Skid-steers and their many attachments create a Swiss Army Knife-like solution for tree care: one versatile tool to tackle many jobsite needs., but with so many options available, it’s not always obvious which attachments are right for you.
A good rule of thumb is to have at least three attachments that address your most common tasks. To help you determine which ones should be in your arsenal, here are the attachments most commonly used for tree care and how they can make you more efficient:
Log grapple
These clawlike attachments bring machine muscle to demanding jobs like lifting and moving large tree limbs. When lifting a limb, the grapple tucks it in toward the skid-steer and locks it there to prevent it from swaying and potentially causing damage or harm.
Log grapples are available in two options: free spinning and power rotate.
A free-spinning grapple, or knock-around grapple, requires some experience to precisely position it and grab tree limbs in the right spot. However, operators can develop this skill in short time.
A power-rotating log grapple does what its name suggests: It allows the operator to rotate it to pick up limbs with ease. Slightly more expensive than a free-spinning grapple, this option can help less experienced operators be more efficient on the jobsite.
When selecting a log grapple, criteria like lift capacity are certainly important to consider. However, professionals should also consider how a grapple can help get the most out of their investment. For instance, some log grapples use an abrasive-resistant steel wear plate in their body and arms. This can give a grapple better strength and help keep it in optimal condition through even the most rugged jobs.
Log grapples can also incorporate productivity-enhancing design features. A hitch accessory, for example, allows you to use a skid-steer with this grapple to move a chipper to where it’s needed to reduce the number of trips you make on the jobsite. A rope bollard on the grapple can also help licensed personnel lower and lift trees.
Rake
A rake attachment can save you hours of manual labor when cleaning up debris left on yards, driveways and streets. With hundreds of durable steel tines and a width of up to 6 feet, a rake can efficiently clear out stump chips, rocks, rakings, pine needles and other materials that you otherwise need to rake by hand.
When you choose a rake that fits your skid-steer’s grapple, attaching and removing it is a quick and easy process. The grapple simply grabs the rake and hooks it into the hanger, so teams don’t need to disconnect hydraulic hoses to use it. These attachments are also light enough that they can be attached by just two people.
Grapple bucket
A standard bucket may be the go-to attachment for most stand-on skid-steers, but a grapple bucket delivers enhanced functionality that can save time and reduce stress on the jobsite.
Equipped with hydraulic clamps, this bucket can hold unstable materials such as stumps, boulders, large tree branches and other landscape materials, so you can work more quickly and worry less about loads falling off the bucket.
In a common scenario where a crew needs to move a large tree branch, for instance, a large stand-on skid-steer with a grapple bucket attachment can snatch the branch and move it in one trip. Without this pairing, a crew would need to cut the branch into smaller pieces that fit into a standard bucket or could be carried by hand.
Standard pallet forks
This is another attachment that can help you move heavy loads. In particular, it’s useful for moving trees and other materials across challenging terrain and for loading and unloading material from a trailer or truck bed.
Auger
This attachment is invaluable for quickly opening holes when planting trees. Your crew will especially appreciate having an auger attachment if they’ve historically used a handheld auger machine or had to dig holes by hand. The attachment makes the digging of holes less laborious and allows you to plant more trees and take on more jobs in a day.
Auger attachments are available in a variety of bit styles and sizes, typically ranging from 6 to 36 inches in diameter.
Stump grinder
This attachment makes quick work of even the toughest stumps while also eliminating the need to rent or purchase separate equipment for this task. With a heavy-duty boom design, a stump grinder can quickly shred down stumps. And having it attached to a stand-on skid-steer allows it to be easily maneuvered from one stump to the next.
Find your perfect pairing
To maintain the stability of the skid-steer and safety on the jobsite, always match attachments with stand-on skid-steers that are the appropriate size and weight for it. The machine needs sufficient counterbalancing capacity to handle the attachment’s size and load.
The correct pairing will set the stage for you and your crew to be efficient, safe and productive even as you navigate varying jobsite dynamics and challenges like skills shortages.
