It's exactly six decades since the first version of the skid steer loader was invented by the two brothers, Cyril and Louis Keller, to help clean out manure from a turkey barn.
Since then, the skid steer has evolved to become one of the most used equipment by landscapers. With a host of attachments, the lightweight, compact heavy equipment vehicle can handle a long list of landscaping jobs.
Here are five reasons why landscapers find the skid steer a great piece of equipment for their day-to-day jobs.
- Easy To Navigate Through Tight Pathways
For many landscaping jobs, you’d need to navigate through tight pathways and, often, obstructions that half the time you’ll be trying to get your way past. To make work a lot easier, landscaping equipment like a skid steer is what you need to get through the job quickly.
Besides being compact, nearly all small skid steers are lightweight and therefore easy and cheaper to transport to the site.
Some like the John Deere G-Series can be slimmed down by choosing the wheels instead of the rubber tracks.
- They Offer A 360-Degree Unobstructed View
Compared to larger utility loaders, most mini-skid steers have a much better 360-degree visibility. And because there are a lot of obstacles in a landscaping site, being able to see what is behind you is critical. Worst case scenario, a pet or a child could be passing behind you or right in front of you.
Even better is that most newer mini-skid steers designs like the Bobcat S76 skid-steer loader come with a rearview camera to assist with rear viewing. Some come with the option to integrate the rearview camera and a display monitor.
- Fuel Efficiency
Newer compact skid steers are designed with greater fuel efficiency and produce fewer carbon emissions. And the more fuel-efficient the landscaping equipment is, the less money you need to spend on fuel. This makes it an excellent option for landscapers who mainly serve the residential market.
- It Can Be Used For Multiple Landscaping Tasks
Small skid steers are incredibly versatile and can handle a variety of landscaping tasks, from grading and filling holes, lawn seeding, digging holes, installing fence posts, and planting new trees to even mowing the land with the rotary brush cutter and clearing out trees, stumps, and other stuff from the site.
In addition, the compact skid steer can be used for transporting materials from point A to B within the site. Of course, when paired with the right attachments like the grapples, forks, and brush. And with the right tires for your compact skid steer, you can haul just about anything from sods, pallets, plants to discarded materials without getting worried about being stuck in the soft soil.
A small skid steer can also be helpful in landscaping jobs that will require you to tear down some structures that may not necessarily be big. And primarily where the structures are located in hard-to-reach sections of the yard or are close to other houses.
- Minimal Ground Pressure
Because of their smaller ground clearance, they exert very minimal pressure on the ground and, therefore, hardly cause any damage to the sidewalks, paving stones, and even established turf. This is perhaps one of the top reasons why landscapers and homeowners alike prefer to get a small skid steer than large equipment for landscaping, perhaps because they know how to choose the right heavy equipment for the job.
With its compact size, versatile nature because of the many attachments, and lightweight design, there isn't a task you cannot accomplish with the compact skid steer- even the more difficult tasks. It's a great addition to your must-have equipment for landscaping as it cuts costs and improves efficiency.
Unless you handle plenty of major landscaping overhauls and expansive jobs, you can easily replace your larger equipment with just a single small skid steer. You just need to invest in several attachments.
About Author
Dustin Johnson is the marketing manager of FortisHD and an enthusiast in construction and heavy equipment. Construction has been an integral part of his life, and he is proud to be able to continue to build his future in such an exciting industry. Throughout his career, he has been fortunate enough to be involved with many engaging projects and is appreciated and valued for his works with the contracting team.
