If you run a skid steer, you already know the machine is only as good as what's hanging off the front of it.
The skid loader attachment market is flooded with options. Some are worth every dollar. Some will sit in your yard collecting rust after two jobs. This guide cuts through it, organized by the actual work you're doing, not by a product catalog.
Whether you're running a full-size machine or a mini skid steer, you'll know exactly what attachments make sense for your operation by the time you finish reading.
Before You Buy Any Attachment
Two things to check before anything else.
Flow. Hydraulic flow from your machine (measured in GPM) has to match what the attachment needs. Mismatch here and you'll burn up motors or run an attachment that barely performs. Know your machine's rated flow before you shop.
Coupler compatibility. Most skid steer attachments use a universal skid steer quick attach plate. But verify before you order. Bobcat skid steer attachments, for example, fit the same universal plate, but some older machines have proprietary couplers.
Get those two things right and the rest is just matching the tool to the job.
Grading and Earthwork
This is where most contractors start, and for good reason. If you're doing site prep, driveways, final grade, or any kind of leveling work, you need at least one of these.
Grading Bucket
The standard dirt bucket is the workhorse of any operation. Nothing exotic here. You want a heavy-duty bolt-on cutting edge, reinforced corners, and a capacity that matches your machine's lift rating. Undersizing the bucket is one of the most common mistakes new guys make. You end up doing twice the passes.
For a mini skid steer doing residential work, bucket width and capacity matter more than on a full-size machine. Weight is the limiting factor.
Land Plane / Land Leveler
If you do driveways or parking lots, a land plane pays for itself in a season. It pulls high spots and fills low spots in one pass, something a straight grader blade won't do. A land leveler gives you even more control on finish work and grading approaches where you need consistent depth across the cut.
The best operators we've talked to rough grade with a bucket first, then finish with a land plane. Two passes, one clean result.
Hydra-Bucket
If you're switching between a bucket and a power rake just to get a clean finish grade, you're wasting time and fuel on every job. The Hydra-Bucket does both: it cuts, levels, and finishes in one pass.
Built specifically for contractors who need professional results without running multiple attachments, the Hydra-Bucket works on seedbed prep, driveway grading, fence line cleanup, and soil conditioning. It's not the first attachment you buy, but once you've run one you'll wonder what you were doing before.
Land Clearing
Land clearing has the widest spread of attachment options of any job type. What you need depends heavily on what you're clearing and how thick it is.
Brush Cutter
For overgrown fields, fence lines, and light to medium brush, a brush cutter attachment is the most versatile tool on a clearing job. It handles material a bucket won't touch and gets in places heavier equipment can't justify for the money.
We have a full breakdown on choosing the right skid steer brush cutter: flow requirements, size by acreage, what it's right for and what it's not. Skid Steer Brush Cutter Buying Guide
Root Grapple
Grapples don't cut. They grab. After you've mowed or cut brush, a root grapple is how you clean up the job. Grab stumps, root balls, slash piles, and debris and move it where you want it.
A good root grapple is one of those attachments that you'll reach for on almost every clearing job. It's not glamorous, but contractors who have one wonder how they worked without it.
Stump Grinder
If you're doing any tree removal or clearing work in residential settings, a stump grinder attachment keeps the job clean. Stumps left behind are callbacks waiting to happen. A dedicated stump grinding attachment handles them in place without renting a standalone machine.
Material Handling
Material handling work is where skid loader attachments earn their keep on the job site every day. This is the category that keeps you productive between the specialty jobs.
Pallet Fork
If you don't already have pallet forks, get them. That's not a recommendation. It's a rule. Forks let your skid steer become a forklift on demand. Pallets of material, equipment, anything with a pallet base.
Get a set with adjustable tine spacing and a capacity that matches your machine. Don't cheap out on forks. The welds matter when you're lifting something heavy over a crew.
Grapple Bucket
A grapple bucket is the combination play: it moves loose material like a bucket but grabs and holds debris like a grapple. Excellent for demo cleanup, brush cleanup, mixed material, and anything you'd otherwise need two separate attachments to handle.
For contractors who do a mix of jobs, the grapple bucket often ends up being the attachment on the machine more than anything else.
Auger
Post holes, tree planting, foundation piers. An auger attachment handles all of it. Match the bit diameter and length to your typical job, and pay attention to the drive unit torque rating. A light auger drive in hard soil is a frustrating day.
Snow and Winter Work
If you're in a northern market, winter work is a revenue opportunity your skid steer is already set up for. The right attachments turn your machine into a year-round income producer.
Snow Pusher / Box Pusher
A snow pusher (also called a box pusher) is the go-to for commercial lot clearing. The containment wings keep snow in front of you instead of piling off the sides. You move more snow per pass with less cleanup work.
Size the pusher to your machine and your lots. Oversized pusher on an underpowered machine is a bad combination.
Snow Blade
For stacking, windrowing, and angling snow into specific areas, a blade gives you more flexibility than a pusher. The angle adjustment lets you redirect the pile, which matters on tight lots or along curbs.
Many contractors run both: a pusher for open lot clearing and a blade for detail work and stacking.
Snow Blower Attachment
For high-volume snowfall or locations where you can't pile (loading docks, entrances, narrow paths), a snow blower attachment throws the snow rather than stacking it. Higher cost, but the right tool for the right condition.
Building Your Attachment Lineup
Here's the reality for most contractors starting out: you can't buy everything at once, and you shouldn't.
Start with what matches your core work. If you're a site prep contractor, a grading bucket and pallet forks are your foundation. If you're clearing land, a brush cutter and a grapple get you into jobs immediately.
Add specialty attachments as the work demands them. Let the jobs tell you what to buy next. Don't buy attachments hoping to find the work.
A few things to keep in mind as you build your lineup:
Buy quality on the attachments you use every day. High-use skid steer attachments take punishment. Cutting corners on a grading bucket or grapple you'll run 200 hours a year is a false economy. Rent before you buy on specialty tools. If you're considering a stump grinder or a specialty brush cutter and you're not sure how often you'll use it, rent one for a job or two first. Know the demand before you own the iron. Know your machine's limits. Your skid steer has rated operating capacity, hydraulic flow, and lift height. Match attachments to the machine, not to the job you wish you had the machine for.
Find Skid Steer Attachments for Your Operation
Whether you're running a full-size machine or a mini skid steer, we carry attachments built for contractors who actually work for a living. No fluff, no light-duty residential junk.
Browse by job type or category below and find what fits your setup.
Shop All Skid Steer Attachments
Have a question about fitment or compatibility? Contact us. We'll help you get the right attachment for your machine and your work.
