Road Widener Attachment Enhances Utility Trench Backfilling
Road Widener LLC offers the patented FH-R material placement attachment to enhance the efficiency, safety and quality of utility trench backfilling processes. It can accomplish what traditional backfilling equipment does in less time by precisely dispensing topsoil, gravel, asphalt and more. The remote-controlled attachment only requires one crewmember and easily connects to most skid steers, compact track loaders, road graders and wheel loaders, operating off the host machine’s engine and hydraulics. No engine or transmission to maintain reduces maintenance by 90% over self-propelled machines. Road Widener offers a variety of attachments designed to seamlessly fit onto existing equipment to improve trench backfilling productivity and the bottom-line.
“The FH-R cuts out jobsite clutter and enhances efficiency by eliminating extra machines and reducing the multi-step process down to just two passes, dispensing and compacting,” said Jeremy Dehnel, Road Widener director of sales. “Utility contractors will get a high-quality, profitable and efficient solution for their business that makes for an unrivaled total cost of ownership.”
The FH-R is available in left, right or dual dispensing configurations. The attachment streamlines common utility construction tasks including trench backfilling. The FH-R works seamlessly with a variety of materials, ranging from topsoil and aggregate too gravel, asphalt and more. The material is poured into the hopper at the top of the FH-R and then precisely dispensed via remote control in adjustable lay down widths from 1 to 6 feet (.3 to 1.8 meters). The attachment dispenses up to 20 tons of material in under 10 minutes without the need for any additional scraping or sweeping. Thanks to its remote-control technology, Road Widener customers have reported up to 50% savings in labor costs.
“Crews will be more efficient and see immediate ROI with the FH-R,” Dehnel said. “Typically, backfilling a utility line trench could involve a tedious four-step process where a machine piles material on the trench and large crews scrape, push and sweep it into place. The FH-R cuts out half of those steps by placing the material right where it needs to go the first time.”
The FH-R works with standard and high flow hydraulics and has only five grease fittings to maintain. Without an engine, powertrain or any associated parts of its own to service, the FH-R requires 90% less maintenance than self-propelled machines. Additionally, the FH-R is available with an optional universal mounting plate to ensure smooth compatibility and connection.
The compact design of the FH-R fits on the same commercial trailer as the host machine and can be towed by a common pickup truck. Additionally, the FH-R’s small footprint decreases traffic disturbance and danger on busy highways and narrow backroads. And, with a 360-degree swivel caster, the FH-R can easily maneuver around posts, guard rails or any common objects. The FH-R can also be purchased in an all-manual configuration, the FH, without a remote.
