Switch Hitch™ Brings Breaker Flexibility by Eliminating Need for Separate OEM-Specific Mounting Brackets for Each Carrier

Hydraulic breaker attachments transform backhoes and excavators into versatile demolition machines that can be used for breaking up rocks, dirt, concrete and more. For construction and demolition companies, the use of versatile equipment on job sites is important to be able to adapt to unpredictable conditions on different types of projects to stay on schedule.

While attachments can make backhoes and excavators more versatile, those same attachments should also offer their own versatility for the equipment they’re being used on. Most construction and demolition companies have more than one brand of backhoe or excavator. If one breaker needs to be switched between different brands of carriers, a separate OEM specific pin center bracket is often needed because pin spacing and the link between carriers are slightly different. That means more parts need to be kept on site or at the shop, and valuable time is wasted to make the switch.

FRD USA introduced the innovative Switch Hitch™ side plate mounting system more than 20 years ago to eliminate the need for separate OEM-specific mounting brackets for each carrier. This patented system has been making breaker attachments easier to use ever since.

FRD USA’s Switch Hitch features, an indexing disc inserted in the attachment’s side plates which can be easily changed to accommodate quick couplers for many popular backhoes and excavators without the need to change different top caps. The disc has an offset pin held in place with gear teeth. To change between different OEM pin specifications, the disc comes out and can be rotated as needed for different OEM pin spacing. If there’s a carrier with a wider or narrower linkage, the necessary spacing needs can be met, allowing the attachment to work on different makes and models of machines.

Attaching the same breaker to different carriers is as simple as rotating the Switch Hitch disc in the side plate to the OEM specific center dimension of the carrier and then attaching the hammer in the normal manner. This design also increases tuck for better over the road transport and aids in loading and unloading of the equipment.

“If a company has different carriers from different manufacturers like John Deere, Case, Caterpillar and others, you simply spin the dial with the right sized bushings for the stick width and you can easily attach the same hammer to any one of those carriers. A separate OEM specific topcap is not needed as long as the proper bushings are used,” says Ted Crane, FRD USA’s national sales manager of the breaker attachment division.

To ensure changing carriers is easy to do, an instructional sticker is placed on each breaker next to the Switch Hitch to show what position the dial should be in for the carrier that the breaker is being mounted on.