothing sucks more than gettimng an implement delivered to find it does fit, ( got a set of forks that won't fit on any bobcat brand, even though said UNIVERSAL quick attach, its just an inch too narrow, , so as I said, NOT so universal in reality, had specs been posted, it would have been easy to tell if it wouldn;t work!)
and I have also seen some that again have been too tall, making very sloppy attachment to machines, seems that universal size has been altered by some makers in today's world!

 

[thedassler]

Since no one has mentioned this, Photo's of all the major points that would be of interest. For example if your supplier has used stich welding, show photo's of the major seems so that someone can decide for themselves if it is likely to hold up to their expectations.

On another note, where are you based? I am in Germany, and it might be worth a conversation about possible sales on this side of the pond if you are interested.

 

[AK_Mike]

I look for something that is renewable. If a cylinder needs rebuilt, will it come off the machine intuitively, and are the seals common size? Are wearable items replaceable? Are those items available from the dealer down the street, or do I have to buy them from a single source?

Yes, sometimes bolt-on is a weakness... Can I fit an angle grinder in the spot to cut the old weld off and weld in the new edge/point/axle?

This is interesting -- marking additional parts as common sizing is something that didn't occur to me but it's a really good idea.

 

[AK_Mike]

yes something I forgot to mention, is, where the item is made, and what are the odds of finding parts for it if needed, as this matters, there have been a lot of here today and gone company's that made attachments, so some time brand name has a perk when long term ownership is planned!
also,. GOOD info on SPEC's , as in what metal is used and where, as knowing what metal is used can help tell if its going to last or not IMO
also, spec's on how long attachment hoses are would be nice, over the yrs have found many to be to too short or way too long!
back to welds,
well as I said, if you KNOW what a GOOD weld looks like and what a bad one does as well, that about sum's it up
as once you learn, and can look at things, you will be able to tell what was built better or not on that side of the build,
but again, what metal is used, both thickness and make up of the metal,(mild steel, ar 400/500 and the likes and so on) is always good info to know,
as it can tell you some what to expect on wear and tear and how fast or slow it maybe!
also, something I have noticed a lot more the last few yrs is, spec's on quick attach plates, on the back of implements, some are not as universal as others, meaning I have found some that are way wider or narrower, as well as Taller, which I think would be nice to see listed in spec charts when giving info on them!
nothing sucks more than gettimng an implement delivered to find it does fit, ( got a set of forks that won't fit on any bobcat brand, even though said UNIVERSAL quick attach, its just an inch too narrow, , so as I said, NOT so universal in reality, had specs been posted, it would have been easy to tell if it wouldn;t work!)
and I have also seen some that again have been too tall, making very sloppy attachment to machines, seems that universal size has been altered by some makers in today's world!

This is such an excellent response, seriously thank you for taking the time to write it out. Hose length is something I never considered but will absolutely add to the list of attributes. Your bit about sourcing parts lines up pretty similarly with what cdmccul said as well, I'll have to think on how to implement that.

I'll make a note about the Quick Attach dimensions and see if we can get specs on those -- that's wild that there's that much variance on the "Universal" standard. Also I've noticed the spec sheets that manufacturers provide aren't standardized and can vary pretty wildly in quality, so I'm thinking the move is to create our own as part of the process since we'll be tracking it anyways.

 

[AK_Mike]

Since no one has mentioned this, Photo's of all the major points that would be of interest. For example if your supplier has used stich welding, show photo's of the major seems so that someone can decide for themselves if it is likely to hold up to their expectations.

On another note, where are you based? I am in Germany, and it might be worth a conversation about possible sales on this side of the pond if you are interested.

One of my goals is to get a much more comprehensive photo setup in place (Like Carvana's 360 mapping). We're not at that point yet, though, unfortunately.
We're based in the US and we currently only ship domestically in the US -- we don't have enough overseas interest to offset the cost of international shipping yet. One day!

 

[thedassler]

One of my goals is to get a much more comprehensive photo setup in place (Like Carvana's 360 mapping). We're not at that point yet, though, unfortunately.
We're based in the US and we currently only ship domestically in the US -- we don't have enough overseas interest to offset the cost of international shipping yet. One day!

AK_Mike, Actually I am an American living in Germany, and am shocked at the rapid growth in skid-steers in the last few years. It will never rival the small excavator, but it is growing fast.

That said, are you all producing your products in the States, or using a mixture of sources. Not that I want to buy into a franchise, but I might be interested in being a dealer especially if the products are built in the States. On the other side, where I live, it is the land of "MaschineBau" meaning that if you are outsourcing some of the products that you want to sell, I might be able to guide you to small companies that produce top quality in small batches that will exceed nearly any wear and tear issues. Just food for thought.

 

[AK_Mike]

AK_Mike, Actually I am an American living in Germany, and am shocked at the rapid growth in skid-steers in the last few years. It will never rival the small excavator, but it is growing fast.

That said, are you all producing your products in the States, or using a mixture of sources. Not that I want to buy into a franchise, but I might be interested in being a dealer especially if the products are built in the States. On the other side, where I live, it is the land of "MaschineBau" meaning that if you are outsourcing some of the products that you want to sell, I might be able to guide you to small companies that produce top quality in small batches that will exceed nearly any wear and tear issues. Just food for thought.

I'll reach out to you privately about this, that's an intriguing proposition.