When you own a skid steer, you have ample diversity in your job applications. Whether you’re looking to transport materials across a jobsite or perform more specific tasks, these machines have enough raw power to accommodate almost any high-performance need. As such, purchasing attachments for your skid steer equipment is one of the best ways to further focus that power and make the most of it. Still, this process only works if you buy the right one. This is how to pick the right skid steer attachment for your job and a few important considerations for maximizing its effectiveness.
Assess Your Job’s Needs
Because skid steers are so versatile, a wide range of different industries uses them, including construction, agriculture, and even landscaping. Each field requires the use of different attachments to accommodate their work, and it’s vital that you take this into account when making your choice. So, consider what you want to use your skid steer for. Will you need it to cut through thick underbrush or scoop up large quantities of material for transport? Depending on your answer, there’s a skid steer attachment you should have your eye on.
Understand Skid Steer Capacity
You’ll also want to consider the limits of your skid steer equipment when you’re looking to buy an attachment. There are hundreds of different skid steers available, from miniature versions to larger, heavy-duty models. For this reason, not every attachment will work well with the lifting capacity of your particular machine. Those with mini excavators need something on the lighter side to accommodate the lower weight limit, while standard or larger excavators can use something more powerful and heavy. Finding a balance here can help prevent equipment damage and optimize the attachment’s performance.
Know Your Skid Steer’s Lift Type
Another part of picking the right skid steer attachment for your job is understanding your skid steer’s lifting type. Just like its overall weight capacity, the way it lifts items can greatly impact its compatibility with certain types of attachments. Radial lift equipment swings the lifting arm in an arc before reaching its highest point, and vertical lifting arms raise straight up. Depending on the attachment you’re looking at, this can limit the amount of control you have over positioning. So make sure you find something compatible with this feature.
Think About the Terrain
Make sure that you spend some time thinking about the terrain you’re going to use the attachment on as well. This is especially important for attachments like skid steer brush cutters, as they need to follow the ground closely to achieve the best results. For rough or uneven ground, you may need something else to get the consistency you’re after. So mulling this aspect over carefully could be the key to getting the most from the project ahead.
