A skid steer is a versatile piece of equipment and for those who cannot afford a wide array of heavy machinery, may be the only piece that they really need to have. If you are a contractor of any size but are simply starting out, then a skid steer and its assorted attachments can handle the bulk of many of your projects without having to spend the additional money to have machines that may not fill as many needs. The smaller and more agile skid steer can be used in places where a larger excavator may not fit properly. The skid steer can push, carry or load material, depending on which attachment is being used at the time.
Buy used skid loader and attachments and then re-evaluate skid steer mulcher your needs further down the road. If you found yourself needing other machines more often, then you will need to make those purchases, however, if the skid steer turned out to be the right choice, you might want to either upgrade to a newer model or a slightly bigger skid steer. If the used machine is still in great condition and working well, consider adding a wider array of attachments for it instead, allowing it to more than double the return on your investment with its extreme adaptability.
There are several skid loader eBay offers when you start searching for used ones. If you are familiar with some of the name brands, then you will probably know what kind you want to look for. If you are not as familiar with the skid loader than you might want to look at price and features rather than name brands. Some of the best names comes from Bobcat, however skid machine Gehl and Mustang skid machines come highly recommended from many of the contractors who are most familiar with them and use them in their own work every day. Before you make your choice though, make sure that you are comparing the features that are available with each type of machine.
The Case skid steer and Caterpillar skid loader are also good choices and should be considered when you are looking at this type of machine. First, invented in 1957, the skid loader has had a number of improvements that not only make it better to use but safer for the driver as well. With the addition of the fully enclosed cab, for instance, accidents involving the operator and the pivot arm have been greatly reduced. Even with these features, it is still important to make sure that you are paying careful attention when entering or exiting the skid steer.
No matter what type of skid loader you opt for, from the Bobcat to the Caterpillar skid machine and beyond, make sure that you know its limitations as well as where it has its major advantages. Make sure that you are using the right attachment for the right job and never try to modify your equipment to do anything that might make it unsafe or unstable to use.
