Pack it up

The patent-pending Thompson Slope Packer attachment, manufactured by Bedford, Pa.-based Rockland Manufacturing Co., eliminates the expensive and time-consuming task of packing slopes by the traditional method of “walking” them with a bulldozer or crawler tractor. As an attachment for a standard excavator, the Slope Packer allows the contractor to pack slopes on any grade and in any soil condition from above or below the grade, using the weight of the attachment and the flexibility of the boom to compact the soil on the grade. The Slope Packer method provides improved safety for the operator versus packing soil using a bulldozer or crawler tractor, and it compacts soils up to 10 times faster than conventional methods. It reduces fuel consumption, and eliminates undercarriage wear because the equipment no longer is required to walk the slope. The Slope Packer packs soil right up to objects and silt fences without causing damage. Because it frees bulldozers and crawler tractors for other uses, the Slope Packer provides better use of a contractor’s equipment fleet.