Like any other machinery, skid loaders work best when they’ve been looked after. This means regular monthly inspections, cleaning, and maintaining every part of the machine. But the big question is, how often do you need to repeat your maintenance checklist in order to get the maximum performance out of your skid loaders. Is it annually? Monthly? Or daily? We talked to a few local mechanics and operators and got our answer – it’s monthly. Let’s find out why.

Benefits of Monthly Maintenance and Inspections

1.     Safety

Creating a safe working environment should be the top priority in any workspace – even more so on a construction site. Even though skid loaders are some of the most versatile and tough heavy machinery out there, maltreating or not doing the required maintenance can make them more dangerous – both for the operators and those working around them. Burnt-out brake pads, dangerously high engine temperatures, and malfunctioning hydraulics are often causes of tragedy – but all of this can be avoided.

Give your operators and mechanics the time and resources to carry out the required maintenance tasks. If you think your operators are not well-versed with best maintenance practices, hold a short training seminar to create awareness.

2.     Preventing Costly Breakdowns

A skid loader that isn’t working is a skid loader that isn’t making money. More downtime means your operators and in many cases, other members of your construction crew cannot go about their work. But it all becomes a lot worse if your skid loader has to be sent to the shop for repairs.

Heavy machinery repair bills can easily reach thousands of dollars at a time. But inspecting and ensuring no undue stress leads to extra wear and tear. Parts in the engine bay are more sensitive to friction and temperatures and a lack of proper fluids can wreak havoc. Regular inspection will ensure that irregularities or even the smallest problems don’t go under the radar and eventually lead to breakdowns.

Avoiding breakdowns also means you won’t miss important deadlines, keep up with your schedule, and not have to pay for skid loaders on hire.

3.     Efficient Performance

When skid loaders are not working at max efficiency, the operating costs will be higher. These costs may increase due to higher lower fuel mileage, having to change oil/hydraulic fluids more frequently, shorter track life, and parts like belts, motors, and fans burning out much quicker. The best way to avoid this? Maintain your skid loader monthly.

When parts like hydraulic pumps are clean and working under optimal conditions, you’ll get higher performance at lower costs.

In a nutshell, monthly maintenance will increase the life of your machine, prevent costly breakdowns and delays, and keep everyone around the skid loader safe. If you don’t have a maintenance checklist, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. 

The Ultimate Monthly Maintenance Checklist

1.     Attachments

Attachments are important parts of your skid loader that add versatility and additional capability to your machine. However, because they change as per the requirements of the job, they are often overlooked and do not get the maintenance they deserve – don’t make this mistake. Inspect all of your attachments every month.

2.     Tracks/Tires

Track tension or tire pressure is one of the most critical aspects of safe operations as improper tensioning can lead to excess wear and tear or worse, causing the skid loader to walk out of the tracks. Wrong tire pressure can also damage the undercarriage and decrease the overall stability of the skid loader.

3.     Fluid Levels and Oils

Oil and hydraulic fluids lubricate the internals of your skid loader and prepare them for the extremes of working under harsh conditions. The operator or mechanic should check fluid levels every month to ensure they are at the right level and top them off if they aren’t. The monthly inspection also means the mechanic will be able to spot and clean grime before it builds up excessively.

4.     Internal Systems

The engine, electronics, hydraulic, and cooling system too requires a monthly inspection to ensure no damage was done to any of these parts. Monthly maintenance also means the mechanic will be able to check the build-up of any contaminants before they can cause any damage. You might also have to change or repair the fans, motors, and belts on a monthly basis.

So there we have it. Monthly – the sweet spot of regular maintenance for your skid loader.

Skid steers are small, upright, rigid-framed vehicles that are common on almost any construction site you visit. They get their name from the simple way they have maneuvered around, with the wheels on each side mechanically locked together. Usually having four wheels, to turn a skid steer, the operator changes the rotation speed of the wheels on one side or the other, causing the faster rotating side to skid around and turn the vehicle.

On sites short of space this maneuverability is incredibly useful, they can turn within their own length so are ideal for even the tightest of spaces. They are also popular because skid steers are so versatile, and for operators, that means that every day is a little different, making it a varied career that people enjoy. While the most common fitment for a skid steer is a front loader bucket. This can be used for loading as well as pushing or transporting material, but for operators, it’s a very different experience than with traditional front loaders. Skid steers are used not just on construction sites, but are found on farms as well, and are used in large numbers for landscape gardening applications too.

The agility itself makes this an interesting vehicle to operate, but the small size also means that the lift arms actually pivot behind the operator, and this itself is something an operator must get accustomed to. Loading buckets are not the only attachment in use though, and skid steers are often seen using augers for drilling, and trenchers and are even used with snow blower attachments for clearing roads of snow in winter. You will see skid steers being used to dig holes from the inside, using ramps to remove material from the excavation. This approach is often used when space is restricted, such as in projects that require excavation underneath a building, or areas where site space is significantly reduced for some reason.

A career as a skid steer operator has a lot of potential, with varied work to keep interest high and good pay and the best way to launch that career is through effective training. As with all heavy machinery, operating skid steers accurately and importantly, safely within a site environment takes skills and understanding.

Our professional training course teaches both in the classroom and on-site, providing a broad view of skid steer operation in a variety of conditions, with a particular focus on maintaining safety for the operator and other workers around the vehicle during its operation. That training when successfully completed opens the door to so many career options, and with the skid steer in so much demand across so many different industries and situations, it really is a career that can build for a lifetime.

If you want a long-lasting career that pays well, try heavy equipment operations. You can learn to operate virtually any type of heavy equipment in use today on construction sites all around the world. The most popular and rewarding type of heavy equipment can be learned in one course. Here are 7 types of heavy equipment you can learn in one training class at Associated Training Services:

1. Backhoes – A backhoe is used for excavation. It consists of a bucket on the back end of an articulating boom. You’ll often see them on construction sites and are used for digging ditches and trenches. If you want bigger holes, use an excavator.
2. Wheel loaders – Wheel loaders are large pieces of equipment with bigger buckets than backhoes and are used to carry material from one end of the construction site to another. They are close cousins to front-end loaders.
3. Bulldozers – The bulldozer is the workhorse of the construction site. It consists of a large blade and is used for pushing dirt, soil, sand, rock, rubble, and other debris around the worksite. When you just want it out of the way, use a bulldozer.
4. Excavators – When you really need a big hole dug, use an excavator. See how an excavator compares with a backhoe in the video below.

1. Road graders – A road grader has a long blade on it and is used to flatten surfaces, such as gravel roads and construction sites.
2. Dump trucks – When you have a lot of dirt, soil, rock, and other substances to move, use a dump truck.
3. Skid steers – A skid steer, also called a skid steer loader, is a small piece of equipment that allows you to add different attachments to the front for hauling, moving, and lifting things. Watch this fun video of a skid steer in action.

When a heavy equipment operator can say they know how to run a skid steer loader, they are saying they can do a lot of amazing things in a small machine. The size and versatility of skid steer loaders make them very valuable on a construction or logging site because the loader can operate in a small space but do big, big jobs.

In order to do those big jobs, the operator needs to be able to understand exactly how the skid loader works and manipulate the controls without stalling. Some skid steer loaders have been designed to eliminate this problem but not all have done so. The skid steer loader can turn in its own footprint and maneuver in tight situations if the operator is experienced.

During training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School, there will be in-the-seat training in a variety of pieces of equipment and they will be challenging at first. The skid steer loader doesn’t maneuver like the bulldozer, for instance. It also isn’t at all like driving a dump truck. Each type of heavy equipment is slightly different to operate because it has been designed for specific tasks.

Skid steer loaders are able to be outfitted with a variety of tools on the arms:

• various buckets: dirt, utility, multi-purpose, grapple
• various forks: pallet, utility, industrial grapple
• angle blade
• auger
• broom
• cold planer
• hydraulic hammer
• landscape rake & tillers
•  material handling arm
• stump grinder
• trencher
• vibratory compactor

This versatility makes the skid steer loader one of those machines that challenge an operator because every type of tool will take a slightly different technique to perfect. But it also means the operator who can meet the challenge of the skid steer loader is somebody in demand on the work site.

Mention heavy equipment and most people will think of bulldozers, graders and excavators. However, there is much smaller equipment in use every day that also wears the heavy equipment label. This group of heavy equipment machinery includes mini-trenchers, mini-loaders like the skid steer loader and mini excavators. Whilst these smaller machines are easier to operate that than their larger counterparts, operators still require training.

Heavy equipment safety is almost the same no matter how large or small the machinery is. Understanding soils, reading site plans, and working as part of an overall team is also identical irrespective of the machinery’s size. Operators will tell you that operating those little guys can be a lot of fun and certainly makes for an interesting break away from the larger equipment.

Who uses these smaller machines? They are actually used a lot in construction and have become a popular tool for landscape gardening. Excavators, backhoes and loaders can do all the muscle work, however, as a project comes close to completion, it can be difficult squeezing those larger machines around buildings. That’s where those little guys are so important – they can fit down a standard driveway and can actually complete a lot of work in a short space of time. They are also economical when it comes to adding the finishing touches.

If you are interested in a career as an operator of smaller heavy equipment, you will still need to complete a heavy equipment training program. On completion, you will be well prepared for work operating heavy equipment of all sizes.

The more training a heavy equipment operator receives, the more projects he can work on and the more money he can make. The most valuable operator on any site is going to be the person with the most experience with the most types of equipment. This is definitely an important aspect of choosing a heavy equipment school. Many schools teach the basic bulldozer and crane work, but for an operator to really get ahead, the chosen school must go above and beyond the basics. Skid steer training is training that can be invaluable to a heavy equipment operator due to the skid steer’s various uses.

The skid steer loader is a very useful machine on any work site because of the many attachments that can truly make it fit almost any job. Its main attachment is a bucket that can be used to push, carry and load materials into a truck or other piece of equipment. But, the additional attachments that can be added on are nearly limitless in their possibilities. Some of the attachments that can be added on are augers, backhoes, snow blowers, lawn mowers and even wood chipper machines. These numerous uses really make the skid steer a necessity no matter what the construction project might be.

Skid steer training is an additional specialty a heavy equipment operator can add to his or her arsenal that can set him apart from the competition. The more training and experience a heavy equipment operator has to offer a company, the more likely he will be hired by a top tier company.

When most people talk about heavy equipment careers the mind conjures up images of a bulldozer, grader or perhaps an excavator. They are no doubt the big three when it comes to heavy equipment, but there is a range of other equipment that also provides for interesting and well paid careers. This equipment includes:

• backhoes,
• wheel loaders,
• scrapers,
• rock trucks,
• Skid Steers, and
• All-Terrain Forklifts.

And that is just a short list. We talk a lot about backhoes and occasionally about wheel loaders but Skid Steers, All-Terrain Forklifts, scrapers and rock trucks rarely get a mention. These machines provide valuable service in their niche and without them, we would have to resort to using hand tools of some description. Take the all-terrain forklift. This vehicle is similar to a standard forklift but it can safely transport loads over different terrains. Without it, we would be forced to break loads down to much smaller sizes to move them over the rough terrain.

Scrapers of course do just that. They scrape the surface in preparation for other equipment. Rock trucks help to remove large rocks from construction sites whilst the little skid steer is able to get into tight areas to work where no other vehicle can fit. This machines all offer interesting careers. The skid steer maybe a small machine in comparison to a bulldozer, but it is still a valuable part of the heavy machinery family.

One of the benefits of training through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is that students are introduced to a range of machinery. This provides each student with a broad set of skills and a better insight into how each piece of equipment fits into a construction team. Heavy equipment careers don’t sit solely with the big three – there are many other options available for you to look at.