Skid steer loaders are utilized for a wide variety of applications based on the fact it is an extremely versatile heavy machine that not just lightweight, but also easy to manoeuvre. The versatility of the machine and its ability to perform a wide variety of tasks is directly attributed to the range of hydraulic attachments that these machines are able to accommodate based on the type of application.
Most skid steers at construction sites are fitted with hydraulic arms that are able to use a series of tools for ranging from landscaping functions to digging, trenching, drilling and demolishing among others. In essence the skid loader is a small heavy machine that is deemed as a labour-saving cost-effective machine and is easily available from construction equipment rental companies that offer machines such as skid steer loaders for hire for as little as $170 a day (prices vary according to models).
Skid steers are often used as substitutes for excavator hire machinery or backhoes for a variety of tasks including digging holes such as ramps that lead to the very edge of excavated sites. The ramps are usually critical towards removing earth and other material from excavated sites.
Skid steers are used to reshape the ramp rendering it longer and deeper as the excavation progresses under structure (largely due to the fact that overhead clearance is too low for booms of large excavators to pass through). Some skid steers are attached with backhoe extensions which are useful when digging in small areas. Other general uses of skid steers include moving various types of materials around job sites and they are sometimes even used for grading.
The modern skid steer is an effective and efficient heavy machine that is of low maintenance, low fuel consumption and high productivity. The general rigid structure and design of the skid steer allows the machine to perform some of the toughest tasks in very tight spaces that most other machines are not capable of.
Modern skid steers that are for hire sport engines that comply with Tier 4 emissions standards and the latest models come with quick-hitch systems that allow faster tool attachment and bucket changes which reduces downtime significantly.
These newer systems are designed in a way that during attachment change-overs the possibility of hydraulic oil leakage is significantly lesser. New cab forward designs permit operators to see the edge of buckets or attachments which eliminates the need for the operator to lean forward or stretch about which is a critical element within the scope of safety and efficient operations as this design increases visibility in all directions.
New designs also sport larger side windows enhancing visibility more than ever and coupled with the latest ‘smart’ technologies in the form of on-board computers that assist operator to grade and sensors that indicate breakout force and weight of loads, these machines easily outperform most other construction site machines.
Even the latest hybrid skid steer loaders are available for hire from most heavy equipment construction companies and the fact that they emit low noise levels render them as the perfect machines for urban home improvement projects.
Nevertheless, it is always advised that prior to hiring heavy machines such as skid steers, it is best to plan a schedule and mark the days that the machine will be used the most in order to ensure cost effectiveness. This is simply based on the fact that if the skid steer is left idling and unused when it is on rental it may result in lower profit.