Paladin is one of North America's largest attachment manufacturers — the company behind Bradco, Sweepster, McMillen, and other well-known brands. Here's what Canadian operators need to know about buying Paladin products.
Paladin Attachments is a large North American OEM attachment manufacturer — one of the biggest in the industry. Unlike most brands where you're dealing with a single product line from a single factory, Paladin is the parent company behind multiple well-known attachment brands including Bradco, Sweepster, and McMillen. When you're shopping for a Bradco trencher, a Sweepster broom, or a McMillen auger in Canada, you're buying from the Paladin family.
Understanding the Paladin brand structure is useful for Canadian buyers because it explains why their products show up under different names at different dealers, and why the quality and pricing vary by sub-brand and product category.
Paladin's product portfolio includes several brands that Canadian operators are likely to encounter:
Bradco is Paladin's primary brand for trenchers, backhoe attachments, and general earthmoving tools. Bradco trencher attachments for skid steers are well-established in the North American contractor market — they've been making them for decades, and the design knowledge shows. For skid steer trenching work in Canada (utility installation, irrigation, drainage), Bradco is one of the primary brands to evaluate.
Sweepster makes angle brooms and sweeper attachments for skid steers — one of the most-used utility attachments for property maintenance, parking lot cleaning, construction site cleanup, and road surface work. Sweepster brooms have a long history in the North American market and are commonly found on contractor fleets. For Canadian operators needing a reliable broom attachment, Sweepster is a default consideration.
McMillen specializes in auger drive units and bits for skid steers and compact equipment. Their auger drives have a solid reputation in the North American contractor community — these are the drive heads that attach to a skid steer and power various auger bit sizes for post holes, tree planting, utility installation, and similar work. McMillen auger drives are available in multiple torque and flow configurations to match different skid steer hydraulic systems.
Bradco trencher attachments for skid steers are chain-drive trenchers that attach via standard SSQA and use the machine's auxiliary hydraulics to drive the trenching chain. Available in multiple trench depths and chain configurations for different soil conditions — rock chains for hard soil and rock, standard chains for typical soil conditions. For utility contractors, landscapers installing irrigation, and anyone doing linear excavation work on a skid steer, Bradco trenchers are a primary market option.
Sweepster angle brooms for skid steers are hydraulically driven rotary brooms that angle left or right to sweep debris to the side. Available in multiple widths from 60 to 96 inches. The broom media options include wire, poly, and combination broom configurations suited for different surface types and debris. For parking lot operators, municipalities, construction site managers, and road maintenance contractors, Sweepster brooms are one of the most commonly specified brands.
McMillen auger drives are available in multiple configurations for standard-flow and high-flow skid steer hydraulics, plus a range of auger bit diameters from 4 to 48 inches for different applications. The drive unit and bit are purchased separately, allowing operators to buy one drive and multiple bits for different job requirements. For fence installation, sign post work, tree planting, and foundation drilling, McMillen is a well-regarded option in the Canadian market.
| Brand / Product | Quality Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bradco trenchers | Upper mid-market | Long-established, well-engineered for the application |
| Sweepster brooms | Upper mid-market | Industry reference product in the broom category |
| McMillen auger drives | Good mid-market | Reliable, widely available bits and parts |
Paladin's sub-brands generally sit in the upper mid-market tier — better built than economy options, priced below Cat OEM. The long history of the Bradco and Sweepster brands (both have been in the market for decades) means the products have been refined over many generations. You're not getting a first-revision design.
Paladin products are sold through the broader equipment dealer network in Canada — not through a dedicated Paladin dealer channel. The same dealer that sells your skid steer may carry Bradco, Sweepster, or McMillen products. Independent attachment dealers and equipment rental companies also stock Paladin products.
Coverage is generally good across Canada in higher-population areas. Rural and remote regions may need to order through larger regional dealers.