A skid steer backhoe is a versatile piece of equipment, but it’s no giant excavator. Questions will come up sooner or later on how to best approach a job:

• How do you trench a drainage line through a finished yard and not chew up half the property?
• What do you bring for six footing holes behind a fence where a full excavator has no business squeezing through?
• Do you haul another machine for one small dig, or use the skid steer already sitting on the trailer to handle it?

The answers to these sorts of things could be obvious. A massive excavation belongs to a dedicated machine. However, there are also situations where it would cost more time than the work itself to haul in another piece of equipment.

If you're weighing those options, stop to compare the best fit scenarios for a backhoe attachment vs. an excavator.

For landscaping and hardscaping work, though, a skid steer backhoe attachment lands in a pretty sweet spot. It gives you the digging capability you need, and you get to keep the same machine on site for grading, material handling, and cleanup once the hole is finished.

Dig Where Bigger Machines Can't

Unlike a wide-open construction site, you’ve got to work around elements like patios, sidewalks, retaining walls, fences, trees, irrigation lines, and buildings on a landscaping project. There could be limited space to move around.

An attached backhoe for skid steers gives you the reach to dig in those kinds of confined areas. When it’s not realistic to squeez in a full-size excavator, go with the smaller machine for easier access through gates and narrow side yards. As a side benefit, there will be less turf damage, too. Sometimes smaller is simply smarter!

Mark the Land Before You Start Drainage Work

Drainage work leaves very little room to get sloppy. After all, you don't get paid twice because you dug the trench twice. The same goes for drain tile, downspout extensions, and trenching around foundations.

So, precision is paramount. Before you dig, mark all buried utilities and lay out a clear trench path. Keep spoil piles on one side whenever possible so you're not constantly moving (and re-moving) the same dirt piles.

A skid steer with backhoe attachment onboard is perfect for precise control around existing landscaping. Keep that trench width steady from start to finish. The less cleanup you create, the sooner you're backfilling.

Measure Holes for Footings & Landscape Features Often

Landscape projects are full of small excavation jobs that demand accuracy over brute force. We’re thinking of things like pergolas, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, and large decorative boulders.

Take your time establishing the first hole. Check depth often! Too many times, folks try to recover after digging too far. The extra minute you spend measuring definitely beats filling holes back in later. Don’t dig fast. Dig once.

Oh, and if you’re digging a circular hole, you could think about using an Earth Auger Attachment instead.

Let One Machine Handle the Whole Job

Skid steer backhoe attachments are awesome, but the skid steer does a lot more than dig. The versatility of the machine saves you a lot of time versus bring multiple pieces of heavy equipment on site. You could:

• Clear brush with a grapple.
• Move gravel with a bucket.
• Finish grade with a land leveler.

The skid steer never leaves the job. Only the attachment has to change. That's time you don't spend waiting for another operator or hauling another trailer.

Save Time With Smart Operator Habits

A few common sense habits will make every digging job that much smoother:

• Start on stable ground before you extend the backhoe boom. Otherwise you could tip the machine.
• Keep the spoil pile close enough to backfill easily but far enough to keep the trench clear.
• Watch bucket curl as much as boom movement when trimming around finished edges.
• Dig in sections. There’s no need to try and reach too far from one position. Reposition the machine as needed to stay precise.

Clean, controlled movements beat aggressive ones every time.

Put the Right Tool on the Front

Landscaping work asks a machine to do a little bit of everything. Dig today, grade tomorrow! Pair your backhoe skid steer attachment with other quality attachments for grading, cleanup, and material handling. The trusty skid steer can carry your whole project from layout through finish work — a pretty good day's work for one machine!