LUMBERTON, N.J. – Ransome Attachments has
been named the first and only distributor of Ditch Doctor Attachments in the
United States. The hydraulic excavator attachment is designed for
creating, restoring and maintaining infrastructure drainage ditches.
The Ditch Doctor is the product of a resourceful Canadian
specialty excavating company that was looking for an alternative to ditching
with the conventional excavator-mounted bucket method. Owner and inventor Adam
Fisher – a second generation contractor – previously built two other attachments for long reach excavators to dredge marinas,
harbors and ponds before creating the Ditch Doctor.
Fisher designed the Ditch Doctor to improve productivity and
reduce operating costs in a more environmentally friendly way. It essentially
chews up material with cutting heads, breaks it down and redistributes the
spoils from a chute. The excavator operator has full control of the cutting
depth and projection distance.
The Ditch Doctor reduces the time and costs associated with the
conventional method. Instead of leaving a stockpile of dirt that must be hauled
away or flattened with a bulldozer, it projects the material away from the
ditch, allowing it to self-level. It is also up to three times more productive in terms of ditching.
Fisher once pitted the Ditch Doctor against the bucket method on a
3,281-linear-foot project and calculated the costs and productivity. The
conventional method produced 85 feet per hour, while the Ditch Doctor carved
out 308. The profit margin with the Ditch Doctor was 89 percent versus 38
percent for the bucket method.
The Ditch Doctor also creates a two-stage ditch, which allows
the vegetation to remain on slopes and an upper shelf as the rotary head carves
out a U-shaped ditch below.
The two-stage ditch reduces the velocity of water flow, retains beneficial
nutrients, creates a wildlife habitat, prevents sediments from washing
downstream and causing problems, and requires less maintenance.
“The Ditch Doctor improves productivity, reduces operating costs,
and protects the environment at the same time,” said Eric Ransome, owner of
Ransome Attachments. “It’s exciting to be able to bring that value to our
customers across so many industries.”
A patented detachable outer scroll case allows the Ditch Doctor to be used for dry ditching, but it can also work in up to three feet of water.
The company plans to add additional scroll cases that can be swapped for
different work tools, allowing it to become a multi-functional attachment.
The Ditch Doctor can handle any material, including dirt, sand,
sludge, vegetation, ice and even rocks. The attachment is designed to chatter
upon hitting rock to notify the operator and can function as a bucket to move
even the largest boulders from the ditch. There are two models available, both of which are
custom manufactured to fit specific makes and models of excavators from 5 to 22
tons. Both include a quick attach and can be hooked up within a minute. The
attachment itself is manufactured in Canada, but the actual assembly and
shipping is done by Ditch Doctor in its Nova Scotia shop.
“We know there's so much potential in the U.S.,” said Carole
Fisher, adding that they have fielded many inquiries in recent years. “Having a
partner to be able to distribute it on our behalf is definitely a great success
for us.”