The skidsteer is a popular piece of equipment that's adaptable to its environment and features an assortment of quality attachments. However, as each attachment is made to serve a particular purpose, selecting the right piece for the job may prove a challenge. Here's a closer look at the more popular options and the benefits each has to offer. 

What Are the Most Common Skid steer Attachments and why?

1. Forks 

     The fork is a common attachment used for lifting and moving items around. The Skid Steer raises and lowers the forks to varying heights, allowing workers to maneuver stones, lumber or heavy pallets of material or even other pieces of equipment without someone risking to their back.  Remember when traveling always have your forks as low as they can go and tipped up a little in front. Keep your load close to the machine. 

2. Material Bucket

     Material buckets come in a variety of sizes to compensate for what you are hauling. For example for mulch you would want a light material bucket, and for dirt or stone a low profile bucket would work nicely and safely. The bucket attaches directly to the front of the machine with what is known as the quik tach coupler. Then raising and lowering can easily be done with either pedals if it's a pedal control machine or the hand controls with a hand control unit . Material Buckets prevent the need for a wheelbarrow by providing a space to shovel loose dirt, or can actually dig into loose material and scoop them into the bucket.  Once the bucket reaches capacity, the driver simply has to drive it over to the pile and tilt the machines controls to dump the load.

3. Hydraulic Hammer

     The Hydraulic Hammer attachment is hooked up to the auxiliary hydraulics which power the cutting bit and allow it to break concrete at a very quick pace.  The hydraulic hammer can do the work of two men with a compressor and air hammers, without causing the fatigue to the operators. Normal skid steer size hammers can easily break six inch concrete. After the concrete is broken up into small pieces, switch to the bucket and scoop the broken material into a truck or dump trailer. Remember to wear a full face shield and if your machine has a cab, close the door to keep pieces of concrete from hitting you when operating a Hydraulic Hammer.  

4. Rock Hound or Harley Rake

     The Rock Hound and Harley Rake both achieve the same goal which is to leave rough graded soils smooth nd ready for seed planting. The Rock Hound has a series of chains with metal teeth welded to them which are go around and around under the steel cover. The teeth break up the soil and create grooves in the dirt which will catch seed and help your lawn grow. The teeth also remove the stones and sticks by kicking them into the bucket behind the chains for dumping later. Now lets talk about the Harley Rake. It has a six-inch diameter, six foot long cylinder with carbide teeth welded to it. It works similar to an electric shaver, the wheel spins upward, pushing sticks and rocks forward and leaving you with a clean soil bed in which you can plant grass. One of the advantages of the Harley Rake is its ability to level more than the Rock Hound. For example if you have an area that is bumped up, say six inches and is about three feet long  you can run the Harley Rake over it about two times and Voilà! Its level with the rest of the surrounding area.  Both units will not disappoint, just remember the areas have to have had a rough grade by a bulldozer before using these fantastic attachments. 

5. Hydraulic Auger

      Augers are frequently used for planting and digging holes for posts or beams. Bits vary from eight inches in diameter for posts to thirty-six inches for tree planting. Bits should be at least forty-eight inches long, so you can make sure your hole is dug past the frost line, which is thirty-six inches deep in most of the northern states deeper in others check your local codes. The Hydraulic power of skid steers auxiliary systems makes digging holes very fast.  Operators must be cautious when using hydraulic attachments not to pinch the hoses when lifting and lowering the attachment. Also be sure no one goes near any attachment when it is being used. 

If you’re considering a skidsteer for an upcoming project, reach out to ABC Equipment Rental & Sales in Brunswick, OH. This friendly team maintains one of the area’s largest selection of construction equipment and offers some of the most competitive rates in the industry. As a Kubota® dealer, these experts know the ins and outs of their machinery and will recommend a product that suits your needs perfectly. Call (330) 220-4545 to request a rental or visit their website for a complete list of products.