Take a Look at Some Unique Manufacturers in the Mini Skid Steer Market
Over the past few years, we’ve seen the mini skid steer market surge with new models from established manufacturers and complete product lines from new entrants being announced left and right. Brands like Toro, Ditch Witch and Vermeer have continued to build and refine their lineups while companies like Wacker Neuson, Case and more have made their way into this exciting machine category.
While we’ve tried our best to keep up with all the mini skid steers available, sometimes we can’t cover them all … or can we? Over the next few spreads, we highlight six mini skid steer brands that we haven’t shared in the pages of Compact Equipment before. Some have been around for a while and others have recently entered the market. Either way, learn about these companies, their machines and their contributions to this growing market.
Barreto
Barreto opened for business over four decades ago with a single tiller and has since grown to include a variety of equipment such as trenchers, concrete dumpers and more. The company first entered the mini skid steer market in 2020 with the introduction of the 825TKL. Barreto built the 825TKL with a cab-over design in response to growing customer requests for a unit that offered durability, reliability and easier maintenance. Sarah Barreto, a marketing professional for Barreto, says the unique cab-over design allows for easy, quick access to internal components and saves immense amounts of time in the shop.
Fast forward to 2025 and Barreto has introduced its newest mini skid steer — the 1025TKL. This new model, which replaces the now discontinued 825TKL, offers the same cab-over design and robust hydraulics as its predecessor with an additional 300 lbs of counterbalance weight for added stability. Other features of the 1025TKL include a cup holder and improved dashboard.
“Beyond the one-of-a-kind cab-over design, the unit features our innovative track design that minimizes de-tracking in the field,” says Barreto. “The unique shape, tensioning and articulating rollers of our TKL easily absorb impact and hydraulically tension the tracks to prevent de-tracking in challenging conditions. It features a universal attachment plate and both high- and low-flow hydraulic options, making it a limitless asset to any fleet.”
Safety was also a priority when designing the 1025TKL. For example, Barreto designed the unit with two safety features — a tip-over sensor and operator presence switch — to help save customers in the short and long term. The tip-over sensor on the 1025TKL locks the machine and prevents engine damage should a tip-over occur. Barreto explains that users must follow the unlocking procedure before the machine can safely resume work. The operator presence switch senses when an operator steps off the machine and disengages the drive controls for safety.
“The 1025TKL is performing beautifully on jobsites across the country,” says Barreto. “Our customers love its versatility, and its dependability makes it a stand-out addition to jobsites. It is backed by the classic durability and style that define Barreto products, and it can accept any universal attachment — eliminating the limitations of brand-specific attachments.”
Speaking of attachments, the 1025TKL can accept both high- and low-flow hydraulic tools as well as standard implements like buckets and forks. Barreto says popular choices for operators include buckets, pallet forks, augers, trenchers, tillers, 4-in-1 buckets, log grapples, power rakes and mowers.
Baumalight
Baumalight’s path to the mini skid steer market began after repeated requests from its reps and dealers to develop its own line of machines. The company started in 1999 manufacturing attachments for full-size skid steers, tractors and excavators. It eventually added mini skid steer attachments to its portfolio. After hearing the demands of its clientele, Baumalight began the development of its mini skid steer program in 2016, and the first models were released in 2020.
There are currently six models in Baumalight’s mini skid steer line with machines falling into three weight classes. The WRL58G is the company’s smallest model. Powered by a 22-hp gas-powered Honda engine, this wheeled model can travel around a jobsite at nearly 5 mph. The 36-in.-wide TRL536 is a tracked unit made to access confined spaces. It features a 24.8-hp Kubota diesel engine, 5.5-mph travel speed and lift capacity of 1,500 lbs. Ryan Brooks, coordinator at Baumalight, says its TRL620 and TRL630 are among the company’s most popular machines. These 24-hp mini skid steers are diesel powered and available with either Kubota or Yanmar engines. They have 40-liter fuel tanks, lift capacities of 1,700 lbs and weigh 3,000 to 3,300 lbs.
“The TRL620 tracked units have been the most popular to date,” says Brooks. “They have the strength and stability to handle most any job and will run all of our various mini skid steer attachments. That said, with the addition of the TRL630 two-speed models to the lineup, we are seeing them beginning to overtake that popularity.”
Brooks explains that while Baumalight has worked hard to strike a balance between unit weight and lifting capacity in its larger units, the real standout has been their groundspeed feature. The company developed an industry-leading, two-speed feature which is now a standard feature on the TRL630.
“This feature gives low-speed, high-torque performance that will not bottom out or stall,” says Brooks. “Then when moving on, the high gear can be used, giving an impressive speed of almost 5.6 mph.”
As an attachment manufacturer, it’s no surprise Baumalight offers plenty of tools for its mini skid steers (which all have a universal mounting plate), including various buckets, forks, grapples, augers, flail mowers and more. Looking to the future, Brooks says the company is developing a larger 40-hp tracked unit and plans to release an electric mini skid steer and remote-control option soon.
Scag Power Equipment
For more than 40 years, Scag Power Equipment has been manufacturing commercial and residential lawn mowers, debris and turf management and compact construction equipment. In June 2024, the company unveiled its Jackal stand-on mini track loaders after numerous customer requests to enter the market.
“Customers asked for it, so we delivered,” says Tom Oechsner, senior brand manager, Scag Power Equipment/Bluebird Turf. “We heard requests from Scag mower users who wanted to proudly load more ‘Cat’s Eye Gold’ [Scag’s color] on their trailers, rather than having to round out their landscaping fleets with another color of less quality.”
The Jackal line includes six models bearing the Scag name and colors. Another unit — the Bluebird Turf Jackal V-Rap — is expected to hit the market in late 2025/early 2026. This model is primarily targeted at rental stores who already offer Bluebird Turf products.
When examining the Jackal product lineup, Oechsner says the versatility of these machines allows landscapers to increase their service offerings, as well as their productivity and profitability. He adds that the Jackal provides ultra-smooth operation, easy maintenance and features such as easy-change track swapping capability between narrow (7-in.) and wide (9-in.) tracks. While the line excels at traditional landscaping and light construction jobs, Oechsner points out that Scag has seen first-hand how beneficial the machine is in disaster recovery situations.
“Our customers and dealers across the country have used our products to help clean up after hurricanes, floods and tornadoes,” he says. “In fact, our hometown of Mayville, Wisconsin, was struck by a tornado just a few months ago in May 2025. In the days after, a number of our employees took Scag Jackals equipped with grapple buckets by Metalcraft of Mayville out into the community to help clean up downed trees and other debris in much less time and more safely than doing so by hand and with much less turf and ground disturbance than larger machines.”
For added versatility, Scag’s parent company, Metalcraft of Mayville, has introduced a line of high-quality, universal-fit mini skid steer buckets and attachments. The lineup offers operators several bucket options for different worksite applications, as well as a grapple bucket, a rock grapple bucket and pallet forks. Oechsner notes that additional attachments are on the way soon, including a trencher, concrete breaker and more.
Boxer Equipment
Boxer Equipment had been successfully manufacturing mini skid steers for years when Morbark acquired the company in late 2012. Founded in 1957, Morbark designs and builds equipment for the forestry, recycling, sawmill, bio-energy and tree care markets. Today, Boxer’s line includes four mini skid steer models — the 700HDX, 600HD, 385D and 375. These machines fit into the market well by offering crews a compact design that’s easily maneuverable with 360-degree visibility. Boxer mini skid steers excel in a wide range of applications, including tree care, landscaping, construction, agriculture and snow removal.
“Each machine is designed with operator comfort and jobsite efficiency in mind, featuring a spring-loaded platform for smoother travel over rough terrain, a two-button pressure relief block for hassle-free hydraulic attachment changes and a universal attachment plate for maximum versatility,” says Matthew Valentine, director of tree care products for Morbark. “These features make our lineup ideal for a wide range of applications and help operators work more efficiently across various job conditions.”
Another advantage of Boxer mini skid steers is quick attachment changes, which make the machines highly versatile across a variety of tasks. The company supplies more than 50 attachments for these units, including popular choices like a bucket, trencher, auger, grapple, rototiller, pallet forks and stump grinder. When looking at the line as a whole, Valentine says Boxer’s most preferred model is the 700HDX. It is favored by customers for its combination of power, versatility and smart design.
“The 700HDX boasts the largest operating capacity in our lineup, making it ideal for heavier-duty tasks,” he says. “One of its standout features is the hydraulically expandable track system, which allows operators to extend the tracks for enhanced stability during operation, then retract them to navigate through tight spaces, such as standard 36-in. gates, without sacrificing performance.”
Dixie Chopper
In 1980, Dixie Chopper released the first zero-turn lawn mowers made specifically for commercial mowing contractors. In 2023, the company hopped into the mini skid steer market with its Talon M/S 700HPX. This mini skid steer provides operators with even more flexibility thanks to its expandable tracks.
“This feature gives operators the ability to contract the tracks to a narrow 34.5-in. wide stance to fit through gates, doorways and other tight spaces,” says Eli Kean, marketing manager for Dixie Chopper. “When appropriate, the operator can expand the tracks to 43.5 in. wide for greater stability. The expandable tracks on the Talon M/S appeal to buyers who need a narrow track width on occasion but don’t want to buy or rent a mini skid steer for specific jobs that require it.”
The versatile Talon M/S 700HPX complements the mini skid steer market well as a machine that can perform many jobs in varied industries. Kean notes that while material moving is an obvious application for the Talon M/S 700HPX, the company offers a diverse range of attachments that open opportunities for commercial landscapers, forestry workers, construction and more. These attachments include a bucket as standard equipment, as well as a grapple, pallet forks, rotary broom, trencher and augers of various sizes.
FirstGreen Industries
Since day one, FirstGreen Industries has made it its mission to develop all-electric machines to serve customers on a variety of sites. This has led to an exciting portfolio that includes all-electric mini skid steers and full-size models. Launched in 2019, FirstGreen’s flagship product — the MiniZ 400 — made its debut and delivered an ideal solution for those working in demolition, interior construction, maintenance, recycling, under conveyor belts and landscaping operations. The company has since added another mini skid steer, the Walleat 400, to its line this year.
“We decided to build products from the ground up to be all-electric,” says Marcus Suess, COO of FirstGreen Industries. “All-electric, remote-controlled machines create the safest of environments for operators. We realized that other companies were converting diesel equipment to electric, and this led to inefficiencies in design and operation. The machines with previous diesel engines were too wide for standard applications, so our designs allow the machines to fit through a standard 32-in. doorway.”
The 31-in. wide MiniZ 400 is a remote control operated small tracked loader that boasts a 900-lb lift capacity and a dumping height of more than 7 ft. The remote-controlled Walleat 400 has a 660-lb lift capacity and stands at 27.5 in. — maintaining a small profile in tight spaces. Both the MiniZ 400 and Walleat 400 come with GPS and several battery options that offer a range of run times exceeding eight hours. These models charge on a 110v outlet and require no diesel costs. They have standard hydraulics and are compatible with Bobcat and Toro attachments. Suess says that FirstGreen’s customers primarily use grapple buckets, pallet forks, hammers, brooms and augers. He also notes that he expects the use of electric mini skid steers to increase.
“We see the market expanding quite dramatically,” says Suess. “Since our equipment is all-electric and very safe to run, it works in many ways to satisfy a wide range of uses. It can do anything the traditional mini loader has done and much more.”
Pam Kleineke is managing editor of Compact Equipment.
