The Most Common Attachments for Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders
Compact track loaders and skid steer loaders are some of the most versatile and used machines on construction sites because of the skid loader attachments available. From tillers to grapples to augers to buckets and more, there are so many different skid steer attachments to help you get almost any job done.
We're going to cover some of the most common skid steer and compact track loader attachments, when to use them, and whether attachments are interchangeable across models.
Land Clearing and Forestry Attachments for Skid Steers
One of the most common projects skid steer loaders are used for is land clearing and forestry. However, how efficient and effective they are will depend on what accessories are being used. Here are some of the best skid steer forestry attachments to use.
Root Rakes
Great for removing roots, vegetation, and weeds, they pulverize the dirt while ripping out all the stuff you don't want. They're also great for ridding of any bushes or materials. Made in a variety of widths, they protect the front of the machine from any damage. No auxiliary hydraulic power is required for skid steer root rake attachments making them fairly interchangeable across models.
Drum Mulchers
Primarily used for medium and large-sized land clearing projects like brush and trees, skid steer drum mulcher attachments are equipped with carbide teeth. Typically, these attachments can be used for shrubs and trees with a diameter of up to 9 feet. For anything more than that you'll want to use a larger piece of equipment.
Brush Cutters
Aptly named for their ability to cut through large areas of grass, skid steer brush cutters operate much like a typical lawn mower. The attachments do require high-flow auxiliary hydraulics making them only compatible with similarly featured machines. However, brush cutters are quite cheap to rent and operate and come in widths up to 90" allowing you to get the job done in fewer passes than a typical mower.
Stump Grinders
Removing stumps from the ground can be challenging. That's why using skid steer stump grinder attachments are so helpful. They remove tree stumps from the ground and grind them up into smaller pieces using carbide-tooth blades.
Some stump grinders are only available for high-flow skid steers while others can be used on both standard-flow and high-flow. Make sure to check the compatibility before renting.
Tillers
Used to prepare the soil for farms or gardens, skid steer tiller attachments are very efficient machines for small and medium-sized land-clearing projects. Tillers easily break up rock and any dense areas of dirt and soil to make planting easy. They can also be used to mix any compost, manure, and mulch to create healthy soil for any plants or flowers. Sizes vary anywhere between 40 inches to 80 inches, allowing you to get a lot done very easily.
Tree Pullers
Extremely handy for pulling trees, shrubs, and posts or even transporting trees and posts, skid steer tree puller attachments are extremely powerful attachments for land clearing. With their bucket teeth and gripping jaws, these accessories are great for farmers, ranchers, landscapers, and orchard owners who are working with a lot of trees.
Many tree puller attachments open to anywhere between 10 to 12 inches making them great for smaller projects. They can also be referred to as post-pullers.
Earthmoving Attachments
Another popular use for skid steer and track loader attachments is earthmoving. From moving dirt from one place to another, digging holes in the ground, trenching, and grading, skid steer loaders are great machines for these projects with the right attachments.
Augers
Digging small holes straight into the ground doesn't need to be complicated. That's why skid steer auger attachments are great. Used to drill holes in dirt or soft soil, augers are great for projects that require small but deep holes like fencing, putting up light poles, and even planting trees.
With augers available anywhere from 9 inches to 48 inches in diameter, they can be used to speed up repetitive projects. Most auger attachments for skid steers require high-flow capabilities.
Trencher
Trenching, when done by humans, is a high-labor job often taking hours of hard, physical labor. Trencher attachments for skid steers and track loaders completely remove this problem.
Used to dig narrow but deep trenches, these attachments are useful when projects require piping, wiring, or irrigation underground. Capable of handling rougher, rocky soil as well, trencher attachments can dig up to 48 inches deep.
Dozer Blade
Depending on the size of the project, skid steers and compact track loaders can get the job of a dozer done with the skid steer dozer blade attachment. With these attachments, you're able to grade and excavate materials, push large amounts of material around the site, and do some reverse grading as well.
With this attachment, you can save the equipment costs between a dozer and track loader by just turning your small loader into a mini-crawler.
Buckets
Arguably the most commonly used attachment, there is a large range of skid steer bucket attachments. Some are more heavy duty allowing for the movement of bulkier materials like rocks, while others are smaller and lighter weight, making them better for soft materials like dirt and snow. Because of this, one thing to note is that bucket load capacity does change by the weight and traction of the compact track loader or skid steer, so not all buckets will be compatible with every skid steer.
Some types of buckets include the skid steer grapple bucket. These are great for grabbing large, bulkier materials like trees or shrubs. There are also rock buckets, general-purpose buckets, heavy-duty buckets, and more. Make sure to pick the right one before renting or purchasing.
Backhoe
Much like the dozer attachment, not every project that needs the capabilities of a backhoe needs a full-sized backhoe. In fact, with a skid steer backhoe attachment, track loaders can fulfill the same job, while having a little less power. This is not only cost-effective but also beneficial when working on a site with minimal space.
These attachments turn skid loaders into excavating equipment that can complete small-scale landscaping sites, dig septic and sewage systems, and work on power line projects. Often equipped with a mounting system, there's additional support when working at maximum capacity.
Material Handling Attachments
With the right equipment, skid steers can also be great at moving material around the job site.
Forks
With fork attachments, compact track loaders will operate similarly to forklifts. Able to work with pallets, these attachments are typically about 42 inches long and have a max weight capacity of 3,000 lbs.
Grapples
Already mentioned before, skid steer grapple attachments like the grapple bucket are much better for moving materials like boulders, logs, and small trees than a regular bucket. Because of the way they are designed, grapple attachments are capable of holding larger materials and transporting them while filtering out any soil and dirt.
Snow Clearing Attachments
Because of their small size, track skid steers are also great snow removal options when partnered with the right accessories.
Snowblower
Great for clearing off sidewalks, driveways, pathways, and parking lots, snowblower attachments for skid steers have auger teeth capable of breaking down heavy snow and ice. Because of their direction spout, snow can also be aimed in any direction.
Snow Pusher
Not made for lifting snow, snow pusher attachments are used primarily for, well, pushing snow. Because of their width and side walls, they are capable of pushing large amounts of snow with very little overflow, allowing you to clear more snow with fewer passes. They are excellent attachments for clearing driveways, parking lots, and commercial real estate and work on hard terrain. Best for large quantities of snow.
Snow Blades
Often made with carbon steel, snow blades are an essential tool for light snow removal for any sized area. They work great in synergy with large machines like wheel loaders or backhoes as these blades don't have much lifting capacity and should be mostly used for pushing. However, you can also have a snow bucket attachment to lift the snow if needed.
Demolition Attachments
The last application of skid steer attachments to cover is demolition attachments. While skid loaders and great for building, they're also great for destruction.
Hydraulic Breakers and Hammers
Used to break up concrete, asphalt, rock, and hard-packed dirt, skid steer break attachments are amazing accessories for demolition projects. Whether it's doing road repairs, taking down interior or exterior, or doing flatwork demolition, hydraulic hammers are incredibly powerful. They can also be called rock breakers.
In a lot of ways, they are better than jackhammers, not only for their efficiency but also because they are much quieter.
Shears
Also called concrete crackers, these attachments are great for cutting metal or pipe into smaller bits during a demolition project. With powerful jaws, they allow you to cut and transport materials like concrete making taking down metal or concrete infrastructure much easier.
FAQs to Consider When Renting Skid Steer Attachments
While this has been an in-depth understanding of what to look for when looking for skid steer attachments, there may be some other questions to consider before renting or purchasing these accessories.
Are all skid steer attachments interchangeable?
While most manufacturers do make their attachments to work from one model to the next, some limitations exist. This includes whether the machine has high-flow or standard-flow hydraulic skid steer attachment capabilities, the size of the skid steer frame, and the lifting capacity of the machine. It's best to always double-check the machine's brochure to check its capabilities or talk with a sales rep from the company.
What attachments can you put on a skid steer?
While this blog covers the most common, there are hundreds of different attachments that you can put on a skid steer or compact track loader. However, most other options will fit under one of the above categories, but with different features and purposes.
What skid steer attachments require high flow?
This depends on the attachment that you're looking to rent. As high-flow skid steer attachments become more prevalent, more attachments are being made with those capabilities. However, it is still possible to find attachments that provide both standard and high-flow compatibility.
What is the best skid steer attachment for grading?
Blades and buckets are typically the best skid steer grading attachments. Looking to rent a skid steer and attachments? Rent from thousands of rental companies across North America with DOZR Marketplace.
