One feature that makes a skid steer loader such a popular piece of equipment is their ability to use a wide range of different attachments to handle all kinds of jobs. The standard attachment is a bucket - a basic scoop for picking up and hauling loose soil, gravel, mulch, etc.

Here are some other attachments you might want:

• Pallet forks - your skid steer loader can also function as a forklift.
• Multi-purpose or 4 in 1 bucket - a "jaw" bucket that opens and closes.
• Grapple bucket - has "arms" that can clamp down over the load.
• Hydraulic hammers - for breaking rock or concrete
• Brooms - powered, to clean up the job site
• Augers - quickly drill clean holes
• Grapplers - good at picking up larger loose materials (brush or recycling)

• Cold planers - for scraping and leveling pavement
• Angle blades - basically a bulldozer blade, for pushing and leveling
• Lifting booms - for picking up and moving heavy objects
• Trenchers - dig trenches of various depths and widths
• Backhoes - a small version of the common digging arm
• Snow blowers and pushers - very popular for removing snow in parking lots and other tight spaces
• Stump grinders - turn tough tree stumps into dust
• Mowers - available in multiple sizes and types
• Rototillers - the easy way to turn over soil for planting

The varieties of attachments go on and on - some companies list over 50 different types. Fortunately, you don't have to make all your attachment decisions at once. It's very common for skid steer loader buyers to purchase the machine with one or two critical attachments, then return to buy additional attachments later. You can also rent attachments, which is helpful when you need a specific tool only occasionally.

Attachments are almost all interchangeable among the different brands and models of skid steers, thanks to a universal skid steer loader attachment bracket called the "quick attach." Even some compact tractors and compact wheel loaders use the same system, giving you the ability to share attachments among multiple machines.

A very small number of attachments are not interchangeable, though. For example, a backhoe can generate so much torque that it could rip itself right off the quick attach without additional support. To avoid this, it gets attached directly to the frame of the loader, in addition to the quick attach. In these cases, the attachments won't work with brands other than the one they were designed for.

Most powered attachments connect to the skid steer's hydraulics. However, a few high-powered attachments, such as cold planers and stump grinders, require a high-flow hydraulic system. Not every skid steer loader has a high-flow hydraulic system, so be sure to review the power requirements of the attachments you plan to use before you decide on a purchase.