A skid steer loader is used for a multitude of personal and industrial projects like snow removal, construction, lawn care, and more. If you’re a fan of working outside you may have seen a skid steer once or twice.
Maybe you’ve used one! If you have, you know how convenient they are and the opportunity they bring. But there may be a few things you don’t think about while considering a skid steer. For more information, keep reading or contact our offices today! Our staff will be happy to help answer any questions you may have regarding our services.
What Is a Skid Steer?
A skid steer is a light and compact equipment machine with amazing lift abilities. Due to their treaded wheels and turning options, they can also maneuver into tough areas that large machines can’t reach. Even things like mud, wet grass, and sand are traversed easily with a skid steer.
They also have a myriad of attachment options that make usable for almost any project. Here’s a brief list of possible skid steer attachments just to give you a few ideas:
- Pallet Forks
- Forest Mulchers
- Trench Diggers
- Dozer Blades
- Demolition Equipment
- Lift Buckets
- Harley Rakes
- Snow Blades
- Hydraulic Sweepers
- Backhoe Attachments
And that’s not even the full list! There’s really no task a skid steer isn’t up for!
Recreational Projects
Around the home, the skid steer has a place just like the lawnmower or snow shovel. In fact, it might actually replace old yard equipment. Using a skid steer forces traditional yard work to face modern technology. Below we have a few examples that’ll leave you dreaming about days without back-pain and winter frustration!
Leaf Removal: Skid steers do have attachments that you can use to rake the leaves if you have a massive yard, but one of their best uses is actually lifting the leaf piles. Park your skid steer close to your raking spot, fill up the bucket and then dump all your leaves in the area of your choice. No more filling those leaf bags, dragging trash cans around, and making dozens of back and forth trips.
Snow Removal: If you hate clearing snow as much as we do, then you might want to put a skid steer at the top of your Christmas list. These machines can clear a driveway in a fraction of the time a traditional blower or shovel could, and you don’t have to break a sweat doing it! Talk about back relief! An added bonus is you might be able to start a snowplow service on the side!
Moving Wood: After clearing your driveway you may want to cozy up next to a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate. Rather than spending all day moving a woodpile next to your house, try using your skid steer. You can load up all the wood into a bucket, and restack the pile next to your house rather than carry wood back and forth in your arms a hundred times.
Moving Mulch: When the winter’s over and spring is in the air, you may be looking to lay down some new mulch. Rather than hauling bag after bag around, hurting your back, and fussing with those heavy-duty plastic bags, you could use a skid steer to lift, dump, and move mulch.
Farming: For recreational farmers, a skid steer can be used to prepare, maintain, and harvest your crops. From rototilling the earth to moving seed to transporting crops, your skid steer will have you covered.
Pulling Vehicles: Getting stuck in the snow or mud is never fun. And when you’re stuck, you’re really stuck! No degree of human muscle is going to push you out, but a skid steer can make the job look easy. Not only are skid steers use to pull out vehicles, but they can also be used to transport heavy objects like furniture so long as the right tools are used.
Industrial Projects
Outside of recreational projects, skid steers are used even more. Below we have a few ways you can put a skid steer to use on the job site.
Excavation: skid steers can be used to excavate land if you’re planning to build, redesign a section of housing, or doing something like pond construction. With the bucket and backhoe attachment abilities, skid steers are usable for just about any excavation project.
Construction: Most often a skid steer will be used to move heavy materials. This can be anything from pallets of brick, piles of wood, scrap piles, dirt, and more. Due to their maneuverability, skid steers work great during the home framing process because they’re small enough to get inside while being powerful enough to move just about anything.
For homeowners, you may even want to use a skid steer when or doing personal construction projects around the house!
Demolition: Arguably the most fun thing you can do with a skid steer. During a demolition project, skid steers get a ton of use when it comes to moving old material. They’re capable of knocking down some walls and obliterating flooring sometimes too!
Ready to Own a Skid Steer?
If you’re ready to become a skid steer owner you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to check out our new equipment and don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us online, request a free quote, or call us by phone at (888) 949-2385. As your Grand Rapids, MI equipment provider, Fredrickson Supply loves talking about skid steers because we know how many benefits they can bring to any job!
