A skid steer backhoe is a versatile machine that combines a skid steer loader with a backhoe attachment. It is ideal for smaller jobs in confined areas and can access tight spaces without damaging the surrounding landscape. While it is not as stable as a full-sized unit, it is faster and more efficient, saving time and money on the job.
A skid steer backhoe is a combination of a skid steer loader with a backhoe attachment added in place of the more common bucket. There are definite advantages to using a backhoe for smaller jobs, which are most commonly in confined and difficult to access areas. The skid steer is a machine that does not have steering tyres. Instead, it maneuvers much like a tracked vehicle in that it turns by locking, slowing, or reversing one side of each axle while powering the other side of the vehicle, which causes the locked tires to skid as it completes the turn. While many manufacturers market skid steer type equipment, many people know the machine by the Bobcat® nickname.
By creating many attachments to adorn the common skid steer tractor, a versatile machine has been created for jobs that are too intensive for hand-operated implements, but aren’t involved enough to warrant full-size machinery. The backhoe is one such machine that can access very tight confines while still having the power to overcome most earthmoving obstacles. An experienced operator can drive a skid steer loader into very confined areas without damaging the landscape surrounding the work area.
A typical backhoe loader is mounted to the rear of a full-sized tractor and is equipped with hydraulic stabilizers that can be extended down and out to actually lift the tractor off the ground. The backhoe therefore operates from a position that has the tractor resting on the stabilizers at the front and the bucket at the rear. A skid steer backhoe does not have the stabilizing system, so it is not as stable as a full-sized unit when digging. This somewhat limits the backhoe to smaller, less onerous digging jobs.
An advantage of the smaller skid steer unit over the full size unit is that a full size backhoe has to raise the outriggers and raise the bucket and the operator has to turn the seat to move the unit to a new location of excavation . The smaller backhoe is simply wheeled to a new location and resumes digging without the necessary handling required by the full-size unit. This effectively makes a digging procedure faster with a compact backhoe and saves not only fuel and the expense of getting the larger equipment to the job site, but also money on the job making the overall job go faster.
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