Your Komatsu PC138US

Common jobs for the Komatsu PC138

The Komatsu PC138 is a short-swing machine that solves heavy civil and demolition work on tight jobs. On Swedish sites it runs everything from pipe trenches to material handling where slew room is scarce but the demand for force is high. At 13.8 tonnes it takes real jobs without needing full room to slew.

The short swing makes the PC138 at home in the city, near facades and inside barriers where a long-tail machine would strike. On a utility job it digs pipe trenches in the middle of the street, on demolition it takes concrete and structures with the right attachment.

Since the PC138 drives most attachments in the class, it pays to have several and swap by job. With a tiltrotator the machine is as versatile near a facade as out in the open.

Buckets and attachments that fit the PC138

For a 13.8-tonne machine you choose a toothed bucket for excavation and pipe trench, a wide grading bucket for levelling, and a cable bucket for narrow trenches. On tight city jobs a narrow bucket is often as important as a large one.

A sorting grapple turns the PC138 into a strong demolition and material machine on tight jobs. It loads stone, pulls apart and sorts spoil without slewing into traffic. At 13.8 tonnes the machine carries the grapple steadily.

All attachments run on the S60 hitch, the standard for this class. With the same hitch and ideally a tiltrotator you swap quickly between bucket, grapple and breaker even on tight sites.

Hydraulic breaker and heavy attachments for the PC138

A 13.8-tonne machine drives a demolition breaker for rock and concrete. On tight city jobs the breaker is often the attachment that gets you through old concrete and rock in the street without needing a bigger machine.

Check the oil flow against the breaker spec before you buy. The PC138 has the flow, but the breaker has to be matched to your machine hydraulics to hit right and last.

On demolition where you want to take concrete apart more under control, a pulveriser or demolition grapple is an alternative to the breaker. On tight jobs near other buildings it is often an advantage to demolish without percussion.

S60 quick hitch and tiltrotator

The Komatsu PC138 runs an S60 hitch, the standard coupler for the 13-15 tonne class. Check the attachments are listed for S60 before you buy. A common hitch means you build a set of attachments that all fit.

On a short-swing machine like the PC138 a tiltrotator is extra worth it. It lets you angle and rotate the bucket so you work near a facade and edge without moving the machine, which is exactly what the short swing is made for.