Skid Steer Grading Explained in 4 Minutes

Today we are going through the basics of how to grade with a skid steer loader. I have the Kubota SVL65-2 skid steer out on a job for a local trucking company. We are placing some gravel for a new driveway, so this is a perfect opportunity to go through some basic fundamentals of grading with a skid loader

***EQUIPMENT USED***
Kubota SVL65-2

***PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT***
GoPro Hero 11 Black w/ media mod
DJI Wireless Mic
Cardioid Boom Microphone Headset
Adobe Premiere Pro
MacBook Pro M3Pro Laptop

[elizabethdennis]

EXCELLENT! Great content that is well presented. looking forward to your new videos. Just got my new skid and these lessons are invaluable.

[GabrielVIP]

This video is pure GOLD. I love this style. The voiceover is perfect and the story is well structured. Congratulations!

[nathank]

You pretty much nailed it mate, every bit of advice is spot on. Ive been a final trim skidsteer operator for 10 years now, some people find it hard to believe that we can get sand pads to within 5mm of level.
My main tips when teaching are, it works like a bulldozer, you feel the bumps or height difference in your thighs or seat, try to always sit on top of your work, keep product in your bucket, dont rely on back blade or float, thats for novices.

[somethinroundthehouse]

I operate a skid at an intermediate/advanced level depending on the task. I think the information that you've provided and how you provide it is spot on!

[RockyRiverFarms]

First things first. You gotta be able to see and feel grade. Without that you’re basically just pushing material around. Grading is an art that very few people will ever be able to master

[alsteeves]

Yesterday I finish graded and prepped my driveway for a concrete pour. It looks as flat as a table top.
You are a helpful resource for the uninitiated. The job you are doing here could have been done twice as quick, had the driver just spread that gravel even a little bit.
Anyway you got it looking pretty good. But that's just an opinion of a 68 year old that first sat on one of these when he was 17. The Bobcat never had a real cab on it at that time. After a few thousand hours it runs on auto pilot.

[jasonthewelder]

Great video! Biggest tip I ever got was to push material around with a full bucket. Like a dozer. Just like you did.

[DigginLife]

🔥🔥🔥 WELL DONE. This video is going to help a lot of people

[rpztestersteve]

Having the arms in the full down position is very important .

Great advice !!!

[bobmartin]

Very nice explanation!
Keeping a half or third of your bucket on the desired grade is key.

[michaelcoursey]

Great advice. Bucket down and 1/2 to 3/4 overlapping passes is huge. Also going too fast causes ripples/bumps. Seems new operators always want to go really fast

[JHarris]

Great tips! Now i just need the tips on how to afford a skid steer. 😂
Rented one a couple times for my driveway, and i definitely used a rake afterwards. Good to know how to do it all with the machinery.

[cowdiologist]

Good job, I recommend back blading with the "Float" option on the bucket. I have Takeuchi 230 Series 2 and absolutely love the machine. You can always make any grade by first making a cut to establish the slope.

[knuttsackjones]

Run the throttle wide open so you always have full power to your pumps. Your fine tuning is in your hands not your throttle. When you’re talking about pushing through the pile and the side windrows helping you carry more material, that’s called slot dozing. Same thing as when you plow snow

[danielheisig]

I would encourage you to get a box blade/land plane attachment. It is the ideal attachment for what you are trying to accomplish. It will save you time and have much better results. Companies manufacture them just for the purpose of grading, and you will have less stress on your machine.

[theimprovementsguy]

Float mode helps so much. Its what i use alot on my cat. I also lift the bucket point it downwards and use the tip of the blade to start the initial spread

[ProudPapaw]

Nice video. I have never operated one but I would have to say they probably are a little aggravating lol. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!!

[stevenivy]

You are great at explaining, what is going on .

Keep them coming !!!

[connorlhamon]

I do a lot of skid steer work and this is very good work for residential but on a site (grading over a trench) it’s different because as you go over the material it’s compacting more and more so this would just not work. I tend to push the pile 5’-10’ at a time and as I dump the bucket I’ll back drag the the bucket aimed down with some of the pile, that will fill my tracks and then some about another half inch or so, I’ll come back through with a sweep pass like how you do it and that’ll smooth everything out, I push the pile again and after it’s all done drop the bucket all the way down, bring it up 1/2” then curl it down so it just touches the ground and back blade the whole thing, it’ll leave the whole thing flat and smooth, I also find it easier to find highs and lows with a bit more speed, residential you can bill more hours I guess haha, looks good!

[WalkOverHotCoal]

I have a rubber tyre Mustang 940. I tried and persevered, and I always cheated and ended up using a shovel and a rake. I shall try again tomorrow using your advice. Thank you for the video.