Skid steer snow blowers and pushers: sizing them for an Alberta winter

Snow is the most dependable work a skid steer gets in Alberta, and the attachment choice matters more than the machine.

Pusher or blower. A pusher box moves a lot of snow fast where you have room to pile it: parking lots, yards, long driveways. A blower throws it where you cannot pile it: tight sites, sidewalks, anywhere the pile would block sight lines. Many contractors run both on the same machine through the season.

Width. Match it to the machine, not the lot. A pusher wider than the machine can push is a pusher you drag. Ask the dealer what their machine moves comfortably in heavy wet snow, not fluffy powder.

Hydraulic flow. Blowers need flow. A standard flow machine runs a smaller blower slowly; a high flow machine runs a big blower well. Check the flow rating on your machine before you fall in love with a blower.

Wear parts. Cutting edges, skid shoes, shear pins on blowers. Buy from a dealer that stocks them, because you will need one on a Saturday in January.

Tires or tracks. Tracks float and push better on soft ground but wear faster on cleared pavement. Snow contractors in town mostly run tires with chains or snow tires.

Tell us the machine you have, the sites you clear and your city. The Alberta dealers that stock the attachment call you with a price.