Though Vacuworx has been building vacuum lifting systems for excavators, wheel/track loaders and forklifts for nearly 20 years, the company is now launching its first attachment for skid steers.
The new SS2 vacuum lifting system weighs in at just 98 pounds (when excluding the mounting plate) but enables a skid steer to lift up to 2,716 pounds.
Vacuworx says the system is compatible with any skid steer brand and is a great fit for floor, sidewalk, road and landscaping projects. The company says the system allows for complete concrete replacement—cutting, removal and pouring—in one day.
Up until the release of the company’s H model lifting systems at World of Concrete earlier this year, Vacuworx lifters were driven by a separate diesel power source. But with the new MC 5 and RC Series H models, the company has begun tying these attachments directly to the hydraulics of the host machine.
Likewise, the SS2 operates using the skid steer’s auxiliary hydraulics to power the vacuum pump. (Vacuworx notes that a minimum 10 gallons per minute with maximum 3,000 psi is required.) The pump maintains a constant vacuum in the pressure reservoir and the system pulls a vacuum between its 24-inch x 24-inch vacuum pad and the object being lifted. This seal holds until the operator releases it—even in the event of a power failure.
Vacuworx says its vacuum lifting systems save time and are safer than using chains and hooks to lift objects such as jersey barriers, pipes, cut concrete sections and more.
