Construction and Demo Work Setup for Skid Steers

For concrete breaking, demolition work, and small pours, a skid steer runs three distinct attachment types: a hydraulic breaker for breaking material, a bucket for removing debris, and a cement mixer for small-volume repair pours. Getting the hydraulic flow right is the critical factor for breakers specifically.

Construction and demolition work on Canadian job sites increasingly relies on skid steers for confined spaces where larger excavators can't access: indoor concrete breaking, crawl space prep, curb and gutter removal, foundation repair, and small pad pours. The machine's mobility and the availability of hydraulic attachments makes it a practical single-machine solution for this type of work.

The biggest challenge with a construction/demo setup isn't the attachments — it's the hydraulics. Hydraulic breakers are more demanding than almost any other skid steer attachment in terms of flow and pressure requirements. Running a breaker on an under-spec'd machine destroys both the machine's hydraulic system and the breaker itself. This guide spends extra time on flow requirements because that's where most mistakes happen.

Hydraulic Flow Requirements — Read This First

The practical implication: most mid-size skid steers running standard flow (18–22 GPM) can support a medium-class breaker. Heavy breakers typically need a high-flow machine or one with an enhanced aux circuit. Know your machine's aux flow spec before ordering any breaker.

Attachments You'll Need

1. Hydraulic Breaker — Concrete and Rock Breaking

A hydraulic breaker (hammer) breaks concrete, rock, asphalt, and frozen ground by delivering high-energy hammer blows through a chisel point. They're the standard tool for concrete demo, curb removal, frost-breaking in the prairies, and rock excavation where blasting isn't an option.

Most skid steer breakers mount to the standard quick-attach plate. The breaker hangs vertically from the lift arms, which positions it for angled work — particularly useful in confined spaces where a full 90-degree vertical position isn't possible.

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2. General Purpose Bucket — Debris Removal

After breaking, debris needs to move. A bucket handles concrete chunks, broken asphalt, rock fragments, and demolition material efficiently. For demo work, a heavy-duty rock bucket with higher wear resistance is preferred over a standard GP bucket — the abrasive material wears through lighter bucket construction quickly.

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3. Cement Mixer — Small Pours

For small-volume concrete pours — post footings, repair patches, small pads — a skid steer cement mixer is significantly faster than hand mixing and more practical than ordering a ready-mix truck for small volumes. The hydraulically driven drum keeps the mix moving until you're ready to pour.

Most skid steer cement mixers handle 3–8 cubic feet of mix per batch. That's roughly enough for a post footing or a small repair pour. They run on standard hydraulic flow.

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In What Order

1. Hydraulic breaker: Break the material — concrete slab, asphalt, rock, frozen ground. Work in sections, not all at once, to keep debris manageable.
2. Bucket: Remove broken material. Get debris off-site or into a waste pile before you continue breaking — debris in the work area slows breaker access and creates trip hazards.
3. Cement mixer (if pouring): Once the demo area is cleared and prepped, mix and pour as needed. Do repair pours at the end of the demo sequence, not during.

What to Watch For

• Match breaker weight class to your machine carefully. A breaker that's too heavy for your lift arms creates structural stress on the quick-attach plate and loader arms. Breaker weight plus frame weight adds up quickly — check your machine's rated attachment weight capacity before ordering a large breaker.
• Frozen ground in Canada requires specific bits. A standard chisel point works on concrete but a moil point (narrow taper) penetrates frozen ground better. Many operators stock both bit styles — confirm your breaker has a replaceable chisel or that the manufacturer offers alternative bits.
• Continuous operation limits exist. Most hydraulic breakers have a maximum continuous operation limit before they need a cool-down break — typically 30 minutes on, 15–30 minutes off. This is published in the operator manual. Ignoring it causes overheating and significantly shortens breaker life.