Skid Steer Attachments Explained: What They Do and When to Use Them

A skid steer rental becomes a different machine depending on what's connected to its front. The standard bucket handles pushing, scooping and moving material. Swap it for an auger and it drills post holes. Swap it for pallet forks and it moves palletized loads around the job site. Swap it for a trencher and it digs a consistent trench at defined depth and width. The universal coupler system — present on virtually all modern mini skid steer rentals — makes that swap possible in minutes. This post covers the most common attachment categories, what each does and what to confirm before booking a machine for attachment-dependent work. If you need the basics on what a skid steer does before getting into attachments, see our skid steer renter's guide.

The Universal Coupler: Why Attachments Work

One machine, many tools

Modern skid steers use a standardized quick-attach coupler at the front of the lift arms — sometimes called a universal skid steer coupler or Bob-Tach style plate. Any attachment built to the same standard connects to any compatible machine in minutes without tools. The hydraulic lines that power the bucket also power hydraulic attachments — augers, trenchers, grapple buckets — through auxiliary hydraulic ports on the machine. This standardization is why the attachment market is so broad: any manufacturer's attachment built to the universal standard fits any compatible machine.

The key pre-booking check: confirm the specific rental machine has auxiliary hydraulic ports if any powered attachment is part of the plan. Basic bucket work uses only the lift arm and bucket curl circuits — no auxiliary ports needed. Everything else on this list that uses hydraulics beyond the bucket requires them.

• Universal quick-attach coupler: standardized plate — most attachments connect without tools in minutes
• Auxiliary hydraulic ports: required for powered attachments — confirm on the listing before booking
• Standard bucket: works without auxiliary hydraulics

Bucket Attachments: The Core Tool Set

General purpose bucket

The standard attachment on most rental skid steers — a smooth-faced steel bucket with a straight cutting edge. Designed for moving and loading bulk material: dirt, gravel, sand, mulch, crushed stone. The cutting edge scrapes and scoops along flat surfaces cleanly, making it the right tool for site cleanup, material loading, grading and leveling. Width typically runs 60–84 inches depending on the machine size. No auxiliary hydraulics required.

• Best for: bulk material moving, loading, grading and leveling
• No auxiliary hydraulics required
• Width: typically 60–84 in — confirm against the work area if the job requires fitting into a tight space

Cleanup or ditch bucket

A narrower, deeper bucket — typically 12–24 inches wide — used for cleaning out ditches, shaping drainage channels or placing material in a defined narrow space. The narrower profile produces a more defined trench wall than a general purpose bucket and lets the bucket work in tighter spaces. Right for drainage channel maintenance, ditch cleanup and narrow material placement work. No auxiliary hydraulics required.

• Width: typically 12–24 in — narrower and deeper than the general purpose bucket
• Best for: ditch cleanup, drainage channel shaping, narrow placement work
• No auxiliary hydraulics required

Grapple bucket

A bucket with hydraulically operated upper tines that close over the load — essentially a claw that grabs and holds loose, irregular material. The grapple handles loads the standard bucket can't contain: brush piles, demolition debris, large rocks, root masses and loose lumber. It opens and closes on command rather than relying on gravity and the bucket's face to retain the load. Right for land clearing, demo cleanup, brush removal and job site material management where the material won't stay in a standard bucket. Requires auxiliary hydraulics.

• Requires auxiliary hydraulics — confirm on the listing
• Best for: brush, demo debris, rocks, root masses, loose irregular material
• The hydraulic tines are the functional difference from a standard bucket — not interchangeable

Auger: Drilling Post Holes and Footings

What an auger does and when to use it

A skid steer auger attaches to the auxiliary hydraulics and rotates a helical bit into the ground, drilling a clean, round hole of consistent diameter and depth. Bit diameters commonly run 6–18 inches; depth depends on the bit length, typically 36–48 inches. Common applications include fence post holes, deck footings, mailbox posts, sign posts, tree planting holes and any job requiring a consistent hole at a defined diameter and spacing.

A skid steer auger drills a fence line of 20–30 holes in a fraction of the time a hand auger or one-person power auger takes — and at more consistent depth. Performance degrades in rocky or heavily rooted ground, where the bit can deflect off obstacles and become difficult to keep on target. Evaluate soil conditions before booking an auger for precision placement work.

• Requires auxiliary hydraulics — confirm on the listing
• Bit diameter: typically 6–18 in — confirm the size available matches the required hole
• Depth: typically 36–48 in depending on bit length
• Best for: fence lines, deck footings, sign posts, tree planting
• Rocky or rooted ground: bit deflects — probe soil conditions before booking for precision placement

Pallet Forks: Material Handling on the Job Site

Turning a skid steer into a rough-terrain forklift

Pallet fork attachments slide onto the universal coupler and convert the skid steer into a rough-terrain material handler capable of moving palletized goods, stacked lumber, bagged aggregate and heavy bundled materials around a job site. No auxiliary hydraulics required — the forks are passive and the lift arms do the work. Fork capacity is rated separately from the machine's bucket capacity and varies by attachment, so confirm the fork attachment's rated capacity against the actual load weight before use.

The practical advantage of skid steer forks over a standard warehouse forklift is terrain capability — the skid steer handles unpaved, uneven and soft ground that a standard forklift can't navigate. Right for moving building materials on active construction sites, loading and unloading deliveries and organizing job site inventory across rough ground.

• No auxiliary hydraulics required — passive attachment
• Fork capacity: rated separately from machine specs — confirm against load weight
• Best for: palletized materials, lumber bundles, bagged aggregate, outdoor job site material handling
• Terrain advantage: handles unpaved and uneven surfaces a standard forklift can't

Trencher Attachment: Dedicated Trench Digging

Consistent trench work on the same machine

A skid steer trencher attachment mounts to the auxiliary hydraulic circuit and drives a chain-and-boom digging system, producing a consistent, clean trench at a defined depth and width. Depth range typically runs 24–48 inches; width options typically 4–8 inches depending on the chain. The skid steer's forward movement feeds the trench run while the chain digs continuously — producing cleaner walls and more consistent depth than a bucket approach and covering ground faster on long runs.

The trencher attachment makes the most sense when the skid steer is already booked for other work on the same job — grading, clearing or material handling — and the trench work is one phase among several. If trenching is the entire scope of the job, a standalone walk-behind trencher rental is often a simpler and more cost-effective booking. Requires auxiliary hydraulics.

• Requires auxiliary hydraulics — confirm on the listing
• Depth: typically 24–48 in; width: typically 4–8 in
• Best for: irrigation, drainage pipe, conduit, long-run trench work alongside other machine tasks
• Trench-only jobs: a standalone trencher rental may be more cost-effective

Other Common Attachments

Brush cutter. A hydraulic rotary cutting head that mows down heavy brush, saplings and overgrowth — significantly faster than hand cutting for clearing large areas. Requires auxiliary hydraulics with a high flow rate; confirm the machine supports the attachment's hydraulic flow requirement before booking. Not all skid steers produce enough flow for high-demand rotary cutting heads.

Hydraulic hammer (breaker). A chisel-tipped hydraulic percussion tool that breaks up concrete, asphalt, compacted subgrade and rock. The right tool for demo work that a bucket can't break. Requires auxiliary hydraulics and produces significant vibration — not appropriate for work near structures with sensitive foundations.

Sweeper bucket. A rotating cylindrical brush that sweeps debris — dirt, gravel, leaves, light snow — into a collected windrow or optional collector box. Right for job site cleanup, post-construction debris removal and surface maintenance. Requires auxiliary hydraulics.

Snow pusher. A wide, straight-faced blade that pushes snow in a contained box rather than casting it to the side. More efficient than a standard bucket for clearing large paved areas. No auxiliary hydraulics required — passive attachment like pallet forks.

What to Confirm Before Booking

Auxiliary hydraulic ports. Any powered attachment — auger, trencher, grapple, brush cutter, hammer, sweeper — requires auxiliary hydraulic ports on the machine. Confirm this is explicitly stated on the specific listing before booking for any powered attachment. Don't assume it's present because the machine is a certain size or model.

Attachment availability. Not all rental machines include all attachments. Confirm the specific attachment is included with the machine or available as a rental add-on before booking. A machine that's capable of accepting an attachment is not the same as a machine that has that attachment on hand.

Attachment capacity ratings. Fork capacity, auger bit diameter and trencher depth are rated per attachment, not per machine. Confirm the specific attachment's specs match the job requirements — not just that the machine is capable of using that attachment type in general.

Coupler compatibility. Most rental machines use the universal skid steer quick-attach standard, but confirm if sourcing an attachment separately. A mismatched coupler plate means the attachment won't mount regardless of hydraulic compatibility.

Insurance and Damage Protection

Before operating rented equipment, contact your insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability for heavy equipment operation on your property.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

The Short Version

The right attachment turns a single skid steer rental into the tool for multiple job types on the same site — drilling, lifting, trenching and clearing in addition to standard bucket work. Confirm auxiliary hydraulic ports and attachment availability on the specific listing before booking. If you're still deciding whether a skid steer or mini excavator is the right machine for the job, see our skid steer vs. mini excavator comparison before booking.

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