Excavators can quickly switch between multiple attachments using quick couplers to adapt to various engineering needs. Below are the common attachment categories and their typical applications:

1. Basic Excavation Attachments

• Standard Bucket (0.1–4m³ capacity)

• General earthmoving; narrow buckets for trenches, wide buckets for flat surfaces.

• Rock Bucket

• Equipped with wear-resistant teeth and reinforced steel plates for hard rock (e.g., SEM Rock Bucket).

• Silt Bucket

• 50% wider opening with drainage holes, ideal for river dredging.

2. Demolition & Breaking Attachments

• Hydraulic Breaker (400–1800 bpm frequency)

• Selection based on excavator weight (e.g., 20-ton machine pairs with 3–5 kJ breaker).

• Hydraulic Shear

• Building demolition (max shear force up to 2000 kN).

• High-Frequency Crusher

• Precision concrete pavement breaking (vibration frequency: 2500 strokes/minute).

3. Grabbing & Handling Attachments

• Hydraulic Grab (Clamshell/Orange Peel type)

• Scrap metal handling (grip diameter: 1–3m).

• Log Grapple

• Forestry applications with 150° rotation (e.g., Loglift Rotator).

• Electromagnetic Plate

• Metal recycling (requires external power; suction force ≥1 t/m²).

4. Specialized Engineering Attachments

• Vibratory Plate Compactor

• Trench backfilling (compaction force: 30–80 kN).

• Auger Drill (200–1500mm diameter)

• Tree planting/piling (max depth: 8m).

• Ripper (3–7 shanks)

• Hard/frozen soil breaking (e.g., Caterpillar Ripper reaches 1.2m depth).

5. Auxiliary Tools

• Quick Coupler (ISO 13031 standard)

• Attachment change in <2 minutes.

• Tilt Bucket (±45° tilt)

• Slope grading.

• Laser Grading System

• Precision leveling (±1cm/100m accuracy, e.g., Trimble Grade Control).

Key Technical Matching Criteria

• Flow Rate: Attachments must match pump flow (e.g., breakers need 60–150 L/min).

• Pressure Range: Most attachments operate at 20–35 MPa.

• Weight Balance: Attachment weight ≤ 120% of excavator bucket capacity.

Modern excavators can utilize 30+ attachments, significantly expanding their versatility across construction, demolition, and specialized industries.