An Overview of Renting a Skid Steer
Skid steers - also called skid steer loaders or compact track loaders - are one of the most commonly rented machines in the construction industry. They are an iconic machine on any project - easily recognizable with its compact body and caged cab. Many people refer to skid steers as Bobcats. Bobcat is a popular and highly renowned manufacturer of the machine - but not the only one. The same way people call all tissues Kleenex, all skid steers are often called Bobcats even if they’re made by CASE, CAT or other manufacturers.
Benefits of Renting a Skid Steer
Skid steer rentals can save projects time and labour. Because they come in a range of sizes and engine powers, skid steer rentals can accommodate all sorts of projects. Another key piece of what makes this machine so diverse is the wide variety of attachments available for it. Skid loaders can be rented with sawtooth buckets, sweepers, mowers or even auger attachments.
Skid steer rentals are capable of assisting on projects such as:
- Moving Earth - dig, trench and excavate materials like gravel, stone or mulch
- Trenching - can use a variety of digging attachment options like the backhoe, trench-digger, and auger
- Ground Levelling/Back-Filling - fill holes and level ground with buckets, sweepers or other attachments
- Post-Hole Digging - the auger is a great attachment for skid steers to dig post holes or to drill any type of hole in the ground
- Demolition - available with both wheels and tracks, a skid steer is great for large demolition projects but also for interior and smaller demo projects such as taking down a single wall or an old shed
- Construction & Roadwork - from moving materials to relocating excess dirt and debris, skid steers are a staple on construction sites for a reason
- Heavy Lifting - dig, move and dump buckets of materials into dump trucks, pickup trucks or garbage bins with this machine to ease the burden of heavy lifting
Popular Sizes of Skid Steer Rentals
A skid steer rental has a lifting capacity that ranges from 1,250 lbs to 2,700 lbs, making them convenient for construction sites, landscaping projects and excavation jobs. Sizes of skid steers available for rent range from small landscape-friendly walk behind skid steers all the way up to 3,400 lbs machines. The best size of skid steer to rent depends on your project needs.
It’s also important to consider if a tracked or wheeled skid steer is a better fit for your job. If the ground is uneven, sloped or if the terrain is tough to maneuver on, a tracked skid steer rental would be best suited. Operating on even ground, concrete or harder terrain calls for wheeled skid steer rentals. Wheeled loaders typically cost less to rent.
There are many popular makes and models of skid steers and the history of this machine is very unique. You can explore the full story of the skid steer in our article all about this incredible machine.
What’s the Difference Between a Bobcat and a Skid Steer?
There is no difference between a Bobcat and a skid steer. Bobcat is a popular manufacturer of this machine. However, many other manufacturers including CASE, New Holland, Caterpillar and John Deere make the same type of machine. If you’d like to rent a Bobcat brand name specifically, you can absolutely do so.
Why Rent a Skid Steer for Snow Removal?
Skid steers are not only popular machines for spring and summer construction projects. They are popular and powerful snow removal machines, too. With bucket, plow and sweeper attachments skid steers are great for removing snow from smaller lots, sidewalks or hard-to-maneuver corners. Available with wheels instead of tracks, skid steers are being appreciated in snow removal more and more every year.
Where can I find a Skid Steer Rental near me?
Skid loader rentals are available for the construction industry, landscape project or small household job. Renting this machine can help offset costs by providing a multi-use machine. It’s compact size means it uses less fuel and can reach those tight spaces that other machines can’t. Prices may fluctuate based on location, dealers, and size of the equipment heavy rental needed. However, skid steers are available for daily, weekly or 4-week rentals meaning that you can rent this machine for exactly as long as you need it.
If you’re looking for performance and versatility, a skid steer rental is the way to go. Start by comparing prices and viewing available machines including walk behind skid steer rental, mini skid steer rental and more on DOZR.
