You’ve heard the saying, “kill two birds with one stone,” but when it comes to compact equipment attachments, much the same is true: knock out several jobs with one machine. In this day and age, it’s all about saving time and money, but not at the expense of losing productivity. That is where attachments come into play. By using attachments like buckets and backhoes, for example, landscapers do not necessarily have to eliminate manpower; they just make their current manpower more efficient.

“If you have just a machine, whether a skid loader or tractor, you can’t do anything with it without attachments,” says Sean Sundberg, strategic marketing manager, John Deere. “It’s just a slow ride to the mailbox.”

But not everyone holds that mindset. Sundberg says that some businesses may not know all the available options when it comes to attachments while others have a cost factor. To some landscapers, especially smaller businesses, buying several attachments is too large an investment upfront. Still, Sundberg feels attachments offer long-term production increases.

“The question is always going to come up, ‘Am I going to see product gain by purchasing attachments?’ The answer is yes.”

Glenn Danuser of Danuser Industrial says that pallet forks, buckets, augers and trenchers are normally the top four most popular attachments to buy or rent.

There have always been companies selling these basic attachments, but Sundberg says many companies are getting in the game through partnerships and creating more extensive lines for their machines. For many companies, this is basic common sense: They realize if they provide the needed attachments, they can create and lock-in a more loyal customer base. This is good news for landscapers who take advantage of all the attachment world has to offer.

“You want to have that broad portfolio so a customer can go to one place to buy all of their equipment,” Sundberg says. “They don’t have to go to five or six different places.”

With all of the attachments becoming available, you have to wonder what might be next in the way of the attachment market. Danuser believes that it has yet to peak.