Winter doesn’t care about your schedule. Snow shows up when it wants, piles up fast, and suddenly every lot, driveway, and access road becomes your problem. If you’re running a skid steer, you already know a bucket or blade can only take you so far. At some point, you need something built for it. Something that actually throws snow instead of just pushing it around.

That’s where snowblowers for skid steer loaders come in. But picking the right one? That’s not just “buy the biggest one and go.” I’ve seen contractors waste money that way. Too wide. Not enough hydraulic flow. Wrong chute setup. Looks good on paper, doesn’t perform on site. So let’s slow it down and walk through it like real operators.

Know Your Machine First. Always.

Before you even look at specs, look at your skid steer. What’s the hydraulic flow rate? Standard flow or high flow? That right there narrows your options fast.

A snow blower attachment needs enough hydraulic power to spin that auger and impeller hard enough to throw snow clear, not just dribble it five feet in front of you. If your machine can’t support a high-flow blower, don’t buy one hoping it’ll “be fine.” It won’t.

Width matters too. A 72-inch skid steer snow blower might sound perfect. Until you’re bogging down in wet, heavy snow because your machine’s underpowered. Sometimes slightly narrower is smarter. Clears just as well. Less strain. Less wear.

Match the attachment to the machine. Not the other way around.

Think About The Type of Snow You Actually Deal With

Powder in Colorado is one thing. Wet, coastal Maryland snow? Whole different animal. Heavy. Sticky. Miserable.

If you’re in areas like the Mid-Atlantic, you’re not just blowing fluff. You’re chewing through slush, refreeze, ice chunks from plows. That means you want a heavy-duty skid steer snowblower with solid auger construction and reinforced housing. Thin steel bends. I’ve seen it happen.

Look at:

• Auger thickness

• Cutting edge material

• Replaceable wear parts

You want something that survives February, not something that looks good in November.

Hydraulic Flow and Performance — Don’t Guess

This part gets skipped way too often. Operators see “compatible with most skid steers” and call it good. No. Check the GPM requirement. Compare it to your machine’s output.

If your skid steer runs 18–23 GPM, stick to attachments built for standard flow. If you’re running high flow (30+ GPM), then yeah, you can step into bigger, more aggressive snow removal attachments.

Underpower a blower and you’ll clog constantly. Overpower? You risk premature wear. It’s a balance. A good manufacturer, like Spartan Equipment, lists this clearly. If they don’t, that’s a red flag.

Open vs Enclosed Auger Design

You’ll see both. Open designs can be easier to service. Enclosed housings tend to control snow better and reduce blowback. For commercial operators clearing parking lots at 3 a.m., visibility matters. Snow blasting back into your cab gets old real fast.

I lean toward solid, well-enclosed units for commercial work. Less mess. More control.

Chute Control — Manual or Hydraulic?

Manual chute rotation might save a few bucks upfront. But ask yourself — how many times are you adjusting direction during a job?

Hydraulic chute rotation and deflection lets you control snow discharge from inside the cab. Faster. Cleaner. Less stopping. When you’re clearing multiple properties back-to-back, those minutes stack up.

It’s like choosing between manual and hydraulic skid steer land clearing attachments. Sure, both technically work. But one makes your life easier every single day.

Build Quality Matters More Than Brand Hype

There’s a lot of flashy marketing out there. Bright paint. Big claims. Doesn’t mean much when you’re buried in 10 inches of wet snow.

Look at welds. Seriously. Look at how the housing is reinforced. Check whether wear edges are bolt-on and replaceable. Ask about parts availability.

A commercial skid steer snow blower should feel overbuilt. A little heavier than you expected. That’s usually a good sign.

Brands like Spartan Equipment focus on heavy-duty construction because their buyers aren’t homeowners. They’re contractors, landscapers, farm operators. People who run equipment hard.

Consider Your Typical Job Sites

Are you clearing tight residential driveways? Big retail parking lots? Long rural farm lanes?

A compact snowblower attachment might make sense for tight maneuvering. But if you’re mostly on open lots, wider coverage saves time. Fewer passes. Less fuel burned.

And don’t ignore stacking capability. A snowblower that throws 30–40 feet gives you more flexibility. Especially when snowbanks start creeping in by mid-season.

Maintenance and Serviceability

This part’s boring. But it matters.

Check:

• Grease points accessibility

• Shear bolt design

• Ease of replacing cutting edges

If it takes half a day to swap a wear part, that’s downtime you can’t afford. Winter contracts don’t wait.

Also, ask about parts shipping times. If you’re running commercial snow removal, you need fast support. Period.

Budget vs Long-Term Value

Cheap attachments usually cost more in the long run. Bent augers. Cracked housings. Constant repairs.

I’m not saying buy the most expensive unit on the market. I am saying buy for durability. Especially if snow removal is a serious revenue stream for you.

A properly matched skid steer snow blower attachment can pay for itself in a season or two if you’re running commercial accounts. But only if it holds up.

Where Snowblowers Fit in a Bigger Attachment Strategy

Here’s something a lot of operators overlook. Snow removal isn’t separate from the rest of your business. It’s part of your equipment ecosystem.

If you already run skid steer land clearing attachments during warmer months brush cutters, grapples, tree pullers then winter attachments should match that same durability standard. Same hydraulic compatibility. Same build quality.

It’s about consistency. One machine. Multiple revenue streams. Year-round use.

And if you’re buying from a company like Spartan Equipment, it makes sense to keep that ecosystem aligned. Less guesswork. More interchangeability.

Final Thoughts

Picking the right snowblower for your skid steer isn’t complicated, but it does require attention. Know your machine. Know your snow conditions. Don’t oversize just to impress anyone. And don’t cheap out where it counts.

Commercial operators don’t need fluff. They need attachments that start in the cold, throw snow far enough to matter, and survive the season without constant wrench time.

Choose based on hydraulics. Build quality. Real job-site needs. Think long-term, not just this storm.

Get it right, and winter stops being a headache. It becomes another solid revenue line just like the rest of your skid steer land clearing attachments.