But what attachments are right for you, and which ones are worth the investment?
The first and most important consideration is this: If you need to save time and labor when performing specific tasks, the right attachments can provide that solution. And with the right set of attachments, you can do everything from lifting bales, to grading and preparing a seedbed, to performing odd jobs around the farm.
Among the most hard-working attachments that can help you get through your chores in far less time:
Digging tools. If you’ve ever had to dig or drill into very tough ground, you can understand why digging and drilling attachments have become so important to farmers. For soil that is difficult to penetrate, consider a planetary drive auger or post-hole driver attachment that can get these jobs done quickly and effortlessly.
Hay-moving attachments. For moving, lifting and stacking hay, the right hay attachment for your equipment saves you time – not to mention your back. A must-have for the livestock operator or hay producer, especially if you prefer large round bales.
Manure-handling attachments. If this daily chore can’t happen fast enough, then you owe yourself a look at these time- and labor-saving attachments. A manure fork moves loose hay and manure, and can also be used with grapple to transport branches or limbs; a manure scraper draws material away from walls, corners or fences.
Multiple-purpose attachments. One of the most versatile attachments for a skid steer loader is a four-in-one bucket that you can use as a loader, grapple, dozer blade or high dump-bucket.
Rakes. Rakes can be used to prepare a seedbed, level and grade soil, and separate debris and rocks from soil. A variety of rake types are available depending on the specific project.
Silage defacer. With this attachment, you can remove hay and corn silage and maintain a smooth compacted bunker face from tightly compacted bunkers by breaking it up, for reduced spoilage and easy access. The best ones will maintain the haylage stem length for improved palatability and digestibility, yielding higher milk production.
Snow attachments. If you live in areas of the country where it snows, the right snow-removal attachments can substantially increase your productivity on the farm during winter.
Rotary cutters. For skid steer loaders, these attachments come in handy for large-scale brush clearing and fence-line maintenance.