Guide to Different Skid Steer Attachments

Skid steer loaders are powerful, multifunctional machines that are essential for various applications in the construction industry. From digging and land clearing to transporting materials around jobsites, they help keep operations smooth and efficient. One of the key reasons for their versatility lies in the wide range of equipment attachments available for projects.

To maximize your equipment’s potential, explore different types of skid steer attachments and their functions. We walk you through attachments such as skid steer buckets, augers, brush cutters and more to help boost your equipment’s flexibility.

8 Types of Skid Steer Attachments and Their Uses

Understanding the various attachments you can use can make your skid steer loader more adaptable to new jobs. All skid steer attachments are not the same. Instead, they vary according to their features and applications, allowing operators to perform more specialized construction activities. 

Below are 8 different attachments and how they are used to maximize your skid steer’s capabilities.

1. Buckets

Skid steer buckets are mainly used to scoop the ground and move materials for site clearing. Depending on the focus of your project, you can choose from different bucket designs to enhance your equipment’s performance. For example, buckets with teeth are more suitable for digging hard and compacted soil.

The following are other practical skid steer bucket attachments:

• Low profile: A low design enhances operator visibility and provides closer contact to the ground. It can operate in narrow spaces and is ideal for excavation.
• Track duty: If you need a more durable bucket, track-duty buckets are designed with durable steel for more demanding and harsh conditions.
• Grapple bucket: Ideal for site clearing, you can use grapple bucket attachments to remove rocks, large debris and small trees with enhanced precision.

2. Augers

Augers are special skid steer loader attachments for drilling, featuring a rotating spiral blade that bores holes into the ground. Compared to manual digging, augers significantly decrease drilling time to create precisely sized holes. These are suitable for construction projects that require the installation of utility poles, fences, plumbing pipes and other similar structures.

Besides standard augers, you can select auger drill bits for specific applications, such as:

• Posts: This auger drill bit is designed to drill holes for smaller, narrower posts. 
• Rocky surfaces: If you’re drilling a harder surface, such as asphalt or rocky, compacted ground, choose a powerful rock auger drill bit.
• Holes for large trees: For projects that require replanting a tree, use a tree planting auger drill bit to dig a large hole that can accommodate wide roots. 

3. Trenchers

Skid steer attachments that dig long, narrow excavations on the ground are called trenchers. They have a moving chain and toothed mechanism that digs through soil, sand, rocks and frozen ground. 

Trenchers allow the operator to dig channels for power cables, drainage systems and irrigation pipes. They enable construction teams to quickly dig trenches and install vital utilities in jobsites. Trenchers are also available in various depth sizes and tooth designs, including industrial-strength chains with powerful hydraulic motors or carbide teeth for harder surfaces.

4. Brush Cutters

Another attachment used for land clearing is brush cutters designed with rotary blades and a cutting deck for cutting thick bushes, tall grass and small trees. They clear and manage areas with unruly overgrowth, improving visibility, access and safety for construction personnel across jobsites. Removing overgrowth also reduces fire hazards associated with dry grass during hot weather. Brush cutters are useful for reclaiming neglected landscapes, maintaining grounds and clearing roadside vegetation. 

Construction professionals can select open or closed front deck cutter styles for different purposes:

• Closed front deck: This provides a consistent cut and is suitable for clearing undergrowth, weeds and bushes that are not too high. The closed front deck also keeps the shredded grass, leaves and debris from escaping.
• Open front deck: For taller and thicker overgrowth, open front deck brush cutters are ideal for roughly cutting stumps and small trees. They usually come with a larger motor than a closed front deck to tackle larger materials.

5. Brooms

Brooms are skid steer loader attachments designed to enhance surface cleaning by sweeping and removing debris at construction sites. These attachments feature a rotating cylindrical brush powered by the skid steer’s hydraulic system, allowing for a swift and thorough cleanup of dirt, gravel and other materials. Skid steer brooms or sweepers are also suitable for clearing debris on roadways and parking lots, improving safety and efficiency for workers and pedestrians. 

The three main skid steer brooms include the following:

• Angle broom: Suitable for sweeping large areas such as streets and parking lots, angle brooms are highly adjustable and can be angled in your preferred direction. 
• Utility broom: Ideal for cleaning construction debris, utility brooms are high-power attachments that can sweep gravel surfaces and tackle challenging cleanups.
• Pickup broom: This type of broom sweeps, picks up debris and stores it for convenient disposal. Utility brooms may also include a dust suppression feature to reduce dust while cleaning. 

6. Backhoes

A heavy-duty backhoe attachment is a practical tool that transforms your skid steer loader into powerful digging equipment. This attachment consists of a bucket mounted on an articulating arm, which uses hydraulic power, allowing the skid steer to handle excavations performed by larger backhoe loaders. 

Backhoe attachments offer a compact solution for urban construction, where space limitations often prevent the use of larger equipment. Adding a backhoe to your collection of skid steer attachments maximizes your equipment’s capability while avoiding additional costs on a separate backhoe loader. Depending on the excavation task, you can choose from different backhoe attachments, such as:

• General purpose buckets: These backhoe attachments are generally wider and used for digging and transporting materials.
• Fixed buckets: A stable and reliable option, fixed bucket backhoe options have fewer moving parts for consistent performance.
• Stiff arms: For increased digging power, select a stiff-arm backhoe option with less movement and reach.
• Swing arms: If you need improved reach and flexibility, consider a swing arm backhoe option with less digging force. 
• Ditch arms: This is a narrow backhoe bucket option that’s ideal for digging trenches. 

7. Cold Planers

Skid steer cold planers are attachments used for road construction and maintenance. They use picks to remove paving material, such as tapering road edges, stripping paint lines on roads and cutting drainage channels around parking lots. They efficiently remove specific layers of asphalt, concrete and other paving materials, preparing the ground for resurfacing. 

Depending on a project’s needs, construction professionals can choose cold planers that mill paving material at varying depths and widths. They also come in low-flow, high-flow and severe-duty options that suit various workloads. These attachments are flexible and can work in tight spaces that larger equipment cannot reach. 

8. Snow Pushers

Snow pushers are specially designed skid steer attachments that clear away snow from driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and roads. They feature a broad, adjustable blade that pushes snow aside with ease, enhancing the efficiency of snow removal during winter operations. 

This attachment may also include a “trip edge system” to protect the skid steer from obstructions, such as maintenance hole covers and large rocks while pushing snow. Snow pushers significantly reduce manual snow removal and maintain safe, accessible paths for workers at jobsites and pedestrians in public areas.

Choose Top-Quality Skid Steer Attachments From Groff Tractor & Equipment

Maximize the versatility and efficiency of your skid steer by choosing the right attachment for your projects. Purchase first-class skid steer loader attachments from Groff Tractor & Equipment, your No. 1 source for everything under construction. We offer first-class skid steer attachments, including heavy-duty scrap grapple attachments for site cleanup. Trust us for all your equipment needs — we carry a variety of equipment and attachments from the most widely respected brands.

Groff Tractor & Equipment is a full-line construction equipment dealer that’s been serving Pennsylvania since 1958. Whether you’re looking for new or used heavy equipment, quality parts, or equipment rental, we’ve got your back. We also have certified technicians who provide expert heavy equipment maintenance and repair services to keep your operations running smoothly.

Browse our durable equipment attachment brands to find the perfect solution for your needs, or contact us online today for assistance in selecting the right skid steer attachment for your project.