Plain-English definitions for the terms that come up when buying, spec'ing, and running mini skid steers and their attachments.
A
Angle broom — A rotating bristle attachment that sweeps material to one side. Used for snow, construction cleanup, and surfaces where a steel blade would cause damage. More →
Attachment plate — The mounting interface between machine and attachment. Most of this category uses a universal mini skid mount; Bobcat's proprietary Bob-Tach is the notable exception. More →
Auger — A rotating helical bit that drills holes for posts, footings, and planting. Torque requirement rises sharply with bit diameter. More →
Auxiliary hydraulic flow — The oil the machine delivers to a powered attachment, measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Along with pressure, it determines attachment performance. More →
B
Backdragging — Raising the bucket slightly, tilting the edge down, and driving backward to level material. The primary finish technique for spreading soil, gravel, and mulch.
Backfill — Material placed back into an excavation after work is complete. Should be placed in lifts and compacted.
Bale spear — Tines that penetrate and carry round or square bales. Load center sits well forward, reducing effective capacity. More →
Blank firing — Running a hydraulic breaker after the material has given way, with nothing under the tool. Destroys chisels and breaker internals faster than anything else.
Bob-Tach — Bobcat's proprietary attachment mounting system. Attachments require an adapter to run on universal-mount machines.
Boom pole (jib) — An attachment extending forward with a hook for lifting by strap or chain. Capacity drops steeply with extension. More →
Breakout force — The maximum force the machine can generate at the cutting edge or bucket, typically from the tilt cylinders. Determines how well it penetrates compacted material.
C
Carrier weight rating — The range of machine operating weights a hydraulic breaker is designed for. Mismatching it pushes the machine around instead of breaking material. More →
Compact track loader (CTL) — A full-size tracked loader. Much larger and more capable than a mini skid steer, but won't fit tight access and needs heavy transport.
Compact utility loader (CUL) — The formal industry term for what's colloquially called a mini skid steer. Same category. More →
Counter-rotating — Spinning in place with one track forward and one back. The single biggest factor in track wear, and it tears turf regardless of ground pressure.
Crown — The raised center of a driveway or road that sheds water to both sides. Restoring it is the point of most driveway grading. More →
Crumber — A cleanout shoe on a trencher that clears loose spoil from the trench bottom as it cuts.
D
Dump height — The height of the bucket's cutting edge at maximum lift with the bucket dumped. Slightly lower than hinge pin height, and the number that actually determines whether you clear a container wall.
Dumping hopper — A container attachment loaded by hand and emptied by tipping. Suits crews collecting scattered debris. More →
F
Filter fabric (geotextile) — Fabric used in drainage and under stone. Non-woven for filtration in drains; woven for soil stabilization. Using the wrong type is a common French drain error.
Flat-face coupler — A hydraulic quick-coupler design that minimizes contamination and fluid loss. Not interchangeable with pioneer-style couplers without adapters.
Float — A hydraulic mode allowing an attachment to follow ground contour rather than being held at a fixed height. Useful for spreading and screeding.
Forestry mulcher — A powered drum that grinds standing brush and saplings into mulch. Highest hydraulic demand of any attachment in this class. More →
Four-in-one bucket — A bucket that splits at the front, allowing loading, dozing, grabbing, and controlled spreading. More →
G
Geogrid — Reinforcing mesh extending back into retained soil behind a segmental retaining wall. Whether it's required is a design decision based on wall height and loading. More →
Grapple bucket — A bucket with a hydraulic clamping lid. Holds loose material and clamps debris. More →
Ground pressure — Machine weight divided by track contact area, expressed in PSI. Determines turf and soft-ground capability. Meaningless without knowing the track width it was measured at.
H
Harley rake (power rake) — A powered drum with carbide teeth that pulverizes soil, removes surface debris, and creates a seedbed. Named for the brand that popularized it. More →
High flow — In full-size equipment, a specific option package. In the mini category the term is used loosely — compare actual GPM and PSI rather than relying on the label.
Hinge pin height — The height of the bucket pivot pin at maximum lift. Determines how high you can dump and whether you clear a trailer or dumpster wall.
Hydraulic horsepower — The power actually delivered to an attachment's motor. Calculated as (GPM × PSI) ÷ 1,714. The spec that determines attachment performance, and the one most buyers never check. Calculator →
I
ISO 14397-1 — The international standard setting rated operating capacity at 35% of tipping load for this equipment class. Used by every established manufacturer. More →
L
Lift — A layer of fill material placed and compacted before the next layer. Compacting in lifts rather than all at once is what prevents settlement.
Load center — The horizontal distance from the machine to a load's center of gravity. The farther forward, the less the machine can safely carry — effective capacity drops below the rated figure.
Low-profile bucket — A shallower bucket giving better visibility to the cutting edge. Trades capacity for precision. More →
O
Operating weight — The machine's weight ready to work, typically including fluids and often a standard bucket. Determines trailering requirements and affects ground pressure and stability.
P
Pioneer coupler — An older hydraulic quick-coupler style. Not interchangeable with flat-face without adapters.
Plate compactor — A vibrating plate attachment for compacting base and backfill. More →
Post driver — An attachment that pounds posts into undisturbed soil. Faster than augering where ground allows, with no concrete required. More →
R
Radial lift — A lift path where the attachment travels in an arc. Generally offers more breakout force at mid-height; contrasts with vertical lift.
Rated operating capacity (ROC) — The load a manufacturer states the machine can safely handle, expressed as a percentage of tipping load. The percentage matters — 35% under ISO, or 50% for some import brands. More →
Riprap — Large stone placed to armor shorelines and slopes against erosion.
Rock bucket (skeleton bucket) — A tined bucket that lets soil fall through while retaining rock and debris. More →
Root grapple — An open-tine grapple for brush and logs. Sheds soil, unlike a grapple bucket. More →
S
Shear pin — A sacrificial fastener that breaks to protect a gearbox when an attachment hits an obstruction. Common on snow blowers. Carry spares.
Side-shift — The ability to offset an attachment laterally without repositioning the machine. Useful on trenchers, post drivers, and saws working close to obstacles.
Silica (respirable crystalline) — Dust generated by cutting or breaking concrete and stone. A regulated exposure under OSHA's standard; water suppression and respiratory protection are required.
Skid steer — Originally described the steering method — skidding rather than turning wheels. The name persists as a category label even for tracked machines.
Slew — The ability to rotate the upper structure independently of the tracks, as an excavator does. Loaders don't slew, which is a fundamental difference from excavators.
Soil conditioner — A powered drum for seedbed preparation. Closely related to a harley rake; terminology varies by manufacturer. More →
Spring pole — A bent or pinned limb under tension in storm-damaged trees. Releases violently when cut. A serious hazard in storm cleanup.
Stand-on — The operator position on most current machines in this category, riding a rear platform rather than seated or walking behind.
Stump grinder — A rotating carbide-toothed wheel that grinds stumps below grade. More →
T
Tipping load — The weight at which the machine begins to tip forward. The measured value that rated operating capacity is calculated from.
Track tension — How tightly the rubber track is set. Too loose causes derailment and lug wear; too tight overloads the undercarriage. The most commonly neglected maintenance item.
Trencher — A chain-and-tooth attachment cutting a continuous trench at set depth. Chain type — dirt, combination, or rock — must match the soil. More →
U
Undercarriage — Tracks, rollers, idlers, sprockets, and frame. The expensive part to repair, and largely protected by tension maintenance and regular cleaning.
Universal mini mount — The de facto standard attachment interface for this category, used by most manufacturers. An industry convention rather than a certified standard, so verify specific attachments. More →
V
Vertical lift — A lift path where the attachment travels nearly straight up. Generally offers better reach and capacity at full height; contrasts with radial lift.
Vibratory plow — A vibrating blade that pulls pipe or cable through soil with minimal surface disturbance. Works only in suitable ground. More →
W
Windrow — A row of material cast to one side by a plow, blade, or rake. Also the ridge a plow truck leaves at the end of a driveway or crosswalk.