Skid Steer Overview

Our business is unique so we have developed unique tools to fit the individual needs including our Skid Steer. One of the biggest problems people face after having a forage box wrecked can be how to unload, retrieve, and set up the unit. Wrecks don’t happen to empty boxes on a flat open field. In 25 years we have seen boxes in every imaginable situation. Often the chopper boxes are in these situations while sitting full of silage. That means you face 2 separate problems, unloading the box and getting the box out of whatever situation it is in. Over the years we have become quite efficient at this by developing custom tools for these tough cases. These tools keep changing as we find what works the best. We also have other tools that save time & produce the best final solution.

John Deere 270 Diesel Skid Steer

The John Deere skid steer we use is the backbone of the box retrieval operation and all the tools we have built around it. For instance, we have a 17,500-pound electric winch that runs directly off the skid steer battery. This can be run off either the front or the back of the skid steer depending on the situation. We also have 2 more of these winches, one on each of our trailers.

Other than the normal pallet tines and an extra-large dirt bucket we have developed a third special bucket just to unload silage. This 4 x 11-foot bucket extends into downed boxes allowing us to evacuate the silage quickly.  Importantly, without the hours it would take to manually fork this out. To see a picture of this bucket feel free to look at the skid steer trailer. You will also see the skid steer used around the main operation. For example, hauling parts, moving equipment, or doing the heavy lifting for other purposes.

Not pictured is a 9,000-pound Warn winch that attaches to the dirt bucket. We can hook it close to the rear of the skid steer to use it in recovery work if the forage box is in a difficult retrieval location.

Winch Bucket

This apparatus has a 17,500-pound Recon electric winch. The snatch block effectively doubles the pull to 35,000 pounds, which is essential in chopper /forage box recovery. The bucket is set up to dig into the ground to create a strong winch point. It also has various points with hooks on them. We use a  receiver hitch to pull the boxes out of the woods.

Pallet Tine Buckets (Long and Short)

Pictured below is a long pallet tine bucket. We also have a short pallet tine bucket that is not pictured. We use these buckets for unloading freight, picking up floor units, and moving long sheets of roof steel. All of these are vital tasks in the repair of forage boxes.

PTO Bucket

If a chopper box is still usable we hook the PTO motor to the hydraulics of the skid steer. Then, we can run the box.  As a result, we save both labor and money as the box can have silage unloaded which can make recovery an easier task.