What Are The Main Parts Involved in a Skid Steer Loader?

Today, we’re taking a step back from talking about specific fuel part types, and we’ll be diving into one of our favorite and most popular equipment vehicles known as the Skid Steer. 

Though we recommend you to check out our other articles where we do deep dives into fuel injectors, fuel systems, fuel pumps and much more. 

About the Skid Steer Loader

The skid steer, also known as a “skid loader,” “SSLs,” “skid steer loader,” “compact loaders,” “compact track loaders,” “mini skid steers,” or a “wheel loader,” is a four-wheeled or two-tracked vehicle with lift arms that can utilize many different attachments. The skid steer got its name due to the way you steer its wheels by stopping the wheel on one side to turn it in that direction, or in other words, by “skidding” it towards that direction. 

Skid steers are used in many different industries, including agriculture, construction, landscaping and material handling. Additionally these are considered lightweight machines to work with and great to maneuver. Many of our farming, ranching and construction customers share that they like skid steer loaders for their versatility with attachments and assistance to clear land, hauling heavy items, digging trenches and so on. 

There are many different skid steers you can choose from depending on what you’re looking for whether it be brand, its rated operating capacity, it’s level of hp, whether you want a wheeled or tracked, a preference between vertical lift or radial lift, size of skid, frame of skid, or weight of skid. Some of the major brands that make our beloved skid steers include Bobcat Doosan, Cat, Kubota, John Deere, Yanmar, New Holland and more. In fact, we carry a range of parts from fuel injectors, pump, common rails, turbos and more for many of the skid steer models including Bobcat’s which you can view and purchase on our catalog or by contacting us. 

The Main Parts Involved in a Skid Steer Loader Include:

• The engine and its counterparts
• Tires
• Axles
• Hydraulic cylinder/Lift cylinder
• Hydraulic parts/system (e.g. coils, cylinders, seals, gaskets, couplers, etc) 
• Tracks or Wheels (tires)
• Cabin parts and lights (e.g. door frame, bolts, wiring, etc) 
• Hour meter
• Filters (e.g. outer air filter, inner air filter, fuel filter, oil filter, hydraulic filter) 
• Seat
• Attachments 

Popular Skid Steer Attachments:

• Buckets — great to move heavy equipment or soil
• Backhoes — great for handling materials, backfilling and just about performing like a mini excavator 
• Augers — loved for earth drilling 
• Rakes — perfect for preparing soil 
• Trenchers — preferred for irrigation purposes
• Tillers — common for plotting soil, landscaping and other agricultural uses 
• Brush cutters — allows for different mowing applications 
• Grapples — designed to remove something too big for a bucket; a log or a boulder 
• Dozer blades — preferred for landscaping and clearing 
• Forestry mulchers — great for lots of land clearing
• Hydraulic breakers — known for demolishing concrete, asphalt or other stone materials

The list for skid steer attachments goes on. If you’re considering buying or renting a skid steer, or if you already own one but are looking at what other applications skid steers could be used for, check out some of the skid steer attachment websites online for a much longer list.

We hope this article gives you an overview of the main parts involved in a skid steer tractor, along with its multifaceted uses.