There are so many skid steer attachments to choose from. Whether you are a farmer, landscaper or work in construction, a skid steer is an essential vehicle to have. To get the most out of this machine, you need to know all about its compatible attachments. Because every attachment has its uses and benefits it makes it difficult to know each which ones you need right now.
This guide will explore the absolute best skid steer attachments for various situations, types of work and industries. There are 12 different attachments that you need to be familiar with and know what they do best.
Buckets
Buckets are one of the most commonly used attachments. They are designed to perform various jobs for construction and landscaping work. They are also useful for farming and agricultural work. Investing in a high-quality bucket will give you a versatile and reliable tool, making it one of the most profitable skid steer attachment options.
You need to carefully consider the bucket you are choosing, as different types are better suited for different tasks. These are some of the most useful types of buckets to work with.
- Material buckets: Material buckets are deeper than other types of buckets. They have tall backs and sides, allowing them to carry large loads. It also makes it easy for them to carry loose materials like mulch, sawdust, wood chips, snow, bark and other similar materials.
- Tooth buckets: Tooth buckets are used to grab and move material. The pointed teeth on the edge of the bucket make it suitable for digging, cleaning and grading. This tool can make difficult jobs much easier on construction sites and farms. Tooth buckets with deep bottoms provide excellent visibility when being used.
- Rock bucket: Rock buckets are a strong and versatile attachment. They can be used for anything from basic grading to removing large rocks and boulders. The round bar they are equipped with allows rocks to fall out of the bucket effectively. This minimizes the risk of materials getting stuck between the bucket’s tines.
- Manure bucket: This tined bucket, one of the most unique skid steer attachments, is designed for handling manure. How this bucket is designed makes it easy to handle manure while not disturbing the soil around it. Manure buckets are also effective at handling loose hay.
Grapples
Grapples are a type of skid steer attachment that secures the bucket. It is used for picking up, handling and transporting various materials and debris. There are various types of grapple attachments, each with their own unique purposes and functions.
- Scrap and demolition grapples: This type of grapple is mostly used for construction work. It has a solid bottom that makes it possible to pickup scraps that are larger than the bucket it is attached to. Scrap and demolition grapples are heavy-duty attachments that help clear sites of debris of any size.
- Tine grapples: The tines of a tine grapple perform multiple functions and is designed to pickup common farm materials like hay, bushes, manure, corn storks, certain produce and more. They are available in a variety of different sizes that can hold up to 1,000 pounds.
- Root grapples: Root grapple rakes can assist with multiple types of jobs. Their tines allow them to push materials and lift larger volumes when scooping. They are valuable tools for clearing land, demolitions, loading, unloading and clean-ups. Use them to lift stumps, roots, storm debris, common land materials and other difficult-to-manage debris.
- Rock grapples: The rock grapple is arguably the most common type of grapple. They feature serrated edges, which are well-suited for lifting and moving awkward objects and sifting debris.
- Rock and root combination grapples: By combining the best of what rock and root grapples have to offer these are one of the absolute best skid steer attachments. Used for clearing land, transporting materials or crops, preparing ranch land for grazing, sorting and clearing debris and crop management. There is very little this attachment can’t be used for.
Auger Drivers
An auger driver is one of the coolest skid attachments in terms of design. Auger drivers are used for digging holes. They feature a helix-shaped or circular blade that pierces the ground’s surface. It then lifts materials from the hole with ease and reduces the amount of manpower required to complete important, yet arduous tasks. Steel augers are commonly used because of the strength and quality of the material. There are some augers with tips made of diamonds or other tough materials for piercing difficult surfaces.
Augers are strongly associated with digging, but there is so much more it can do. Augers can be used for ice drilling, tapping trees for sap, grinding stumps, building foundations for bridges and large buildings and planting trees. They can even be used for garden projects and landscaping.
Tree Puller
Tree pullers are a strong and widely used skid steer attachment. It consists of two steel plates that move horizontally, much like jaws. They are used to grab hold of trees, bushes, vegetation, poles and posts and pull them from the ground. The main benefit of using tree pullers is to manage your land effectively while reducing labor. They are an effective tool for removing root systems of large trees and bushes.
When choosing the tree puller, you need to ensure the diameter of the jaws is wide enough to handle the vegetation you need pulling. You also need to ensure the lifting capacity is strong enough to handle the large trees you need to remove. These are some of the many things you need to consider before buying a tree puller, but knowing this will help you acquire an incredibly useful tool.
Bale Spears
A bale spear is a skid steer attachment that uses long spears to pierce large hay bales. The spears are mounted on a frame that features a universal skid steer quick attach. The quick attachment makes them compatible with most modern tractors and skid steers. This attachment makes skid steers as useful as tractors for managing hay bales of any size.
When picking up round bales, you need a bale spear that has at least three spears. This will keep the bale of hay stable no matter how large it may be. One spear on the top and two at the bottom is the optimal layout for a bale spear for round bales.
Moving large square bales will need another bale spear. These attachments have three to four large spears at the bottom. Because the bales it handles are square, a top spear is unnecessary. Bale spears may vary in size depending on the size of your bales.
Pallet Fork
Pallet forks are used to maneuver and transport materials that are best moved on pallets. If you are using it for frequent deliveries or relocation of large materials, this is a reliable tool to have. This skid steer attachment is a vital piece of equipment for warehouse operations and use on construction sites.
When looking for the best pallet fork attachment, there are a number of factors you need to consider. The fork capacity is what allows you to haul materials of varying sizes and weights. The bulkier your loads, the higher the fork capacity should be. The length of your fork affects what it can lift and its capacity.
Safety and durability are other key attributes to look at when choosing the absolute best pallet fork attachment. You need to trust the reliability and usability of your pallet fork and Stinger Attachments deliver on both fronts.
Trenchers
Trenchers are extensions compatible with skid steers and excavators. They utilize a hydraulic motor and planetary gearbox with a sprocket used to drive the chain. When the chain makes contact with the ground, it moves the dirt along the chain to the auger at the end.
The biggest variety in trencher attachments comes from the different types of chains they can have. There are four main types of chains:
- Cup chain: There are two cup chain variants. The difference between them is the spacing between the cups. The standard or double-cup chain has more cups and is the best choice for sandy soil containing small rocks. The second type is known as the skip cup or single-cup chain. This has a tooth of every other section of the chain and is most suitable for working with wet soil or clay.
- Rock chain: Also known as bullet chains, these chains should only be used for the toughest soil conditions. It is designed to break through frozen or heavily compacted soil. It should not be used when working on lighter soils.
- Combination chain: These are the most commonly used type of trencher chain because of their versatility. The teeth on this chain are able to break through moderate to tough ground like rocky and compact soils.
- Shark chain: Shark chains have a bolted-on or welded option. They are most productive in tough and compact soils. They break up the soil using their specialized teeth and are the best choice when working with materials like hardpan or limestone. The best conditions to use a shark chain are when the chances of loose soil refilling the trench are low.
Brooms and Sweepers
Broom sweeper skid steer attachments are a useful tool for construction and landscaping companies. They are used to clear away dirt and debris on the ground. It can help construction companies prepare work sites and help landscaping companies clear finished sites to prepare them for work.
These attachments have steel bristles that are mounted onto a tube. The broom can sweep in reverse and uses the cutting edges of its bristles to clean forward at the same time. They are powered by a hydraulic motor, which helps the broom turn and sweet dust into a bucket in multiple directions.
Soil Conditioner
As the name implies, the soil conditioner attachment is used to condition soil. It breaks up the sods and pulverizes the soil with the rake ends. It is also used to remove clumps in the soil and separate rocks in the soil. Using a counter-rotating drum pushes the soil, allowing it to fill in low spots and knock down higher spots.
Soil conditioner attachments are driven by a direct motor and use hydraulic angling to rake stones and debris to the side. This keeps your conditioned soil as clean and sorted as possible. This gives farmers more useful soil to plant seeds in and creates natural contours for landscapers.
Land Plane
This is the absolute best attachment for your skid steer if you want to grade soil and level surfaces. Grading soil with a bucket takes a lot more time but this tool is faster and better at the job. The land plane attachment can also be used to clear weeds around buildings, fences and trees. Making it a valuable tool for farmers, landscapers and construction companies.
You can also use it to maintain and grade driveways, walkways and streets. Additionally, it is also effective at peeling and removing sod from soil. It can also rip up hard ground and is useful for general cleanup tasks.
This versatile tool is a must-have for so many reasons and can turn your skid steer into a multi-purpose machine in a matter of minutes. The weight of your land plane or leveler affects what it can do. The heavier the land plane attachment is the more steel is used to make its frame. A thicker and wider cutting edge will be a lot stronger and have a longer life span.
Receiver Hitch
A receiver hitch is a skid steer attachment to haul boats, trailers and other implements. It provides maneuverability and reliability while it carries these heavy loads. This attachment makes it easy to attach and back up wagons, trailers or extensions to your vehicle. It locks them in place, making it hard to remove them without using a rear hitch power unit or following instructions.
For farmers who need to haul around different harvesting equipment or construction workers who need to haul implements in and out of a site, this attachment will serve you well.
Concrete Attachments
There are two attachments that handle concrete-related tasks. These include the concrete bucket and mixer attachments. Ideal for work site, home, farm and ranch use. You can use them to pour concrete foundations for fences, buildings, silos, barns, driveways, sideways and many other structures. They are useful for maintenance and formwork as well.
Find the Absolute Best Skid Steer Attachments With Stinger Attachments
At Stinger Attachments, we are focused on providing the best quality attachments. Knowing how to optimize the use of what we can offer you is what makes us stand out from others. We have a long list of glowing testimonials that we are proud to have earned.
Our attachments are the best at doing what they do best. Explore our broad range of skid steer attachments today to get the best results. Contact us to find out more about our offerings and how we can help you. Find a dealer today to get the best tool for your work.