The Dilemma of Choosing between a Dedicated Machine or one that does everything.

Purchasing equipment can be expensive, and it's not always easy to choose which equipment will be best for you.

When it comes to the host machine, some choose an excavator, while others opt for a tractor with a digging attachment. It depends on the proportion of jobs the tool is meant for.

The same kind decisions apply when choosing the attachments. We all want to get the best value for our money, which usually means plenty of use and high productivity.

The 'plenty of use' requirement makes the idea of a machine that will do more than one function very attractive. However, there will probably be a trade-off in productivity.

There are rocksaws on the market that, according to their manufacturers, can be fitted with diamond blade or carbide blade or, as per one manufacturer, even a twin head grinder!

While we do not dispute the fact that they may be able to be fitted with all these cutting tools, there is little doubt that the performance of at least the majority of them is severely compromised.

The speed requirements on the blade of a diamond rocsksaw, a carbide rocksaw and on the drum of a twin head grinder are so different that it makes no sense to make them interchangeable (see our article "The Importance of Speed and Torque").

We understand that there is a place for universal machines, but at Echidna, we put emphasis on productivity and hence on dedicated machines for a job.

The time and effort one needs for the change after a few months of use makes such "versatility" even less attractive.