Skid steer auger bit
Your skid steer loader is like a huge, extremely powerful Swiss Army Knife. Equipped with the right attachments, it can lift, load, dig, pull, break, clear, sweep – you name it.
When it comes to digging deep, straight holes, especially for planting trees and setting pilings, fenceposts, and signposts, a mini skid steer auger drive is the ideal attachment.
But, like all heavy machinery, skid steer augers and bits require the right know-how to properly operate as well as some periodic maintenance.
So, while we have your attention, here are 7 things never to do with your skid steer auger bits if you expect them to last.
Don’t Use the Wrong Auger for the Job
There’s a reason we make a variety of different skid steer auger bits. It’s because they all excel at different things.
For instance, our HTF-style tree planting auger bits are optimized to dig wide holes easily through relatively light, loamy, friable soil, so you can efficiently position and plant root balls.
On the flipside, we have rock-style bits which are designed to do the toughest digging of all, through frozen earth, fractured rock and even solid rock.
They dig relatively small holes, though. Can you use a rock auger bit for digging holes for root balls? Sure, if you like to bang your head against the wall. It’s a course in futility.
In a similar vein, you shouldn’t use our tree bits for digging through rock or frozen earth. It won’t end well; you’re likely to damage the teeth and flights, you might even damage the auger drive unit.
Yes, our heavy-duty augers, like all of our skid steer attachments will Never Surrender. But that doesn’t mean you should use them unwisely. Always pick the right tool for the job. Work smarter, not harder, as they say.
Don’t Forget to Clean Your Skid Steer Auger Bits Before Storing
It might be tempting after a long day in the field just to bring the skid steer to the shed and leave it there. Or worse, just to throw a tarp over it to keep it out of the sun and rain, pack up, and be off.
But this is a recipe for disaster, as far as your skid steer auger bits are concerned, especially if you were working in wet conditions.
Our skid steer augers and bits may be built tough, but that doesn’t mean they’re immune to corrosion.
Digging, especially in wet conditions, and leaving sand and mud caked on there will trap not only moisture but also salts in the soil which will wreak havoc on the bits and the auger drive.
The next time you come back to it, you’ll probably be greeted with a whole heck of a lot of rust.
So, make it a habit to wash off your auger bits before storing, and let them dry before covering. Leaving them wet – even if clean – is also not a good thing.
Don’t Forget to Check All Fasteners Before Use
Always inspect all fasteners, pins and bolts before starting up the skid steer and auger drive unit.
Working with a loose bolt, pin or fastener can cause significant damage to your skid steer auger drive unit, or to the bit. At best, you could damage the bit in which case you’ll need to replace it prematurely.
If one of the bolts used to secure the teeth is loose, you might not only shear off the tooth but damage the ability of the auger bit to secure a new tooth; so check these before use as well.
Speaking of which…
Don’t Fail to Replace Skid Steer Auger Teeth When They Are Worn
Our skid steer auger bits are designed with replaceable bolt-on teeth so you can replace them whenever they become worn.
In addition to inspecting all fasteners (including tooth bolts) before use, you should also inspect the teeth for signs of wear, including but not limited to routine wear (and dullness) but also for chips or cracks.
Worn or damaged teeth will not cut as efficiently through the soil, which means you’ll work longer and harder at best – and at worst you will place an undue strain on your auger drive unit.
There’s a reason they’re replaceable. Take advantage of it.
Don’t Store Your Skid Steer and Auger Attachment Outside
If you can help it, don’t store your skid steer auger bits outside – and let’s go a bit further, since they’re attached to your auger drive unit and thereby to your skid steer: don’t leave the whole thing outside.
Sunlight, ice, moisture, and potentially even extreme winds (depending on where you live) can all cause damage to your skid steer and whatever attachments you use. So store it under cover whenever you can – a shed, bay, or hangar is ideal.
We get it. Sometimes you have no choice. If you must store it outside cover it fully with a tarp and weigh down the edges of the tarp with sandbags or bricks or stones. This will help prevent water and sun damage to the machine.
Don’t Store Your Skid Steer Anywhere That Children May Be Present
Also, regardless of whether you store your skid steer inside or outside (and under cover) do not store it anywhere there may be children around when you are not present.
Heavy machinery is not a toy, nor is it a children’s plaything, and unsupervised children and skid steers do not mix. Be wise about where you keep it.
Don’t Fail to Observe All Safety Requirements, As Per Your Owner’s Manual
Last but not least is a general recommendation. There are plenty of safe operating procedures carefully detailed in your owner’s manual, too many for us to list here (and some of them are specific to each model of attachment).
Regardless, always follow all of them closely. They are there for a reason.