You might know all about skid steers already: how they’re a compact, four-wheeled, engine-powered machine that uses mechanical arms to carry out general earthworks services, and that, available with a variety of tools and attachments, they’re a great way to ease labour-intensive workloads on a project site.

However, did you also know that using a skid steer on your project will save you time and money as well? If you know what a skid steer can do but don’t know what it can do for you, here are just a few of the project benefits you can expect by hiring a skid steer for your site:

A diverse range of attachments

Skid steers are some of the most popular pieces of equipment used for earthworks services for a reason, and that’s because even though they’re small, they can be fitted with some serious attachments in place of their stock bucket. These attachments can include:

• Pallet forks
• Road profilers
• Slashers
• Rotary axes
• Cement mixing bowls
• Rock buckets
• Augers
• Trenchers
• Sweepers
• Stump grinder, and many more! 

This means that, effectively, skid steers can be equipped with any attachment you need for your earthworks requirements, allowing them to be versatile across multiple areas of project work. As a result, you’ll be able to reduce the cost of hiring another machine for specific earthworks needs.

All-round efficiency in wet or dry hire conditions

Skid steer hire can come in either wet or dry hire options and each can still be beneficial for very different reasons, so which one is best for you? That largely depends on what you're looking to gain from your skid steer hire package.

When wet hiring a skid steer, you’re hiring an experienced operator along with it which means that you can have them effectively complete multi-disciplined tasks in a time-efficient manner. This option can save you from finding appropriate labour to complete multiple tasks and can potentially put your project delivery ahead of schedule depending on how efficiently your wet hire operator completes the work.

Alternatively, you could dry hire a skid steer and operate the machine yourself, allowing for a further saving across the budget of your project. When hiring a skid steer, you will find that this all-rounded piece of machinery is still easy enough for anyone to use, so you can realistically achieve your desired result without the need for an experienced operator.

Compact and powerful – and at half the price!

Don’t trust first impressions: skid steers can be deceivingly powerful despite their small size! A skid steer's lifting ability can range anywhere from 650kg to over 2 tonnes, which means they can provide the same type of service as mini excavators at almost half the price. On average, a 1-2 tonne mini excavator to dry hire can cost up to $250-$270 per hour, while in comparison, the average rates for dry hiring a skid steer range from just $85-110 an hour.

So ultimately, you’ll need to ask yourself – do you require a mini excavator to provide more power, or a skid steer to provide the same basic services with the benefit of far greater mobility and at a fraction of the cost? If it’s the latter, it may be worth considering skid steer hire.

Suitable for all projects

No matter the size of the job, a skid steer is built to be able to handle it all. A skid steer comes with two separate transmissions, which allows for the machinery to perform a 360-degree rotation in a single spot. These zero-turn manoeuvres are beneficial for earthworks in tight-access spaces, since their compact size also allows them to fit into confined backyards. 

But their small stature doesn’t mean skid steers are only suitable for residential projects: their size may also be practical for civil and construction in which mobility is needed, such as car park projects and commercial construction sites.

Looking to dry hire a skid steer? We can help!

These are just a few of the reasons why hiring a skid steer loader is a great choice for your earthworks needs – and as a leading supplier of plant and equipment dry hire, Wombat Hire can provide you with quick and easy skid steer hire options to ensure you find the perfect piece for your next civil, commercial, or residential project.