By Chris Thompson, Ditch Witch Product Manager of Compact Equipment
The skid steer loader concept, introduced in the 1950s for working on farms, has evolved into a versatile, multipurpose piece of equipment that is a common sight on landscape, hardscape and irrigation jobsites. Today, mini skid steer machines are commonly used to move and load soil, gravel and other materials but, with interchangeable attachments, can also handle a variety of construction tasks including trenching, plowing, backfilling, making short bores, and site restoration.
Typically, most users of these machines equip them with one of several loader bucket options and attachments to meet their specific needs. For example, a Minnesota utility contractor has multiple uses for his mini skid steer using a variety of attachments. The machine’s small footprint allows the company to work in backyards, on narrow easements, inside buildings and other areas where larger, dedicated machines can’t go. Each of their units has its own trailer and basic attachments, always ready for any job.
A Texas contractor describes his mini skid steer as one of the keys to successfully launching his landscaping business. On typical jobs, the rugged machine is used for site preparation, including light grading, moving material around jobsites, digging fence and post holes, and trenching for installation of pipe for irrigation systems.
A New Jersey firm that installs septic tanks uses the machine for ground restoration, stockpiling fill dirt and to regrade areas disturbed during septic work using a rake attachment. The company’s owner said the rake provides near perfect restoration without the need to purchase screened topsoil and eliminates hand raking, which greatly reduces time and frees workers for other tasks.
As you can see, more and more equipment buyers are recognizing the value of the mini skid steer with multiple attachments that enable one machine to do several jobs. The latest additions to the Ditch Witch mini skid steer fleet, the SK600 and SK1050, incorporate a number of improvements that add to the productivity and versatility of these machines. New improvements include boosted power, eased maintenance and enhanced operator comfortability, generated from direct customer input.
For more information on the Ditch Witch family of mini skid steers, visit https://www.ditchwitch.com/mini-skid-steer.
