Top 8 Skid Steer Attachments For Construction
Skid steer loaders are extremely useful on a construction site because they are very versatile. They are adaptable which saves a lot of time and labour. Their versatileness comes from the attachments which need to be chosen correctly according to the job at hand. When choosing attachments the best thing to do is look at the task and then decide what tools you will need to accomplish the task. Another thing to keep in mind is the specifications and the capacity of your skid steer and the attachments. With all of these considerations, it is important to make an informed decision. For this reason, we have curated a list of the best skid steer attachments for construction work.
1. Augers:
Augers are one of the most popular attachments for skid steer loaders. They are extremely useful for precise drilling holes because they are productive and easy to use. The auger is shaped like a corkscrew which helps the auger dig deep into the ground without destroying the soil around it. Augers come in 3 varieties- basic, heavy-duty and extreme duty. Augers can generally dig up to a depth of 1800mm and extensions can be attached to dig deeper. Gamzen manufactures specially designed augers with the mast, can drill up to 20 meters. The first step to attaching an auger is checking if it is compatible with its power source. This means that the skid steer loader must have substantial hydraulic flow and pressure ratings. The rotation of the auger is powered by the direct drive or planetary drive.
2. Backhoes:
The Backhoe boom and bucket system can be used in place of mini excavators when digging trenches, footings, basements and draining ditches. backhoes are very well useful in drainage(nala) cleaning and garbage removal. Gamzen Backhoe attachment can rotate at 180◦ left to right which no other backhoe in the market can do. Backhoes sometimes have their own dedicated controls but they can also incorporate loader’s control. Additionally, the backhoe has hard teeth and large-capacity buckets that help break through hard and compressed soil. There is a connection between the digging cylinder and the bucket that allows for easy passage of the dirt into the bucket. They are also best for demolitions, residential, commercial construction, and maintaining embarkments slopes landscaping projects.
3. Trenchers:
Trenchers are used to slicing into the soil or hard rock. There different types of trenchers based on soil conditions. Rock wheel trenchers are used in hard rock strata and saw trenchers are used in soft soil conditions. There are many varieties of trenchers and you can choose based on boom lengths, chain types and cutting widths. Since trenchers can be expensive, it is important to analyse the needs of your projects and a few important factors. One important factor to take into consideration is the trencher’s depth and width for the application. Small skid steer loaders are able to support trenchers that can dig up to 10 inches in width and 36 inches in depth. Bigger loaders with trenchers can dig up to 12 inches in width and 60 inches in depth.
4. Pallet Fork:
The fork attachment is extremely useful for handling pallets and transporting other equipment and materials. If you are working in confined spaces, then the compactness of the skid steer loader will come in handy instead of using a forklift which is much bigger. The pallet fork is available in different sizes like 42, 48 and 60 inches. The attachment is useful because it has two prongs sticking out from the flat base. This supports the pallets and keeps them in place when moving or stacking.
5. Dozing Blades:
Attaching a dozer blade to skid steer loaders is a cost-effective alternative to bulldozers. Dozer blades are extremely useful for projects like bulldozing, moving heavy materials and ploughing. They also come handy during projects like landfilling, reclamation, wood chipping and debris cleaning. Blades come in a variety of styles and it is crucial to check which one fits your job the best. An additional function of the dozing blade is that it can grade and level the ground to prepare for laying a foundation or pouring in concrete.
6. Buckets:
A good attachment to lift and move heavy materials like dirt, soil and other pieces of equipment is the bucket attachment. Buckets come in a variety of sizes, styles and widths. The standard widths of the bucket are 60, 72, 78 and 84 inches. Most skid-steer loaders come equipped with a general-purpose bucket. There are various types of the bucket like the combination bucket a.k.a six-in-one Bucket (can be used loading, carrying and dumping etc), the concrete placing bucket (used to accurately and quickly place concrete in tight areas), Concrete mixing bucket (used to transport and dispense concrete), the Grapple bucket (used for gripping large and loose material), etc.
7. Rock Wheel Trencher:
Cutting becomes an easier job due to the Rock Wheel Trencher attachment for a skid steer loader. These are extremely useful in demolition and road construction work. In this work, the Rock wheel attachment is used for cutting road expansion joints and asphalt patches. They are also useful for utility trenching. This type of Trencher can make a cut ranging in depth from 18 inches to 24 inches. Other industries can find the rock wheel attachment useful as well. These industries include the waste and recycling, mining, landscaping, and forestry industry.
8. Mulcher:
The mulcher attachment of the skid steer loader removing vegetation is extremely easy and fast. This attachment is used when the construction site is overrun with an overgrowth of plants and weeds. The mulcher is available in different widths in the range of about 40 inches to 84 inches. The next process after removing vegetation is to dispose it off properly. The brush chipper tool comes in handy during this time. The mulcher attachment chops the overgrowth into smaller pieces. The main advantage of Mulcher is that it chips trees and shrubs and left it there to increase the fertility of the soil.
All these attachments and various other attachments make the skid steer loader a multifunctional machine which can be used in the place of bigger machines like forklifts and excavators. Another advantage of the attachments of the skid steer loader is that you do not have to train your workers in the handling of different machines. Hence this is a more efficient way of working because the decreased training time will lead to more time for completing the job. These advantages of skid steer attachments make it an extremely useful machine on any construction site.
