Before the next snowfall drops, it’s important to take inventory of your equipment and decide if you have the right skid steer snow bucket for your loader. Of course, you know that having the right snow attachment for the job is a big part of getting it done correctly. But just because you have the right tool doesn’t mean it’s the right type of tool.
Choosing the Right Skid Loader Snow Bucket
When looking for a snow bucket for a skid steer, there are several factors to take into consideration.
What are the Common Snow Bucket Sizes?
Skid loader snow buckets typically come in 6’, 7’, 8’, 9’, and 10’ sizes. To choose the right size for your equipment, consider the bucket’s profile and depth.
You will always want to go with a bucket that has a profile that is at least a little wider than your skid steer tracks. This increases your jobsite efficiency and prevents packing snow with the tracks (which would make it harder to remove on the next pass).
You’ll also want to consider how much the bucket holds. This is important to know both from a material and weight capacity. When considering a skid steer snow bucket, look into both its heaped and struck capacities.
- Struck: Refers to the amount of material that sits up level to the top of the bucket.
- Heaped: The struck amount plus 20%. This extra amount sits rounded off on top of the struck load.
Understanding these numbers will help you feel confident that your skid steer can use a snow bucket safely, and efficiently, on the job. Provided you can get it to the job site.
How Easy is Transporting a Skid Steer Snow Bucket?
Transportation of your snow bucket for skid steers should factor into your decision about which one to get. The maximum width of a standard trailer is 102”. This means you could get a bucket that is a max of 8’ and transport it without having to detach it from the skid loader attachment plate before and after every job.
If you go with a 9’ or 10’ snow bucket, you will need to leave it permanently on-site or:
- Get a special permit so it can hang off the sides of the trailer.
- Detach it from the loader, transport it lying parallel to the loader, and re-attach it at the job site.
Does My HP Matter?
Before you go to the trouble of getting your skid steer snow bucket onsite, you’ll want to make sure your loader has the power to operate a snow bucket of that size. Here are some general guidelines:
- 50-65 HP loaders can effectively operate with a snow bucket up to 7’.
- 65-75 HP loaders can use that extra power to operate an 8’ bucket.
- 80+ HP loaders can easily use a 9’ or 10’ snow bucket.
When selecting the best size skid steer for snow removal, you may also need to consider its hydraulic power potential for a snow bucket.
- Find the maximum operating pressure.
- Factor in the weight of the empty snow bucket.
- Estimate the weight of a load of snow, ice, and/or slush.
Find Your Skid Steer Snow Bucket At Prime Attachments
Prime Attachments products bring efficient durability to your winter work. Prime’s snow buckets are American-made with high-quality, Grade 50 steel. They are built to handle:
- Down Pressure
- Scraping
- Multi-season tasks
Visit our Attachment Shop to find the ideal skid steer snow bucket attachment for your loader.