The Most Commonly Used Skid Steer Attachments

Skid steers and compact track loaders are found on almost any jobsite, including construction, road building, utility work, landscaping, property maintenance, and more. What makes them versatile workhorses on such a wide variety of projects is their ability to use a large number of different attachment options. We’ll identify the most common skid steer attachments and compact track loader attachments, plus how to determine the best choices for your specific project.

Popular compact track loader and skid steer attachments

There is a huge range of choices available when choosing attachments for your compact track loader or skid steer. Because both types of machines typically use a universal quick attach system, most implements are often interchangeable between the two, as long as the power and size requirements are met. Below are some of the most popular options.

• Skid steer buckets – Buckets are the most commonly used attachments across many kinds of equipment. When selecting CTL and skid steer buckets, there are multiple possibilities to choose from, including general purpose, rock, grapple, snow, light material, concrete, and more.
• Augers – Designed to dig small holes straight into the ground, a skid steer auger is perfect for installing fence posts, light poles, and trees. It is also effective for breaking up hard ground for landscaping or demolition.
• Trenchers – A skid steer trencher is utilized for creating narrow trenches to lay water, gas, electrical, and communication lines. Plus, they are beneficial for landscaping, drainage, and preparing the ground for construction.
• Stump grinders – A useful skid steer attachment for landscaping and property maintenance jobs, stump grinders remove tree stumps by chipping them away into small pieces of wood and sawdust.
• Mulchers – A skid steer mulcher turns brush, bushes, fallen logs, and even standing trees into small, uniform pieces on forestry and land clearing projects, so they can decompose faster or be hauled away more easily.
• Grapples – Your skid steer grapple can be used to pick up and transport various materials, including logs, rocks, construction waste, hay, brush, and more.
• Forks – Move large volumes of pallets, construction supplies, and building materials by equipping your skid steer or compact track loader with fork attachments.
• Hydraulic hammers – These come in various sizes classified by the foot pounds of force applied to break the rock, pavement, or concrete. Hydraulic driven designs minimize downtime and offer consistent performance throughout the life of the hammer.
• Brooms – Brooms come in both angle and pickup versions. They help you maintain clean driveways and roadways by removing loose material, debris, millings, shoulder material, and more.

There are a wide variety of other compact track loader and skid steer attachment options, including dozer blades, backhoes, concrete mixers, box blades, mowers, tillers, snow blades, and many others.

How to choose the right CTL and skid steer attachments

• Know your machine’s capacity – When deciding which skid steer attachment to use, it’s critical to understand your loader’s rated operating capacity. If the attachment exceeds that limit, then it will lead to instability, tipping, and dangerous working conditions. It’s also important to remember that the weight of the attachment will reduce the overall weight that your machine can lift or carry.
• Check your hydraulic system – Before purchasing an attachment, you have to make sure your equipment provides enough hydraulic flow to power it. Check your owner’s manual to find out the skid steer’s flow rate and pressure, and ensure it meets or exceeds the requirements of the attachment.
• Confirm compatibility – As mentioned, most skid steers and compact track loaders feature universal quick attach systems that work with most attachments. Still, you should always double check that the option you’re thinking of buying is compatible with your machine.
• Always try it out first – Before committing to skid steer attachment, we strongly recommend testing it first. You or your operators should use it in a real world scenario, so you understand how well it performs the job you need it to perform.

If you want guidance choosing skid steer attachments or compact track loader attachments, we can help! Contact our team today!