If you’ve already prepped your pad and your forms are locked in, the pour itself is all that’s left to break your project or make you look sharp. A concrete hopper for skid steers gives you a precision pouring machine for this critical step. Anyone who’s messed around with wheelbarrows or spotty pumps can tell you the difference. Still, you’ll have to use these tips to make every pour count.
A hopper works best when concrete enters smoothly. Lumps are bad. Ask your supplier about slump or drainage for your mix. Too stiff, and you’ll clog your chute. Too wet, and it’ll settle too fast.
Also, match your hydraulic flow so the mix doesn’t shoot out uncontrollably. Use a moderate flow to maintain control when pouring into tight or tricky spots.
Good positioning saves time and minimizes risk for your forms. Approach the form at a shallow angle so you can pour along the length without re-lining up constantly.
You can use small amounts of swing or pivot rather than driving across unset forms. That puts less stress on edges. If you can’t drive the hopper directly over your target zone, set it just beside and allow the chute to extend into reach.
Oh, and make sure you keep your machine in “soft drive” or low speed when maneuvering with load.
With thicker concrete slabs or deep pours, spreading the load helps a ton. Let the first 2-3″ settle, then come back with the next pass. Don’t pour full depth in one shot if your forms or base aren’t perfect…layering with a hopper for concrete gives you way better control. You’ll avoid blowouts at weak spots.
Some corners or angled surfaces make direct pouring tricky. Use the hopper’s chute and rotate it as needed, or pour just short of the high point and drag with a hammer edge or trowel.
When ground slopes or adjacent elevation changes exist, pour from the top and let gravity assist instead of trying to drive into uneven ground.
Never let concrete cure inside your hopper or chute. Every load must end with a flush. Here are a few tips to get it right:
This keeps your hopper flowing clean and avoids buildup that changes flow behavior.
These are the kinds of jobs where a skid steer concrete hopper really earns its keep:
If you’ve got slabs, pads, or concrete work that demands precision with minimal crew, the concrete hopper is your secret weapon.
We’d urge you not to think of the skid steer concrete hopper as a solo tool. It’s versatile and convenient, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all attachment for construction and excavation. It’s great, for example, to have a 4-in-1 bucket on hand for backfill, cleanup, and final shaping. Even just that two-part combo lets one machine handle pouring and finishing without swaps.
Also remind yourself: this is just one part of the process! There’s site prep before the pour and there’s final leveling afterwards. You might want a skid steer backhoe for preparing the pad location. Choose the tool that fits the stage.