If you’re considering short-term construction activities, hiring a skid steer could be your best option. You’ll save on costs because new machines are usually expensive and come with other overheads. Moreover, you do not have to worry about storage and maintenance; you only have to deal with the skid when you need it.
Skid Steers Explained
A skid steer is a small and versatile machine designed for the construction industry. Skid steers mainly perform the digging. Being light, compact and easy to manoeuvre, they work well with a wide range of attachments to complete various landscaping and construction activities.
You can source this machine from reliable dealers of earth moving equipment. Companies that offer breaker hires and rippers often also let skid steers.
Applications of a Skid Steer
The unique feature of the skid steer is its ability to support various attachments, which expand its applications significantly. The default attachment of the skid steer is a bucket, but you can replace it with various alternatives to enable other functions. The bucket attached to the skid steer allows for lifting and moving heavy objects.
The following are major activities you can accomplish with a skid steer:
Snow Clearing
In mild snow conditions, you can use the attached bucket to clear snow. However, in extreme weather conditions, you can opt for other attachments, such as snowblowers or snow blades.
Excavating
A skid steer can equally perform excavation work. To get complete the job, you need to attach components such as a ripper, trencher, wheel saw or breaker.
Construction
If you’re building or completing construction work, you can fit the equipment with a pavement miller or a cement mixer.
Landscaping
Ground leveling, landscaping, warehousing and farming are some of the tasks you can accomplish with a skid steer. For effective results, you need to connect attachments such as a tree spade, stump grinder, wood chipper or trench digger. For warehousing and farming tasks, you can attach pallet forks or bale spears.
Trenching and Digging
When it comes to trenching and digging, you can attach a backhoe, trench-digger or auger.
Used Skid Steers for Sale
A skid steer is an essential machine in farm work and construction. If you’re considering buying one as a long-term investment, you should work with an authorized dealer, so you have the peace of mind that you’ll obtain genuine products that perform to the best standards.
In some cases, however, buying a new machine may exceed your budget. The best alternative would be to find a used skid steer. This can save you money in the long run, but you need to inspect the equipment closely before you buy it. Check the hour counter to determine if the last service date of the machine is within the manufacturer’s stipulated period. Reliable producers of such machines suggest that air, hydro static and fuel filters should be changed every 100 hours.
In sum, for any piece of work you’d like to perform with a skid steer, there is an appropriate attachment that makes it easy to accomplish. A skid steer is a special machine and consequently, requires the operator to keep abreast of key safety and maintenance guidelines.
