Machine Heads Video: Your Skid Steer or CTL Is a Multi-Tool — Are You Using It Like One?

Welcome back to the Machine Heads video series! In this video, we take a deep dive into skid steer and compact track loader attachments.

Skid steers and compact track loaders rule the roost of the construction equipment market thanks to their unbeatable combination of maneuverability, power and ever-more versatile tool carrier support. Despite this, not everyone is using these machines to their full potential. So, we decided to look at the essential tools everyone should have (Spoiler: buckets and pallet forks reign supreme) as well as must-have, money-making attachments for three distinct types of businesses. Let’s dig in…

(Note: this is a brief summary, check out the video for all the best info.)

Owner-Operators and Landscapers

We chat about must-have SSL/CTL attachments for owner-operators and landscapers. Beyond buckets and forks, solo owner-operators may want to consider an auger. It’s one of the most versatile tools you can add to your fleet and one of the fastest ways to expand the types of jobs you can take on.

A soil conditioner is very efficient at prepping a site. For example, a good soil conditioner lets you go over an area, pull out rocks and debris, level out high spots, fill in low spots, even create some drainage swales if you need them, and you end up with a finished product that’s better than what a bucket is going to give you, in a fraction of the time.

On the seasonal side of things, a higher-capacity snow bucket is going to move more snow on each pass. Add a snow pusher or a snowblower to the mix and you’ve got a much more competitive snow removal operation without a massive investment.

Small-to-Medium Contractors Looking to Scale

If you’re running a site prep or dirt work operation and you’re looking to grow, the right attachment strategy involves expanding which jobs you can bid on. Want to take on land clearing and vegetation management jobs? Consider mulching heads, rotary cutters and stump shredders.

We also explore grading technology. Do you need a fully integrated 3D smart grade system on your CTL? Or does a capable 2D solution fit the bill? We explore that in the video above.

Another solution to consider is the cold planer. It’s a niche attachment, but it does one job extremely well and there’s really not a good substitute for it. It’s not an attachment for everyone, but for the right contractor, it can be a door opener to a whole new revenue stream.

Farmers and Rural Property Owners

If you’re in the ag or land management space, there’s a good chance you’ve already got a tractor with implements. However, your CTL or skid steer wins on maneuverability, power and versatility in tight spaces, buildings and higher-demand attachment applications.

With that in mind, let’s talk specific attachments.

Grapples are probably the most universally useful attachment for farm and property management work, and they’re one of the most under-appreciated. Getting the right grapple for the job makes a huge difference in how efficient your day actually is. Options can include:

• A claw grapple or root grapple is what you want for picking up logs, brush and debris during land clearing.
• A manure grapple is built for barn cleanout and livestock management.

Bale spears are another big one if you’re feeding livestock, especially through winter months when you’re moving a lot of hay.

Augers are ideal for anyone with fencing or tree planting needs an auger is a game changer.

If you need to run water or utility lines across your property, consider a trencher. It’s not something you’ll use every day, but when you need it, nothing else comes close.

Then there’s the land clearing and maintenance side of things. For that, a mulching head or a rotary cutter is where you’ll get the most dramatic results.