Maximize Efficiency: The Ultimate Skid Steer & Compact Track Loader Attachment Guide

Attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders turn already versatile machines into highly productive workhorses capable of taking on any job you’re up against. Our compact equipment attachments guide can help you get the most out of your equipment investment.

Compare each type of work tool and discover the best attachments for your skid steer or compact track loader. Review our tips for choosing the best attachments for any application and follow our step-by-step process on how to change Cat^® skid steer and compact track loader attachments.

What Are Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments?

Compact track loader and skid steer attachments are tools you can attach to your machine’s coupling interface to add specific functionality to your equipment.

Equipment attachments have revolutionized the way contractors, workers and landowners get their tough tasks done. By offering a vast suite of capabilities designed to maximize efficiency, attachments for Cat skid steers and compact track loaders provide the right tools for every conceivable job.

Types of Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments

When looking to maximize the versatility and productivity of your compact track loader or skid steer, consider the wide availability of Cat work tools compatible with these machines. From landscaping and construction tools to cleanup and maintenance attachments to general-purpose solutions, Blanchard Machinery carries the ideal products for your application.

Compare the types of skid steer and compact track loader attachments available at Blanchard Machinery:

Buckets

When it comes to maximizing convenience and productivity, buckets are a must-have compact equipment attachment. Buckets allow operators to tackle an extensive amount of ground in little time, making them ideal for landscapers, farmers, road builders or land management crews.

With a loader bucket, you can accomplish the following types of work:

• Move and load material, including gravel, snow, or debris
• Perform basic digging, grading, and backfilling needs
• Carry equipment, supplies or other materials, including specialty applications like concrete slabs

Cat bucket attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders come in various configurations, including:

• General-purpose buckets
• Light material buckets
• Grapple buckets
• Concrete slab buckets

Thumbs

After buckets, thumbs are one of the most useful attachments for Cat compact track loaders and skid steers. Also called a clamp, a thumb attachment works with a bucket similarly to the way your thumb works with the rest of your fingers. Use a thumb for a secure grip on objects that won't fit into a bucket, such as large stones or odd-shaped pieces of scrap.

Thumb attachments have incredible versatility and can increase your productivity. Thumbs can benefit companies in various industries, from construction and utility work to landscaping or recycling.

Cat thumbs are available in a range of sizes and generally have two to six teeth. Most thumbs are hydraulic attachments, though some options have a fixed or stiff link.

Augers

Tackle excavating work with your existing skid steer or compact track loader using a Cat auger attachment. Bore precise holes into the ground for tree planting, concrete footings and forms, fence posts or any other construction application. Cat augers are designed to maximize the amount of torque impact to the ground, increasing productivity and reducing manual effort.

Caterpillar offers several auger attachments compatible with the skid steer or compact track loader coupling system:

• A23 direct driver auger delivers 1,699 foot-pounds of torque.
• A41 single planetary drive auger delivers 3,037 foot-pounds of torque.
• A68 double planetary drive auger delivers 5,034 foot-pounds of torque.

Consult your local Cat dealer to match the right auger attachment to your skid steer or compact track loader model.

Backhoe Arm

The Cat backhoe arm is one of the most game-changing work tools on the market. When you need the digging and trenching functionality of an excavator and the maneuverability of a loader, you can combine the two using the backhoe attachment.

Get extension, dig depth, and 180 degrees of swing for an efficient and high-performing solution to digging and moving material. This attachment has built-in stabilizers, so you can rest assured your compact track loader or skid steer will remain secure as you extend the backhoe arm forward and lift and swing heavy material loads.

Brooms

Keep a clean and sanitary work site with broom attachments for your compact track loader or skid steer. Broom attachments are the ideal cleanup tool for applications like:

• Sports and recreation complex management
• Landscaping and construction site clean up
• Road building and highway maintenance
• Warehousing and dock management

A broom tool allows you to sweep up sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, and other road surfaces. They can also be used to scrape up mud, debris and other materials, containing them for convenient disposal.

Caterpillar offers three types of broom attachments for compact track loaders and skid steers:

• Angle brooms clean along tight surfaces and against buildings.
• Pick-up brooms use a gutter brush to sweep along edges and collect debris into the attached hopper.
• Utility brooms achieve maximum bristle engagement to sweep and collect larger amounts of cold planing debris more easily.

Brushcutters

Tackle stubborn vegetation overgrowth and eliminate underbrush with a Cat brushcutter attachment for your skid steer or compact track loader. Brushcutter attachments chew through thick brush and small trees, helping you clean up property lines, clear overgrown easements and rights-of-way and help prepare a site for grading.

Caterpillar designs two types of brushcutters — the standard closed-deck brushcutter and the open-faced industrial brushcutter. The standard brushcutter contains two rotating discs to ingest brush, while the rear exhaust expels the cut material safely. The industrial brushcutter contains a heavy-duty push bar at the front to help knock down larger brush and guide it toward the four rotating knife discs that ingest the full brush load.

Forks

Lift and move heavy loads safely with Cat fork attachments for your compact track loader or skid steer. Pallet forks help you move palletized loads as well as building supplies, including lumber, pipes, drywall, and anything else that needs to be safely transported.

Cat pallet forks include a rigid rear support with a mesh design for optimal visibility. Operators can safely load their palletized goods onto the tines while visually ensuring the load is properly balanced and secured. The pallet fork tines are adjustable to match the width of your load and come in 36-, 42-, and 48-inch lengths.

Mulchers

Whether you’re working in forestry, land management or site preparation applications, you need a heavy-duty work tool that can shred apart thick brush and small trees quickly and smoothly.

Cat mulcher attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders are built to take on rugged jobs thanks to the heavy-duty push bar, which helps you fell select trees or take down a thicket of brush in a single pass. As the push bar knocks down the brush, it's guided into the steel drum. The drum’s teeth are distributed in a scattered, helical pattern, ensuring you leave behind the finest possible byproduct.

Rakes

Whether you’re a landscaping contractor or preparing your private land, landscape rakes are an invaluable tool to help you aerate soil and lightly level and grade your lot in preparation for laying down sod or spreading seed.

Cat landscape rakes allow you to pick up debris that’s up to 6 inches tall, shredding it apart and depositing it into the attached hopper. This then allows you to conveniently discard the debris when you’re done with the job by emptying out the hopper.

Compatible with standard flow hydraulic machines, Cat landscape rakes are suitable for all compact equipment, including skid steers and compact track loaders.

Stump Grinders

Clear land quickly or maintain your property efficiently with stump grinder attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders.

Cat stump grinders offer operators incredible maneuverability so you can grind away stumps no matter the terrain at hand. The stump grinder attachment rotates side to side as well as forward and backward, giving you better control over the performance of the tool. The grinder has 32 independent carbide bits that shear through hard or soft wood and can grind stumps down below ground surface level.

Tillers

Recover fallow soil and reinvigorate your landscape with tiller attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders. Tillers are used to break up compact earth, churning it over to aerate it and disperse the natural supply of soil nutrients.

Put Cat tiller attachments to use in the following applications:

• Maintain sports fields and green spaces
• Stabilize agricultural soil
• Prepare seed beds and mix in fertilizer or compost
• Level and grade lots for construction

Cat tillers are manufactured both for high performance and longevity. The double-edged tines are tungsten-coated for durability, while the direct-drive motor gives you the impact force needed to puncture the toughest of topsoil.

Snow Products

Put your skid steer or compact track loader to productive use year-round with snow management attachments from Caterpillar.

Choose from the following types of snow work tools:

• Snowplows and multi-V plows: With hydraulic angling capabilities, Cat snowplows can help you clear away snow from tight spaces, contour around buildings and operate on paved surfaces. Take snow plowing one step further with multi-V plows that offer two independent angling blades for maximum snow removal efficiency.
• Snow pushers and wings: Remove snow and ice efficiently with straight snow pusher attachments. For precise snow moving, use a snow pusher with independently controlled wings that angle for better snow-pushing maneuverability.
• Snow blowers: Quickly remove snow from streets, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks with a snow blower. Cat snow blowers are ideal tools for winter maintenance and cleanup.

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3 Tips for Choosing Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments

Get the most out of your compact equipment by making a smart investment in the right work tool for your needs.

When choosing a skid steer or compact track loader attachment, consider the following top tips to help you select the right work tool:

1. Define Your Application

You should understand the full scope of your application before selecting an attachment to invest in. In general, Cat attachments for skid steers and compact track loaders accommodate the following main types of applications:

• Material handling: Buckets, forks, bale grabs, and spears for lifting and loading supplies are best for material handling applications.
• Land management: Consider brooms, brushcutters, mulchers, rakes, tillers, stump grinders and snow products for clearing overgrowth and maintaining soil and surfaces.
• Site preparation: For digging, grading, backfilling, and trenching, use augers, backhoe arms, blades and trenchers.

Knowing which tools are best for which applications will help you narrow down the type of attachment you need.

2. Choose the Right Model

Once you’ve decided on the type of attachment, consider the specific model that’s right for your needs. There are three critical factors to look at when selecting the best attachment model for your machine and project needs:

• Size: Depending on the work tool, there may be various sizes available. With different working widths and dig depths, Cat attachments offer both small and large working options that suit your project needs.
• Capacity: Another important consideration when choosing load-bearing attachments is the load capacity. Be sure to choose an attachment that can bear sufficient weight to lift and load your given material, whether it’s building supplies or loose landscaping material.
• Hydraulic rating: When selecting hydraulic work tools, be sure to match the tool's hydraulic flow rating to your machine. Know whether your Cat machine is standard, high flow, or high flow XPS, and ensure that the attachment will receive enough hydraulic pressure from your machine to maximize its performance.

3. Consider Future Projects

You want to invest in a work tool that will be put to productive use for years to come, so selecting one that serves its maximum purpose is essential.

Many work tools can accomplish similar tasks. To maximize the versatility of your machine, select the tool that will perform the best under your typical project circumstances. You can consult with your local Cat dealer for expert recommendations on how to select the right type of skid steer or compact track loader attachment.

How to Change Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments

Below are general steps on how to change an attachment. Always check your operation and maintenance manual (OMM) for the proper procedures for your specific machine.

To change attachments on your skid steer or compact track loader, follow these instructions:

1. Position the attachment on the ground in front of the machine. Tilt the coupler forward and slowly drive into the work tool.
2. Lift and tilt the coupler and the attachment backward, allowing the tool to seat properly.
3. If your machine is equipped with the powered quick coupler option, press and hold the quick coupler button, engaging the coupling pins.
4. If your machine uses the manual coupling option, exit the cab and secure the coupler pins by hand.
5. Test whether the attachment is secure by tilting the work tool downward until it contacts the ground. Back drag the tool along the ground, putting pressure on it and checking that there’s no movement between the tool and the coupler.
6. Finally, lift the work tool off the ground and visually inspect that the pins are engaged.

To attach a hydraulic work tool, follow these steps:

1. Clean the hydraulic connectors before hooking up the lines.
2. Thread the hydraulic lines through the hose guide on the side of the lift arm.
3. Connect the hydraulic hose from the work tool to the machine’s auxiliary hydraulic connectors.
4. As you connect the line, release any stored pressure from the hydraulic lines by pressing the connector inward and holding for up to five seconds.
5. To disconnect the hydraulic lines, repeat the process in reverse.

Again, always check your OMM to understand the proper routing pattern for each type of work tool.

Why Choose Cat^® Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments?

When you choose a Cat skid steer or compact track loader attachment, you're choosing to partner with a world leader in heavy equipment design and manufacturing. Caterpillar is renowned for its high-quality products that provide equipment owners with benefits such as:

• Superior performance: Cat equipment and work tools are designed to perform well under rugged conditions. From the durable materials and advanced motor technology to the functionality and safety features, all work tools from Caterpillar are made with the owner and operator in mind.
• Versatile selection: Given the wide variety of specialty Cat work tools available, equipment owners rely on Caterpillar for a total systems solution. Turn to the vast Cat work tools selection for the versatility and options you need to tackle every type of job.
• Increased productivity: Eliminate unproductive downtime with Cat equipment attachments. Caterpillar designs work tools to maximize productivity, providing you with the right size, capacity, and power rating so you can get more done in less time, reducing your operating costs and maximizing your bottom line.

Choose Blanchard Machinery for Skid Steer and Compact Track Loader Attachments

Choosing attachments for your skid steer or compact track loader is easier when you partner with the right equipment experts. Blanchard Machinery is a leading dealer of Cat equipment and work tools, serving industries from construction and landscaping to agriculture and forestry to road work and mining.

Contact Blanchard Machinery to learn more about our skid steer and compact track loader attachments for sale. Call us today at 844-252-6242 or find a Blanchard Machinery location near you. Request a quote on equipment attachments today.