Loaders are some of the most useful machines in the agricultural and construction industries. They help workers accomplish any number of otherwise difficult and unpleasant tasks, and are indispensable to any farm or work site. However, some loaders are better suited to specific tasks than others. The skid steer loader or skid loader is a smaller vehicle with more specialized job lists. Let’s look at how these smaller machines differ from other loaders, and why they’re still just as useful as their larger counterparts.
Smaller, Skidding Footprint
Skid loaders get their name from their unique method of movement. Unlike larger loaders, these machines do not move on wheels, but rather on tracks. These tracks are operated independently of one another, which causes a skidding motion in one direction or another when stopping, slowing down or changing direction.
Originally developed to clear turkey manure from pens, the skid steer loader is well liked by modern users for its versatility. The machine is compatible with a wide variety of attachments, some of which include:
- Pallet forks
- Angle brooms
- Mowers
- Augers
- Stump grinders
- Snow blowers
- Tree spades
- Rippers
- Tillers
- Grapples
- Rollers
- Wheel saws
- Snow and ice blades
- Wood chippers
- Cement mixers
The incredible adaptability of these machines is part of what makes them so popular with consumers, and why retailers often put a great deal of focus on them as part of their inventory.
Just as Important
Skid loaders may be smaller and more specialized, but they are uniquely useful to those who employ them. Boasting the same scooping, bucket-like device and lifting abilities as larger loaders, these machines can turn more tightly and maintain a smaller overall profile, allowing them to work in smaller spaces and do more delicate jobs. All it takes is a trained operator, and these devices can provide service to farmers, construction and landscaping professionals and more. It’s no wonder why skid steer loaders are some of the most popular farming and construction machines on the market today.
