The Most Common Attachments for Skid Steers and Compact Track Loaders
Updated: March 25, 2024
Compact track loaders and skid steer loaders are some of the most versatile and used machines on construction sites because of the number of attachments available. From land clearing to earthmoving to material handling, there are so many types of skid steer attachments to help operators get the job done. In this blog, we discuss the most common compact track loader and skid steer attachments and when to use them.
Land Clearing and Forestry Attachments
One of the most common projects skid steers are used include land clearing and forestry jobs. Below are some of the best skid steer attachments to use for these projects.
Root Rakes
Great for removing roots, bushes, vegetation, and weeds, root rakes pulverize dirt while ripping out all the stuff you don't want. Made in a variety of widths, they protect the front of the machine from any damage. No auxiliary hydraulic power is required for skid steer root rake attachments making them fairly interchangeable across models.
Drum Mulchers
Primarily used for medium and large-sized land clearing projects like brush and trees, drum mulchers have carbide teeth to cut through material. These attachments are used for shrubs and trees with diameters up to 9 feet. For anything larger, you'll want to use a larger piece of equipment.
Brush Cutters
Aptly named for their ability to cut through large areas of grass, a brush cutter attachment operates much like a typical lawn mower. The attachments do require high-flow auxiliary hydraulics making them only compatible with similarly featured machines. However, brush cutters are quite cheap to rent and operate and come in widths up to 90" allowing you to get the job done in fewer passes than a typical mower.
Stump Grinders
Removing stumps from the ground can be challenging. That's why using a stump grinder attachment is so helpful. They remove tree stumps from the ground and grind them up into smaller pieces using carbide-tooth blades. Some stump grinders are only available for high-flow skid steers while others can be used on both standard-flow and high-flow skid steer models. Make sure to check the compatibility before renting.
Tillers
Used to prepare the soil for farms or gardens, tiller attachments are very efficient machines for small and medium-sized land-clearing projects. Tillers easily break up rock and any dense areas of dirt and soil to make planting easy. They can also be used to mix any compost, manure, and mulch to create healthy soil for any plants or flowers. Sizes vary anywhere between 40 inches to 80 inches, allowing you to get a lot done very easily.
Tree Pullers
Extremely handy for pulling trees, shrubs, and posts or even transporting trees and posts, a tree puller attachment is extremely useful during clearing projects. With their bucket teeth and gripping jaws, these accessories are great for farmers, ranchers, landscapers, and orchard owners who are working with a lot of trees. Many tree puller attachments open to anywhere between 10 to 12 inches making them great for smaller projects. They can also be called post-pullers.
Earthmoving Attachments
Another popular request is earthmoving attachments. From moving dirt from one place to another, digging holes in the ground, trenching, and grading, these attachments allow SSLs and CTLs to get more done.
Augers
Digging small holes straight into the ground is so much easier with an auger attachment. Used to drill holes in dirt or soft soil, augers help dig small, deep holes for fencing, light poles, and even trees. With augers available anywhere from 9 inches to 48 inches in diameter, they can be used to speed up repetitive projects. Most auger attachments require high-flow capabilities.
Trencher
Trenching, when done by humans, is a high-labor job often taking hours of hard, physical labor. Trencher attachments completely remove this problem. Used to dig narrow but deep trenches, these attachments are useful when projects require piping, wiring, or irrigation underground. Capable of handling rougher, rocky soil as well, trencher attachments can dig up to 48 inches deep.
Dozer Blade
Depending on the size of the project, compact loaders can do the work of a dozer when equipped with a dozer blade attachment. With dozer blades, you can quickly grade land, push large amounts of material around the site, and do some reverse grading as well. When using a dozer blade attachment, you can save on the equipment costs of getting a full-sized dozer.
Buckets
As the most commonly used attachment, there is a wide variety of bucket attachments. Some buckets are heavy-duty, allowing for the movement of bulkier materials like rocks, while others are smaller and lighter in weight, making them better for soft materials like dirt and snow. One thing to note is that bucket load capacity does change by the weight and traction of the compact track loader or skid steer, so not all buckets will be compatible with every skid steer. Check out our compact track loader and skid steer spec guides to see their lift capacity.
Some types of buckets include the grapple bucket. These grapples are great for grabbing large, bulkier materials like trees or shrubs. There are also rock buckets, general-purpose buckets, and heavy-duty buckets. Make sure to pick the right one before renting or purchasing.
Backhoe
Much like the dozer attachment, not every project will need the capabilities of a full-sized backhoe. In fact, with a backhoe attachment, compact loaders can fulfill the same job, while only having slightly less power. This is cost-effective and beneficial when working on a site with minimal space.
These earthmoving attachments turn skid steer loaders into powerful pieces of equipment that can complete small-scale landscaping sites, dig septic and sewage systems, and work on power line projects. Often equipped with a mounting system, there's additional support when working at maximum capacity.
Material Handling Attachments
With the right attachment, a skid steer or compact track loader can be great at moving material around the job site.
Pallet Forks
With a pallet fork attachment, a skid steer loader can operate similarly to forklifts or telehandlers, but with lower reach and lift capabilities. Pallet forks are typically about 42 inches long and have a max weight capacity of 3,000 lbs.
Grapples
As mentioned earlier, grapples are much better for moving materials like boulders, logs, and small trees than a regular bucket. Because of the way they are designed, grapple attachments are capable of holding larger materials and transporting them while filtering out any soil and dirt.
Snow Clearing Attachments
Because of their size, skid steers are also great snow removal options when fit with the right accessories.
Snowblower
Great for clearing off sidewalks, driveways, pathways, and parking lots, snowblower attachments have auger teeth capable of breaking down heavy snow and ice. Because of their direction spout, snow can also be aimed in any direction, making it easy to control.
Snow Pusher
Not made for lifting snow, a snow pusher attachment is used primarily for, well, pushing snow. Because of their width and side walls, they are capable of pushing large amounts of snow with very little overflow, allowing operators to clear more snow with fewer passes. Snow pushers are great for clearing driveways, parking lots, and commercial real estate and work on hard terrain. They work best for large quantities of snow.
Snow Blades
Often made with carbon steel, snow blades are an essential tool for light snow removal. They work great in synergy with large machines like wheel loaders or backhoes as these blades don't have much lifting capacity and should be mostly used for pushing. However, you can also have a snow bucket attachment to lift the snow.
Demolition Attachments
The last area of skid steer attachments to cover are demolition attachments.
Hydraulic Breakers and Hammers
Used to break concrete, asphalt, rock, and hard-packed dirt, breakers and hammers are amazing accessories for heavy-duty demolition projects. Whether it's doing road repairs, taking down interior or exterior, or doing flatwork demolition, hydraulic hammers are incredibly powerful. They can also be called rock breakers. In a lot of ways, they are better than jackhammers, not only for their efficiency but also because they are much quieter and easier to control.
Shears
Also called concrete crackers, shear attachments are great for cutting metal or pipe into smaller bits during a demolition project. With powerful jaws, they allow you to cut and transport materials like concrete making taking down metal or concrete infrastructure much easier.
FAQs to Consider When Using Skid Steer Attachments
While this has been an in-depth understanding of what skid steer attachments are the most common, there may be some other questions to consider before renting or purchasing a skid steer attachment.
Are all skid steer attachments interchangeable?
While most manufacturers make their attachments work across all compact track loader and skid steer brands, some limitations exist. This includes whether the machine has high-flow or standard-flow hydraulic skid steer attachment capabilities, the size of the skid steer frame, and the lifting capacity of the machine. It's best to always double-check the machine's brochure to check its capabilities or talk with a sales rep from the company. Alternatively, you can check out our compact track loader and skid steer spec guides.
What attachments can you put on a skid steer?
While this blog covers the most common, there are hundreds of different attachments that you can put on a skid steer or compact track loader. However, most other options will fit under one of the above categories, but with some slightly different features.
What skid steer attachments require high flow?
This depends on the attachment that you're looking to rent or purchase. Not every skid steer is compatible with high-flow attachments. A quick way to tell is to check the gallons-per-minute (gpm) flow of hydraulics in your skid steer. Standard-flow machines will have 17 to 25 gpm while high-flow models have hydraulic flow rates between 30 to 45 gpm. As high-flow skid steer attachments become more prevalent, more attachments are being made with those capabilities. However, it is still possible to find attachments that offer both standard and high-flow compatibility.
What is the best skid steer attachment for grading?
Blades and buckets are typically the best grading attachments. The flat bottom of the attachment makes them the perfect fit.
We hope this blog has answered any questions you have about skid steer and compact track loader attachments. Looking to use a skid steer or compact track loader with an attachment for your next project? Search DOZR.com or call our team of experts for a quote.
