What is a Skid Steer?

If you've ever visited a job site, the chances are good you've seen a skid steer. A skid steer is a large piece of heavy equipment, and smaller versions are sometimes called a Bobcat or a frontloader. They're job site workhorses!

Featuring wheels or tracks and a fully or semi-enclosed seating area, a Bobcat has arms that lift on each side. The compacted size makes it ideal for use in smaller projects. The ability to fit it with augers or sawtooth buckets extends functionality to handle various construction or demolition tasks.

Bobcats offer a flexible solution for lifting, bulldozing, digging, grading, and moving various materials due to their condensed size and maneuvering abilities. Hydraulic arms empower these machines with a lifting capacity that ranges between 1,200 to 2,700 pounds.

Tackle Tough Projects With Ease

When you have a challenging project to tackle, whether it includes dirt work, demolition, brush removal, land clearing, construction, landscaping, or relocating large debris, you can depend on a skid steer to get the job done.

While wheeled and continual track skid steers are quite similar, each type is better suited for particular tasks. For example, wheeled skid steers perform best on even ground, finished concrete, and hard terrains.

Tracked skid steers are better suited for working in rugged terrains, including hills, slopes, and areas with a significant number of mature trees or overgrowth. These machines can adeptly navigate through snow, ice, mud, and sand.

For these reasons, it's wise to choose the type of skid steel that's best suited for your tasks at hand.

If you anticipate a muddy or messy project, a tracked skid steer helps you operate efficiency, since wheeled Bobcats have a higher chance of getting stuck in the mud, causing undue stress and the potential for delays.

The Skid Steer History

While Bobcat's brand name often comes to mind when talking about skid steer loaders, other generic names they go by include a compact track or compact wheel loader.

First invented in 1957 by Cyril and Louis Keller, the skid steer had humble beginnings as a three-wheeled loader. Used as farm machinery by a local turkey farmer, this modest piece of machinery has significantly evolved to meet today's society's changing needs.

How To Get A Skid Steer For Your Projects

These days, people have the option to purchase, lease, or rent skid steers for their project needs.

Another option for "one-off" or "one-time" projects is hiring a contractor to complete the work. By doing so, you leave all the details to professionals without the enormous overhead and investment expenses.

Regardless of what you decide is the best solution for your land clearing, brush removal, and dirt work needs, you needn't look further than a powerful skid steer to get the job done.