Whether or not you are a hardscape building skilled or a inexperienced {industry} professional, effectivity is a prime precedence on at this time’s job websites – particularly as contractors grapple with discovering methods to remain productive amid the workforce scarcity. And at a time when demand for work is constant to extend, staying environment friendly with smaller crews means relying in your tools that can assist you do extra with much less. One machine that’s assuaging a few of the stress is the stand-on skid steer. 

Whereas stand-on skid-steers have been used primarily as loaders prior to now, they’re gaining popularity for a greater variety of job web site duties. Their energy, 360-degree visibility, hop-on and hop-off comfort, and a number of attachment choices give contractors the workhorse they should meet deadlines, enhance productiveness and increase the underside line. 

So, what dimension stand-on skid steer do you want? It will depend on the mission and job web site situations and attachment wants. Listed below are two issues to think about when choosing a stand-on loader.  

The job and job web site

When selecting a brand new piece of apparatus, you are more than likely searching for a machine that may assist improve your ROI. And meaning having the right tools for the appliance and job web site. The very first thing it is best to contemplate when buying a stand-on loader is what sort of initiatives you may be utilizing the machine for and if there are any typical job web site constraints. For instance, a landscaping crew may be working in space-restricted areas like residential backyards and wish to think about machine dimension above different traits. On this case, a smaller machine or mini stand-on loader will possible be essentially the most environment friendly to assist them maneuver by way of fences or round sheds, gardens, and different buildings. 

In distinction, a hardscape crew would possibly contemplate a machine’s energy to be extra vital. A full-size stand-on loader gives most energy and lifting capability to assist contractors transfer heavy materials on and off the job web site extra successfully. And when there’s much less manpower on the job, highly effective tools turns into much more vital. Moreover, as a result of massive stand-on loaders have the facility to hold heavier hundreds, crews want fewer machines on the job web site, enabling them to make fewer journeys with every machine, streamlining efficiencies. 

Attachments

The second factor to think about when selecting a stand-on loader is how one can flip it right into a one-machine resolution by merely switching out attachments. The bucket attachment is arguably one of the crucial standard attachments for stand-on loaders. It helps operators raise massive piles of fabric or particles that have to be relocated or discarded. There are a selection of bucket sorts to select from, relying on the appliance, together with the grapple bucket and 4-in-1 bucket. Grapple buckets include hydraulic clamps to carry unstable materials, making them ultimate for transporting bigger items of particles reminiscent of tree branches, stumps, boulders, and bricks. 

For instance, in the event you wanted to maneuver a heavy tree department throughout a job web site, a grapple attachment outfitted on a big stand-on loader will let you transfer the department in a single journey. And not using a grapple bucket and a big loader, you would wish to take time to chop the department up into smaller items to be carried by hand or match right into a smaller bucket.

Moreover, the 4-in-1 bucket attachment takes versatility to the subsequent degree. For instance, in case you are engaged on a smaller job web site and must deal with a wide range of duties, a 4-in-1 bucket attachment outfitted on a mini stand-on loader will help you effortlessly change from mission to mission. From dealing with cumbersome materials and soil elimination to levelling jobs, you may keep versatile and environment friendly serving to increase productiveness.  

As a finest apply, it is best to have three industry-specific attachments to your stand-on loader, along with the widespread attachments. For instance, contractors centered on underground roadwork ought to contemplate investing in microtrenching attachments, coring attachments, and vacuum-lifting attachments, along with buckets, grapples and forks. This attachment selection will permit them to bid on a spread of jobs of their {industry}, and it’ll maintain them versatile and agile on the job web site.

A Recipe for achievement

As at this time’s job websites turn out to be extra advanced – and staying environment friendly with smaller crews turns into extra pertinent – having the proper tools could make or break a contractor’s productiveness. Whereas each the mini and full-size stand-on loader have their place on the job web site, it is very important know when to deploy every one and outfit it with the right attachments. Plus, as contractors lean on their machines for slightly additional increase, discovering the right stand-on loader resolution will guarantee their crew’s success.

Brant Kukuk is a compact tools product supervisor at Ditch Witch.