15 Must-Have Skid Steer Attachments for Every Job Type

One of the biggest selling points of owning a skid steer is the attachment ecosystem. With a single machine and the right collection of skid steer attachments, you can grade a driveway in the morning, dig a footing in the afternoon, and push snow before sunrise the next day. That versatility is what separates the skid steer from nearly every other piece of compact equipment on the market.

This guide covers 15 of the most useful attachments, organized by job type, with pricing, hydraulic requirements, and top brand recommendations for each.

Before You Buy: Understanding Hydraulic Flow Requirements

Not all attachments work with all machines. Before purchasing, check two numbers on your skid steer’s spec sheet:

Standard flow (GPM): Typically 18–25 GPM on most machines
High flow (GPM): Typically 30–45 GPM, available as an option on most modern machines
Operating pressure (PSI): Usually 3,000–3,500 PSI

Attachments that require more than 25 GPM — cold planers, high-flow mulchers, large augers — need a high-flow hydraulic system. Running a high-flow attachment on a standard-flow machine will result in poor performance and potential damage to both the attachment and the machine’s hydraulic system.

If your machine doesn’t have high-flow, stick to standard-flow-compatible attachments or consider upgrading before purchasing demanding tools.

Category 1: Earthmoving Attachments

1. General Purpose Bucket

The attachment every skid steer owner should have first. A general purpose (GP) bucket handles dirt, gravel, sand, mulch, and a dozen other loose materials. It is the baseline tool for grading, backfilling, and material handling.

Price range: $600–$2,500 depending on width and capacity
Hydraulic flow: Standard (no auxiliary hydraulics needed)
Sizes: 60” to 96” wide; match width to machine lift capacity
Top brands: Bobcat, Caterpillar, Paladin, Werk-Brau

What to look for: Bolt-on cutting edges (replaceable without welding), reinforced side plates, and weld quality on the attachment brackets. Cheaper buckets warp or crack under heavy use.

Recommended: Paladin Construction Group GP Bucket — heavy-duty construction, available in multiple widths

2. Root Grapple Bucket

A root grapple combines a bucket with a hydraulically operated top jaw. It grabs brush, logs, rocks, and debris that a standard bucket can’t hold — material slides right back out of a GP bucket when you tilt it to dump.

Price range: $2,500–$5,000
Hydraulic flow: Standard auxiliary (single acting)
Top brands: Land Pride, Caterpillar, Spartan Equipment, Blue Diamond

The root grapple is indispensable for land clearing, storm cleanup, and demolition debris. Many landscape contractors consider it their most-used attachment after their bucket.

3. Auger

An auger uses a rotating helical bit to drill holes for fence posts, tree installations, sign footings, and concrete piers. Auger attachments mount on the skid steer’s quick-attach plate and are powered by the auxiliary hydraulics.

Price range: $1,500–$4,000 for the drive unit; $200–$800 per bit
Hydraulic flow: Standard to high-flow depending on auger size
Common bit diameters: 6”, 9”, 12”, 18”, 24”, 36”
Top brands: Danuser, McMillen, Digga, Blue Diamond

Matching tip: Pair the right bit diameter to the soil type. Hard pan or rocky soil requires a heavy-duty bit with carbide teeth. Sandy or loamy soil works fine with standard bits.

Recommended: Danuser SM Series Auger Drive — American-made, strong reputation for reliability

Category 2: Landscaping Attachments

4. Brush Cutter / Forestry Mulcher

A brush cutter attachment uses a high-speed spinning drum with carbide teeth or flails to shred brush, saplings, and light vegetation into mulch in a single pass. It’s the most efficient tool available for clearing overgrown lots, fence lines, and trail maintenance.

Price range: $4,000–$12,000
Hydraulic flow: High-flow required (30–45 GPM) for most models
Cutting capacity: 2”–6” diameter material depending on model
Top brands: Fecon, FAE, Loftness, Baumalight

Important: Brush cutters require high-flow hydraulics. Do not attempt to run a full-size brush cutter on a standard-flow machine — you will overheat the hydraulics and starve the motor.

5. Land Plane / Box Blade

A land plane (also called a box blade or grading box) is a three-sided steel box that drags behind the machine to grade, level, and finish surfaces. Scarifier teeth on the front loosen compacted material; the box redistributes and smooths it.

Price range: $1,500–$4,500
Hydraulic flow: Standard (no auxiliary hydraulics needed on basic models; hydraulic angle requires auxiliary)
Sizes: 60” to 96” wide
Top brands: Land Pride, Titan Implement, CID Attachments

Land planes are essential for driveway grading, finish grading before seeding, and leveling gravel parking areas. This is one of the most versatile attachments for property maintenance contractors.

6. Rock Bucket / Skeleton Bucket

A rock bucket (skeleton bucket) has tines or bars spaced to sift soil through while retaining rocks and debris. It is the right tool for boulder removal, rock pile cleanup, and separating unwanted material from dirt.

Price range: $800–$2,800
Hydraulic flow: Standard (no auxiliary hydraulics needed)
Top brands: Bobcat, Paladin, CID, Blue Diamond

The spacing between tines matters — tighter spacing retains smaller material, wider spacing works for large rocks only. Many buyers get a combo rock/root grapple that handles both rock removal and brush work.

Category 3: Construction Attachments

7. Pallet Forks

Pallet forks transform your skid steer into a capable forklift for moving materials around the job site — pallets of brick, bundled lumber, pipe, and equipment. Every construction operation benefits from a set.

Price range: $400–$1,800
Hydraulic flow: Standard (no auxiliary hydraulics needed)
Capacity: 4,000–8,000 lbs depending on fork length and rating
Top brands: Bobcat, Caterpillar, Titan, Blue Diamond

Safety note: Always check the machine’s rated operating capacity (ROC) before loading pallet forks. Overloading leads to tip-overs and broken components.

Recommended: Blue Diamond Skid Steer Pallet Forks — adjustable forks, heavy-duty build, competitive price

8. Construction / Ditching Bucket

A construction bucket (also called a cleanup bucket) has straighter sides and a flatter bottom than a GP bucket, optimized for precise grading, ditch cleaning, and trench work. The edge is sharper for cutting into compact soil.

Price range: $700–$2,200
Hydraulic flow: Standard
Widths: Available in 12” to 48” widths for trench work; 60”–84” for cleanup
Top brands: Werk-Brau, Caterpillar, Bobcat, Paladin

Narrow construction buckets (12”–24”) are especially useful for cutting utility trenches where excavator access is limited.

9. Concrete Mixer

A concrete mixer attachment mounts on the skid steer’s quick-attach and uses auxiliary hydraulics to spin a drum — allowing you to mix and pour concrete without a separate transit mixer. Ideal for post holes, footings, and small slabs.

Price range: $2,500–$5,500
Hydraulic flow: Standard auxiliary
Drum capacity: 5–12 cubic feet depending on model
Top brands: Erskine Attachments, Multione, Boss Industries

The primary advantage is eliminating a second piece of equipment on small jobs. For jobs requiring more than 4–5 yards of concrete, a ready-mix truck is still more economical.

Category 4: Snow and Winter Attachments

10. Snow Bucket / Snow Push Box

A snow push box is a dedicated snow-moving bucket with taller sides and a rubber or steel cutting edge optimized for pushing snow without picking up asphalt or gravel. Essential for commercial snow removal contracts.

Price range: $1,200–$4,000
Hydraulic flow: Standard
Widths: 84” to 120” most common
Top brands: Arctic, Protech, Sectional, Bobcat

Rubber vs. steel cutting edge: Rubber edges protect asphalt and decorative concrete; steel edges are more aggressive on packed snow. Many operators keep both on hand.

11. Snow Blower

A snow blower attachment uses a high-speed auger and impeller to throw snow 20–40 feet to the side — far more effective than pushing when drifts are deep or when you can’t push snow to the sides.

Price range: $4,000–$9,000
Hydraulic flow: High-flow strongly recommended for full performance
Throw distance: 20–40 feet depending on GPM
Top brands: Bobcat, HLA, Normand, Virnig

Snow blowers are the right choice for high-volume winter operations — airport aprons, large parking lots, and areas where pushback piles aren’t an option.

12. Angle Blade / Dozer Blade

An angle blade can be angled left or right (hydraulically) to windrow snow or material to the side rather than pushing it straight. Useful for clearing roads, long driveways, and large parking areas efficiently.

Price range: $1,800–$4,500
Hydraulic flow: Standard auxiliary (for angle function)
Widths: 84” to 120”
Top brands: Bobcat, HLA, AMI, Virnig

An angle blade functions as both a snow removal tool and a rough grading tool in the off-season, giving it year-round utility.

Category 5: Specialty Attachments

13. Trencher

A trencher attachment uses a rotating chain with cutting teeth to cut a narrow trench for utility lines, irrigation, and drainage pipe. It is dramatically faster than bucket trenching and produces a cleaner trench with less spoil.

Price range: $3,500–$8,000
Hydraulic flow: Standard to high-flow depending on model and chain width
Trench depth: Up to 48” on most skid steer-rated models
Trench width: 4”–18”
Top brands: Vermeer, Bradco, Harley, Blue Diamond

Soil limitation: Trenchers struggle in heavy rock. If your soil has significant rock content, confirm the chain is rock-rated before purchasing.

14. Vibratory Plate Compactor

A vibratory plate compactor (also called a tamper attachment) mounts on the skid steer’s quick-attach and uses a hydraulically driven eccentric weight to compact soil, gravel, and base material. Ideal for trench backfill, road base, and sub-grade preparation.

Price range: $3,000–$7,000
Hydraulic flow: Standard auxiliary
Plate size: 24”–48” wide
Top brands: Digga, Genesis, Allied, Pengo

Compactor attachments save significant time over walk-behind plate compactors on large areas. They’re also safer in trenches since the operator stays at machine level.

15. Cold Planer / Asphalt Cutter

A cold planer uses a rotating drum with carbide cutting teeth to mill and remove asphalt or concrete surfaces. It’s essential for road patching, pavement rehabilitation, and removing failed surface layers before resurfacing.

Price range: $8,000–$20,000+
Hydraulic flow: High-flow required (35–45 GPM minimum)
Cutting width: 12”–24” most common for skid steer class
Cut depth: Up to 4”–6” per pass
Top brands: Bobcat, Loftness, Roadtec, Caterpillar

Cold planers represent a major investment, but they open up lucrative asphalt patching and milling contracts that few small operators can compete for. If your market has road maintenance or parking lot rehab work, the ROI can be substantial.

Quick Reference: Attachment Hydraulic Flow Summary

Attachment	Flow Requirement
GP Bucket	No auxiliary needed
Pallet Forks	No auxiliary needed
Rock Bucket	No auxiliary needed
Land Plane (manual angle)	No auxiliary needed
Root Grapple	Standard (single acting)
Auger (small–medium)	Standard
Concrete Mixer	Standard
Vibratory Plate	Standard
Trencher (light)	Standard
Angle Blade	Standard
Snow Blower (small)	Standard
Auger (large diameter)	High-flow preferred
Brush Cutter	High-flow required
Snow Blower (commercial)	High-flow required
Cold Planer	High-flow required
Forestry Mulcher	High-flow required

Top Quick-Attach Accessories

Make attachment swaps faster and safer with these tools:

Hydraulic coupler set: Faster Quick Connect Couplers — reduce connection time and spillage
Attachment grease: Lucas Oil Red N Tacky Grease — for all pivot points and wear surfaces
Thread sealant: Loctite 567 PST Thread Sealant — for hydraulic fittings
Work gloves: Mechanix Wear FastFit — for hose connections and quick-attach pins

Building Your Attachment Collection

Don’t try to buy every attachment at once. Build your collection strategically based on the work you’re winning today, and expand as new job types come in.

Start here (every operation):

General purpose bucket
Pallet forks
Root grapple (if any brush or debris work)

Add next (based on specialty):

Land plane or box blade if you do grading
Auger if you do post or tree installation
Trencher if you do utility or irrigation work
Snow push or angle blade if you’re in a cold climate

High-investment, high-return (advanced operations):

Brush cutter for land clearing
Cold planer for asphalt work
Snow blower for commercial snow contracts

A well-equipped skid steer with the right attachments can generate revenue across multiple trades and seasons — making it one of the best return-on-investment pieces of equipment a small contractor can own.