Why a Skid Steer Loader is a most important equipment for your projects?

posted by Sunil Newatia on July 14th, 2022

WHAT IS A SKID STEER?
A skid-steer loader, or skid steer for short, is a small construction vehicle used for a variety of tasks. Skid steers typically include a bucket as the default attachment, but you can outfit them with many different attachments, allowing skid steers to assist with all sorts of construction, municipal and landscaping projects. 

The skid steer gets its name from the way it turns. The angle of the wheels is fixed, so they will only point straight ahead. The wheels on each side of the vehicle are locked in synchronization with each other and have their own drives. This means you can steer each side independently. Because the wheels are fixed, you cannot steer by angling the wheels in a different direction. Instead, you steer by speeding up either the left or right side of the vehicle, causing the wheels to drag — or skid — across the ground as the skid steer turns. This allows you to make zero-degree radius turns, a very helpful feature in tight spaces and when the task calls for precision. 

Why Are Skid Steers a Good Choice for Project Sites?
 
On project sites, you often need to move large amounts of heavy materials that would be dangerous, impractical and or even impossible to manoeuvre with manpower alone. Skid steers assist in transporting these materials by keeping the process safe and convenient

Skids are able to fit into tight spots where other heavy equipment cannot go, which makes them perfect for unique applications like interior demolition.

Small skid steer loaders are used frequently in landscaping and site development. They are also helpful during the building of smaller structures. For example, skid loaders are often used in residential construction because they can fit between houses and pass through gates. Small skid loaders are also used for underground construction.

The skid steer’s relatively compact size also makes it preferable to larger excavators and backhoes when working in more confined spaces. Common skid steer uses include:

1.    Demolition: Skid steers work great for both interior and exterior demolition projects. With demolition shears, your skid steer can help demolish flooring, concrete, drywall and other materials. Because of its compact size and precision, a skid steer is especially valuable for projects in tight spaces, such as when you’re tearing down a house in a neighborhood with other houses nearby.
 

2.  Roadwork: Skid steers can be very helpful road building and maintenance tasks. You can attach a cement-concrete mixer or pavement cold miller to your skid steer and use other attachments for tasks like breaking, grading, paving and patching.
 

3.    Snow and Beach clearing: You can use the bucket attachment on your skid steer to clear snow and other debris. You can also get a snowblower or snow blade attachment if you use your skid steer for serious snow removal. Beach Cleaner attachment is extremely effective tool for keeping the beaches clean
 

4.    Excavating, digging and trenching: A skid steer is great for earthmoving tasks like digging, trenching and excavating. There are a variety of attachments you can use for these tasks, depending on your specific needs. Some examples include a backhoe attachment, auger, trencher and wheel saw. With the right attachment, a skid steer can dig anything from a whole foundation for a building to narrow portholes.
 

5.    Grading and backfilling: You can also fill in holes, level out the ground with a skid steer. You can use a asphalt float, rake attachment or a grading bar when you’re backfilling or levelling. With these attachments, you can also scoop up rocks while you level the ground without leaving big trenches behind. 
 
6.    Loading: Skid steers can help you carry equipment and materials around the job site using a bucket attachment. Forklift and grapple attachments allow you to handle various types of materials.
 
7.    Mowing: You may be surprised to know you can also use a skid steer to mow. With a rotary brush cutter, you can cut down tall grasses and other wild growth and vegetation to efficiently clear an area. You may even be able to cut down some smaller trees. Because skid steers are zero-turn, they offer the precision you need for mowing.
 

8.    Landscaping:  Examples of landscaping tasks you can accomplish with a skid steer are grinding stumps, chipping wood and tilling. You can even use a tiller attachment to help mix in compost or fertilizer into the soil. With a bucket, you can transport materials like gravel or mulch or landscaping tools you would otherwise have to push in a wheelbarrow.
 
9.    Agricultural work: Skid steers can also be highly useful for farm work. You can use them for tilling, augering, mulching and other tasks we’ve already mentioned. Plus, you can use a bucket attachment to clean out barns and stables. You can even purchase a bale attachment to move bales of hay — a task that can otherwise be labour-intensive
 
10.Material handling: Skid steers can also be useful in a warehouse. With a fork attachment, you can move pallets and other materials. If you want a skid steer for lifting materials and placing them in a warehouse, you’ll want to opt for a vertical lift rather than a radial lift option.
 

Skid Steer Attachments for your Projects?
 
You can perform a wide range of tasks with the help of our many attachments. The most commonly used attachments are:

Augers
This popular skid steer attachment makes digging precise holes much easier. Augers can dig deep down into the dirt without damaging the surrounding soil. There are three options available — basic, heavy-duty and extreme duty. The one you choose should depend on factors such as the ground’s condition, the hole size and the hole’s depth.
Auger with Telescopic Arm
Trenchers
Trenchers are useful in the fields of construction, farming and landscaping. This powerful attachment is used to dig narrow, straight trenches at varying depths. Skid steer support trenchers that can dig at least 1000mm deep and 250mm wide. Trenchers are commonly used for drain pipes, utility lines, sprinkler systems and footing.

Standard and 6-in-1 Buckets
Bucket attachments perform various tasks and handle large quantities of loose, light material, including:

  • Snow
  • Mulch
  • Wood chips
  • Rocks
  • Gravel
  • Grain
  • Fertilizer
  • Topsoil
  • Sand

Buckets feature a high back, which can push materials and pile them up for handling. Additionally, the bucket’s high sides can cut into large piles of material to make scooping more efficient. You can use a bucket for many different industries and applications, including industrial work, ranching and hobby farming. With this attachment, you can complete tasks like mulching, planting, landscaping, transporting materials and digging trenches.

Buckets are great for picking up rocks and debris as you sift out dust and dirt, which is possible due to the bucket’s sifting mechanism. Buckets can be used for various jobs including:

  • Land clearing: When the site is being prepared, large rocks need to be separated from the dirt. HD buckets are perfect for this task.
  • Material handling: HD buckets can carry denser materials such as wood and rocks.
  • Grading: When grading, a rock bucket will help you achieve a clean finish by clearing away rocks and debris.
Grapple Buckets
Grapple buckets feature independent grappling to secure uneven loads, such as rock, brush, debris, scrap metal or logs. These attachments are also useful for construction and demolition projects. You can easily use one to clear demolished materials and rocks to prepare the site for your project. Grapple attachments are commonly used in various industries because of their many benefits, including their versatility and easy assembly.

Concrete Mixing Buckets
By attaching a concrete bucket to your skid steer, you can mix and get concrete into harder-to-reach places, which will save you time and money. You’ll also avoid the fatigue of using a wheelbarrow to pour concrete. This concrete bucket also doubles as a mixing bucket. Concrete mixer bucket can mix many materials other than concrete, including animal feed, fertilizer and mulch.

Pallet Fork
A pallet fork attachment allows you to move bagged, bulky or palletized materials easily and quickly. You can also use it for installing structures such as fences. When you set a fence up, the pallet fork can help you carry posts and, when combined with a post digger, you can install the fence quickly. The pallet fork’s lifting height also makes it excellent for performing work on roofing, signs and many other structures.

Cold Milling Planers
Planers skim the very top layer off the ground which makes these tools ideal for road repairs and maintenance. This attachment makes the following activities much easier:

  • Cold Milling: Asphalt / Concrete roads can be milled to a depth of 4-5” for repairs or resurfacing. Planers of upto 1000mm width are available.
  • Rumble Strips: Planers can also be used for making rumple strips on the highways to increase the road safety 
  • Soil Stabilizing: Planers can also be used for breaking and mixing old roads for soil stabilization

Brooms
Also known as a sweeper attachment, brooms are useful for clearing or cleaning the ground. In construction, they’re great for scraping off caked mud from the driveway or road. You can also use them to spread materials across a site evenly.

There are two kinds of brooms available for skid steers — angle and pickup brooms:

  • Angle brooms: The angle brooms we offer are versatile and will move in whichever direction you need them to due to their ability to rotate 30 degrees to the right or left. They also come in 72-, 84- and 96-inch widths, meaning they can accommodate spaces of any size. These attachments are excellent for various locations, including warehouses, machine sheds and parking lots, and they’re often used for removing or containing debris on construction sites.
  • Bucket brooms: Bucket broom attachments are effective at cleaning up, thanks to their cutting edge and bucket. Bucket brooms can also be attached to telehandlers and backhoes. This attachment is valuable in numerous industries, including municipality, construction and landscaping.

WHY CHOOSE A HEMAN SKID STEER?

You should choose a skid steer from a company you can trust. Suretech has been distributing construction equipment since last 3 decades plus and is a leader when it comes to product support. Vert Equipment has been producing innovative, high-quality Heman Skids for decades and are a leader in this segment. HEMAN 175 skid steer models feature cutting-edge technology and features, including:

  • Gear Drive system: HEMAN Patented  drive system is hydrostatic and has each set of wheels on either side connected to an independent drive motor, through a gear train which provides slip free drive to the wheels. The forged gears are hardened for a longer life and are immersed in an oil bath providing continuous lubrication.
  • Superior operator comfort: Heman skid steers come with full glass front and impressive visibility for easy operation. They also offer more room in the cab for the operator and a more comfortable experience inside.
  • Fuel efficiency: HEMAN has great fuel efficiency and consumes only 3-3.5 litres of fuel per hour. Newly launched 72hp models  have minimal emissions and are BS IV compliant. The more efficient your skid steer loader is, the less you’ll have to spend on fuel.
  • Diverse attachments: HEMAN & Suretech have an exhaustive range of attachments, so you can always find the right attachment for the job. These attachments are also easy to change preventing idle time.  
  • Best-in-class durability: HEMAN puts Its machines through rigorous testing to ensure they’re able to withstand harsh conditions and keep functioning effectively. HEMAN skid steers are some of the toughest you’ll find, so with routine maintenance, you can rely on them to perform tirelessly.

Dr.Digger: Your source for the Attachments You Need for Your Skid Steer
 
When you purchase an attachment for your skid steer, you’re investing in your future. At Dr.Digger, we want to be a part of your future by helping your business prosper. When you buy from us, you will enjoy the following unique benefits:

  • Direct-to-buyer pricing: We handle all our products’ sales and shipping, which is why we can offer lower prices.  
  • Long warranty: Our skid steer attachments all come with a one-year warranty — because we want you to have the same confidence in our products that we do.
  • Skid steer specialists: Our team boasts many years of experience in servicing and supporting attachments, and if you need assistance, they are available to speak with you over the phone.

If you have any questions about the attachments we offer or would like some guidance for your next skid steer project, feel free to reach out to us by calling 1800 120 7873
Dr.Digger is ur trusted friend when it comes to advise on use of Excavator and Loader attachments. Call #DrDigger #AttachmentSpecialist since 1990 on 1800 120 7873 sales@suretech.co.in www.suretechinfra.com ​   
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