CATERPILLAR has launched new attachments for its range of Cat Skid Steer Loaders (SSL), Compact Track Loaders (CTL) and Compact Wheel Loaders (CWL).
Described as ‘ideal’ for handling ball and burlap trees as well as large potted plants, Cat nursery forks come in manual and hydraulic designs. The company revealed that both offer a hydraulic pivoting fork that allows the left fork to swing open to fit around multiple root balls. The right fork adjusts either manually or hydraulically, depending on the version, allowing contractors to pick and place trees and plants and load/unload them ‘quickly and efficiently’.
Similar to nursery forks, the new Cat nursery grapple is suited for handling ball and burlap trees and potted plants. Its paddle shape wraps around root balls ranging in size from 711 to 1,372mm without damaging the root system or tree. Said to offer better control and placement, the grapple’s pivoting design helps ‘manipulate’ the load in numerous positions to reduce the need for manually handling heavy plants while placing them at the nursery or loading them for transport. The tool is capable of swinging 90 degrees to the left and right, and Cat added that its ability to downward tilt reaching nearly 90 degrees at any point of rotation allows ‘easy’ laying of material for loading.
The new 0.76m3 mulch bucket loads mulch into pickup trucks and tight spaces. With its 1,421mm width, the mulch bucket is said to ‘comfortably’ load material inside the bed of most pickup trucks without concern for contact or damage. The design’s adjustable machine interface provides proper ground contact with different hinge pin heights, so it works throughout the range of Cat SSL, CTL and CWL machines.
Designed for land clearing and the removal of invasive trees, stumps and large shrubs, the stump bucket for SSL and CTL models is designed for removing and carrying tree stumps. Long and narrow floors are designed to allow for ‘easy’ digging around and below tree and large shrub root balls. Cat added that the serrated side plates saw through stubborn roots, while replaceable teeth ‘ensure long service life’ with a BHL style that can be changed to fork or pick style teeth.
The Cat tree scoop, meanwhile, handles shrubs and small trees at nursery sites and in landscaping applications. Capable of digging and scooping up to a 901mm diameter, the scoop transports or transplants trees and other materials. The spade profile digs into the ground, and a flattened tip cuts roots for tree removal.
