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skid steer land clearing

Skid Steers: The Perfect Tool for Efficient Land Clearing

Do you have a large project in need of land clearing equipment? Whether you’re managing your property or pursuing forestry clearing, skid steers are a hardworking tool that are ideal for these challenging terrains. With various attachment options, skid steer land clearing gives operators the versatility to flatten the toughest of terrains.

Are you searching for land clearing equipment but aren’t sure where to start? With so many options, it’s hard to know where to start. If you’re looking for proficient tools that will make your job easy, Rut Manufacturing offers skid steer mulching attachments and brush clearing equipment made from the most robust materials. If you’re looking for dependable skid steer land clearing attachments, we have it all!

Let’s explore why skid steers are the best tool for efficient land and forestry clearing.

What Are Skid Steers?

Skid steers are construction, forestry, and mine-clearing equipment that eliminates unwanted growth. The skid steering wheels work with a hitch that can slide on rails, or skids, to move dirt and other material.

Construction companies often use skid steers to clear large land areas in a short period without heavy machinery or massive manpower. The work is done by operators who work from a skid steer and use tongs to grab the brush/log in front of them.

Skid steers excel at clearing heavy logs out of forests, branches off fallen trees, and overgrown grass or moss with their powerful engines. Mulching attachments enable skid steers to level trees, stumps, and other foliage.

How Skid Steers Work

Skid steers can be used in land clearing and forestry applications by skidding trees. When skidded, a tree is brought down, and the stump is ground out. It’s also possible to skid the entire log, which will leave a pile of logs ready for transport or processing on site.

A skid steer is generally outfitted with grapples for skidding logs. It may be required to use wench dogs connected to pulley systems and various kinds of grapples to raise significant weights off the ground. Lighter types of grapples typically only require bulldozer blades as lever arms when using “up-and-over” skidding.

Skidding-steer skis, skid shoes, and/or skidding plates are required for heavy-duty jobs. The skids are placed behind the front section of the loader arms to allow dragging logs or other items across the ground without gouging them up. 

Extensive skidding applications also employ walk-behind skid steers to skid logs as well. This is achieved by sliding the log or pile of logs across the ground and sending it to wherever it needs to go at a slower pace than high-speed skidding.

Additionally, skid steer land clearing can be further aided by mulching attachments and brush cutters that will aid in the removal of dense trees and brush.

Why Skid Steers Are the Perfect Tool for Efficient Land Clearing

Skid steers are powerful machines that can clear land quickly and efficiently. The skid steer is the perfect tool for land clearing because it halves the time it usually takes to clear an area. Clearances can be completed in less than one day, including harvesting trees, stumps, or debris from the newly cleared space.

In terms of speed, skid steers have no equal when it comes to clearing land due to their agility. Other heavy machinery may not be able to move as quickly or reach tight spots. Skid steers have six wheels that make sharp turns on slopes and uneven surfaces with ease. Simply put, skid steers are versatile machines when moving around rough terrain like hillsides with extreme inclines while simultaneously clearing land.

However, skid steers are not just good at moving around on rugged terrain; they also excel in productivity. Skid steer loaders make it easy for land clearing to be completed much more quickly since they can achieve large jobs with a single operator instead of other heavy machinery that would require a team of professionals.

Skid steer loaders never get tired since their loads are perfectly dispersed across all of the wheels. Additionally, they also have a fantastic turning radius and acceleration. Backbreaking tasks, such as felling trees, can be done quickly and easily with skid steer land clearing.

The Benefits of Skid Steer Land Clearing

There are many benefits to using skid steer land clearing equipment. First, skid steers are very affordable and cost-efficient. They are incredibly safe to operate since skid steer loaders have a low side profile. This minimizes the potential for injury during operation and makes skid steers more ergonomic than other heavy machinery.

Skid steers require little maintenance due to their simple design, making them perfect machines for contractors who want to complete land clearance projects without taking too much time. Finally, skid steers can be used in a variety of land clearing applications.

Here are the benefits to skid steer land clearing:

  • Skid steers are perfect for heavy-duty land clearing
  • They can get through dense brush and piles of logs
  • Skid steer bulldozers make quick work of the most challenging construction projects.
  • Skid steer tractors can pull out boulders from the ground
  • Skid steers have large tires that can pass through thick brush with ease
  • Skid steer loaders can easily be outfitted with cutting equipment and used as bulldozers for land clearing.
  • There are many attachments available to further your skid steer’s capability.

Are you looking for innovative ways to get the most out of your skid steer? Contact Rut Manufacturing with any questions you have about our heavy-duty attachments.

Land-Clearing Equipment to Use With Skid Steers

Rut Manufacturing offers many quality attachments for your skid steer that will optimize your forestry clearing performance.

The following attachments are excellent choices for your skid steer:

Skid Steer Forestry Disc Mulcher Annihilator

Our Annihilator is the ideal solution for a wide range of work sites, as it offers an efficient and durable disc skid steer mulcher attachment. The skid steer quick attach disc mulcher is intended to be fast, effective, and long-lasting, allowing you to finish the task in no time.

Skid Steer Forestry Brush Cutter Gladiator

The Gladiator Forestry Brush Cutter is a skid steer attachment for on-site preparation and disaster cleanup. The Gladiator is an industrial-grade mower that chops down, mulches, and destroys almost any brush or tree it comes into touch with. This forestry brush cutter features a 1″ thick blade carrier with carbide-tipped mulching teeth that break up forestry vegetation and grind stumps with precision. 

Its streamlined design, long-lasting quality, and high effectiveness make it easier for you to manage your heavy-duty skid steer land clearing.

Skid Steer Brush Mower Cutter

The Rut’s Skid Steer Brush Mower Cutter is made to clear hard surfaces and brush, tackle rugged terrains, and work with many skid steer models. Unlike other skid steer brush clearing equipment, the Brush Mower Cutter was designed to cut up to 4-inch diameter material (depending on flow and material), so you’ll never have to worry about the cutting widths and capabilities of your mower attachment again.

Skid Steer Auger

The Rut Manufacturing Skid Steer auger attachment will assist you in accessing those difficult-to-reach places. The Skid Steer Auger helps you save money by eliminating labor and requiring the use of extra equipment!

Rut Manufacturing has the best skid steer attachments made in the U.S.A, whether you require mulching attachments, mowers, or brush cutters. Browse our entire catalog of products for land clearing equipment that will get the job done.

How to Use a Skid Steer for Forestry Cleaning

Step 1: 

Ensure your mulcher attachment matches your skid steer’s size, dimensions, and hydraulic flow rate. Rut Manufacturing’s customization process will ensure you’re equipped with a perfect fit for your skid steer. 

Step 2:

Examine the environment around you. Engage your attachment only if there is no danger of causing debris that would harm those working nearby.

Step 3:

Attach the skid steer mulcher attachment coupler to your device. Rut Manufacturing’s attachments are quick attach compatible, and if necessary, we can make a coupler that fits your machine. When the attachment is secure, it’s time to get started!

Step 4:

Once skid steer land clearing is well underway, all that’s left to do is rake the forestry clean and collect debris into piles for burning.

Tips On How to Use Skid Steers for Forestry Clearing

Skids steers are known for their maneuverability capability and can be powerful land clearing equipment for demanding jobs.

Here are some skid steer usage tips to keep in mind:

  1. Brush cutting with skids should not be attempted alone since it is hazardous and challenging, especially for inexperienced forestry clearing operations. If you’re working on this type of work for the first time, make sure there’s someone experienced alongside you the whole way.
  2. The skids should be kept parallel to each other for easier maneuverability.
  3. If you don’t have skid steer loaders on your skid steers, make sure the skids slide in a straight line without causing damage or obstruction.
  4. Select skids with good rubber pads since skids are used for this forestry clearing operation. Compared to metal skids, rubber skids have better shock-absorbing features that lessen the skid’s impact on objects while moving them forward and backward to remove trees and vegetation.
  5. For your skid steers to clear more extensive areas faster, it would always be better to lower the skid steer’s ground clearance and increase the skid steer’s weight over the skids.
  6. After you’ve eliminated all of the debris, you must smooth out the skid paths and remove any debris that may have been skidded across them. You don’t want to skid while leaving behind hard surfaces or unevenly leveled skids.
  7. To ensure the skids have better skid-ability, use a low cut or soft shoe to slide on. To minimize tread wear, dress down your skids.
  8. Skids can be very helpful in clearing land, but you need to exercise caution when skidding and always remember to ensure no one is in the path of debris.

If you’re looking for a tool that will allow you to clear land with precision and ease, skid steers are a perfect choice. With the proper land brush clearing equipment and mulcher attachments, you can tackle forestry clearing in no time.

Rut Manufacturing produces top-quality skid steer mulcher attachments that will annihilate rough terrain and lessen your workload. Do you want to know more about skid steers? Check out our free resource with common questions and answers about this formidable piece of land clearing equipment.

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