Pros & Cons of Skid Steers

Versatility

• Because a skid steer can turn very tightly in a small space and is relatively small in comparison to other types of machinery used for the same tasks, skid steers are very versatile. You can use a skid steer to grade dirt around a newly built home, remove snow from large parking lots, pound posts, clean sidewalks and strip soil. The bucket and various attachments that are available for skid steers make them useful in multiple situations.

Transportation

• Landscaping companies, large and small, use skid steers because the machines are relatively light and can be put on a trailer and towed with a pickup truck rather than a semitruck and trailer. This means that the landscaping companies can transport them in and out of residential neighborhoods and unload and load them using either dovetail, tilt or equipment trailers equipped with ramps.

Steering

• The skid steer turns itself by powering and braking wheels separately. It skids one side of the machine in order to turn it the opposite way. Rather than having a steering wheel, most skid steers have either foot pedals or levers moved back and forth by the hand that guide their path. This gives the skid steer the advantage of being able to turn and work in spaces that are not much bigger than the machine itself.

Limited

• Using a skid steer may not be suitable for large jobs that require material to be hauled more than a very short distance. Because skid steers are meant to operate at slow speeds and in small areas, it may be quicker to employ larger equipment such as an excavator and dump truck if you need to load and move material more than a few hundred feet.