Skid Steer Rental

A skid steer rental gets you a compact, highly maneuverable loader that can dig, grade, lift and carry, and switch jobs in minutes by swapping attachments. Choose the frame size and attachments for your job, then compare suppliers on rates, delivery and terms.

What a skid steer is used for

A skid steer loader is a compact machine with lift arms on either side of the operator cab and a quick-attach plate on the front. It steers by driving the wheels or tracks on each side at different speeds, which lets it turn in its own footprint. That makes it one of the most versatile machines on a job site or property.

Common jobs include moving dirt, gravel and mulch, grading driveways and yards, backfilling trenches, clearing brush, loading trucks, carrying pallets, removing snow and cleaning up demolition debris. Many people still call any skid loader a bobcat, so if you have searched for a bobcat rental, a skid steer is the machine you are looking for, whichever manufacturer built it.

Wheeled vs tracked and frame sizes

Skid steers are also described by lift path. Radial-lift machines swing the arms in an arc and are handy for digging and pushing. Vertical-lift machines raise loads more straight up, which helps when loading trucks or lifting pallets high.

Attachments to consider

The real value of a skid steer loader rental is the attachment list. Popular options include:

• General purpose or dirt bucket for digging and moving material
• Pallet forks for lifting materials and supplies
• Auger for fence posts and footing holes
• Grapple for brush, logs and debris
• Trencher for irrigation or utility trenches
• Box blade or land plane for grading
• Brush cutter for overgrown lots

Confirm with the supplier which attachments are available for the machine you choose and how they are quoted.

Tips before you rent

• Plan transport. A skid steer requires a properly rated trailer and tow vehicle. Check the machine's weight against your truck and trailer ratings, or ask the supplier about delivery.
• Call 811 before digging, trenching or augering. Wait for underground utilities to be marked.
• Get a walkthrough. Learn the controls, safety interlocks and how to change attachments before you start.
• Wear your seat belt and keep the lap bar down. Never let anyone stand under raised arms or near the machine while it is turning.
• Carry loads low. Keep the bucket low while moving, especially on slopes, and travel straight up and down grades rather than across them.
• Check ground conditions. Soft ground, soggy lawns and steep slopes are where tracked machines earn their keep.

How to use a skid steer

Take a few minutes on flat, open ground to learn the machine before you start the real work.

1. Walk the site first. Call 811 before any digging, and mark soft ground, slopes, holes and overhead power lines.
2. Do a walkaround: check tires or tracks, look for leaking hydraulic hoses, check fluid levels and make sure the attachment is undamaged.
3. Climb in using the grab handles and steps, never the control levers. Fasten the seat belt and lower the seat bar, which on most machines unlocks the controls.
4. Ask the supplier which control pattern the machine uses, then practice driving, turning and raising the arms at low throttle in an open area.
5. To pick up an attachment, line up square, tilt the coupler forward, drive into it, curl back and engage the locking pins. Check from the outside that both pins are fully through.
6. Carry loads low, with the bucket just high enough to clear the ground, and travel slowly with a full bucket.
7. Go straight up and down slopes, never across them, with the heavy end uphill: an empty machine goes forward up and backs down; a loaded one does the opposite.
8. Use gentle, wide turns on lawns and finished surfaces instead of spinning in place.
9. To shut down, lower the attachment flat to the ground, set the parking brake, idle down and turn off the engine before you raise the seat bar.
10. Scrape off mud, refuel if the supplier asks for it, and return every attachment that came with the machine.

Mistakes to avoid

• Climbing out with the arms or bucket raised, or reaching under raised arms. That is a crush hazard.
• Carrying a full bucket high. The machine gets top-heavy and can tip forward or sideways on uneven ground.
• Spinning in place on a lawn, pavers or new asphalt. A wheeled machine rips up turf, and tracks scuff hot pavement.
• Not confirming the coupler pins are locked, so the attachment drops off while lifting.
• Loading past the rated operating capacity on the machine's decal, especially with heavy, wet soil or stone.
• Driving sideways across a slope or along the edge of a trench or retaining wall.
• Making sharp turns on a tracked machine over curbs, rocks or stumps, which can throw a track.

Pro tips

• Feather the controls. Small movements give smoother cuts and a lot less bouncing.
• For finish grading, back-drag with the bucket flat or slightly tipped forward, working in one direction.
• Lay plywood across lawns, sidewalks or driveways you need to cross repeatedly to keep ruts and cracks down.
• Before the rental, confirm that your trailer and tow vehicle are rated for the machine plus its attachments, or have the supplier deliver it.
• On a multi-day rental, ask whether the supplier expects you to grease the pivot points daily.

If the job is mostly digging rather than moving material, compare a mini excavator rental. To haul away spoil, pair the skid steer with a dump trailer rental.

How to find a skid steer rental near me

Rates are set by each supplier and vary by frame size, wheeled or tracked configuration, attachments, rental length, location and delivery. Daily, weekly and monthly options are common, and longer rentals often make sense for multi-week projects.

To rent a skid loader near me, use the Browse equipment button to search by your city and rental dates. You will see live skid loader listings from rental suppliers on the Derental marketplace. Compare a few suppliers on machine size, track or wheel options, attachments, delivery and terms, then request the machine online. Have your job details ready, such as the material you are moving, the ground conditions and your access width, so you can pick the right skid steer the first time.