Skid Steer Loaders
Skid steer loaders are very common and more than likely you have seen one around landscaping projects or commercial construction sites. Because of their small size and maneuverability they are able to move and operate in small spaces. They are light weight and can easily be towed behind a truck, and their wide selection of attachments makes them very adaptable.
Skid steer loaders are commonly used for digging and moving landscaping and building materials, but they can also do a variety of other tasks, including grading, demolition and loading.
What They Can Do
Skid steer loaders are incredibly maneuverable. Each side of the skid steer loader is powered by a separate hydraulic pump which allows it to turn in its own tracks. This allows the skid steer loader to operate in small, tight areas.
Skid steer loaders have wheels but can also be outfitted with tracks, which makes it an ideal piece of equipment for working in dirt, mud and snow. Adding tracks to a skid steer loader increases its traction, lowers ground pressure and reduces soil compaction.
The Loader
The loader arms are the most important part of the skid steer loader. These arms are powered by hydraulics and designed to hold a variety of attachments that allow it to adapt to several different tasks.
The bucket of a skid steer loader sits close while it is in the down position so that the loader is more compact and stable while carrying loads. When it is raised up, it first moves away from the machine and then goes straight up, making it easier to dump a load into a truck by giving it more reach.
The true ability of a skid steer loader is in its large selection of attachments. While the standard loader attachment is a bucket, there are numerous other attachments that make it the perfect piece of equipment for a number of different tasks. In most skid steer loaders changing attachments is easy and can often be done without even getting out of the cab.
Some of the various attachments include:
The bucket of a skid steer loader sits close while it is in the down position so that the loader is more compact and stable while carrying loads. When it is raised up, it first moves away from the machine and then goes straight up, making it easier to dump a load into a truck by giving it more reach.
The true ability of a skid steer loader is in its large selection of attachments. While the standard loader attachment is a bucket, there are numerous other attachments that make it the perfect piece of equipment for a number of different tasks. In most skid steer loaders changing attachments is easy and can often be done without even getting out of the cab.
Some of the various attachments include:
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Augers – used for digging deep clean holes for trees or poles
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Backhoes – a small bucket attached to a hydraulic arm used for digging and excavating
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Buckets – large wide buckets that can be used for excavating and moving dirt and other materials
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Bulldozer Blades – large blades that are used to push and move dirt, gravel and other debris and materials
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Pallet Forks – used to lift heavy materials and supplies, most commonly using wooden pallets
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Grapples – Hydraulically powered claws that are used to pick up and move heavy objects
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Hitches – attached to the rear of a skid steer loader for the purpose of towing trailers
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Mowers – used to mow large grass areas
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Plows – large, wide shovels used to push and move dirt and debris
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Rakes– used to prepare grounds by grading, leveling and filling
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Snow Plows – used to clear snow covered areas such as streets and work areas
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Trenchers – used for digging trenches for the purpose of laying pipe, lines or for drainage