A snow pusher is the most common skid steer snow attachment in Canada — fast, simple, no hydraulic requirements beyond basic lift. But the right setup depends heavily on where you're working, how much snow you're moving, and whether the lot has anywhere to push it.
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These three attachment types get used interchangeably in conversation, but they do fundamentally different things.
| Attachment | What It Does | Best For | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow pusher (containment plow) | Pushes snow forward and contains it in side panels to prevent spillover | Parking lots, large flat areas, fast cleanup | Needs somewhere to push the pile; doesn't work well when lot is surrounded by banks |
| Snow blade (straight/angled) | Pushes and angles snow to one side | Roads, driveways, windrow to the side | Less efficient on lots — snow spills around the ends; no containment |
| Snow blower | Augers snow and throws it via chute — moves snow away from the machine | Tight spaces, high banks, nowhere to push | High flow required; slower than pusher; mechanical complexity |
For most Canadian commercial snow contractors working parking lots, the pusher is the primary tool and the blower is the cleanup machine for when banks get too high to push into. Running them together — pusher for 90% of the area, blower to clear the perimeter banks — is the standard two-attachment approach.
The r/homestead thread on 8-foot vs 10-foot pushers gets at the real question: how much pusher can your machine handle? A 10-foot containment pusher full of heavy wet snow is a significant load. On a small-frame machine (Bobcat S510, Cat 239D, Kubota SSV65), a full 10-footer of wet March snow can push the machine's weight limit — and the ride is rough without ride control.
General sizing guidance:
A containment plow (also called a box plow) has side panels that keep snow from spilling around the ends as you push. This is what makes them so productive on parking lots — you're moving all the snow in front of you, not leaving windrows on the sides with every pass.
For lot work, there's really no reason to use a straight blade over a containment plow. The containment design is simply more efficient. Straight blades earn their place on roads and laneways where you want to angle snow off to the side.
Some containment pushers have a floating edge that flexes over uneven pavement — important for lots with frost heaves or expansion joints. A rigid edge on rough pavement leads to gouging or the pusher riding up over obstacles and dropping snow. Look for this feature if the lot you're clearing is anything other than fresh flat asphalt.
Metal Pless is a Quebec-based manufacturer that's become a genuine standard in Canadian commercial snow removal. Their LiveEdge and ArcticPlow designs are well-regarded in the industry — the floating blade technology handles uneven pavement cleanly, and being a Canadian company means parts and dealer support exist across the country without US freight costs.
Their lineup runs from 7-foot to 14-foot containment pushers, with models designed for skid steers, loaders, and telehandlers. If you're outfitting a commercial snow operation in Canada and doing your research, Metal Pless belongs on the shortlist. Pricing is at the higher end of the market — you're paying for the engineering and the domestic support network.
A trip edge is a spring-loaded section at the bottom of the pusher blade that deflects when it hits a fixed obstacle (a curb, a manhole cover, a frozen speed bump). Without one, hitting an obstacle at speed either stops the machine abruptly, damages the blade, or tears up the obstacle itself.
On smooth new lots, trip edges matter less. On older commercial lots with settled curbs, frost heaves, and manhole covers at varying heights — they're essentially required. This is Canada. The lot you cleared in November is not the same surface in February after a few freeze-thaw cycles. Budget for a trip edge on any commercial application.
Snow blowers for skid steers need high flow — typically 25–40 GPM — and they're mechanically complex. They're also significantly slower than a pusher for open area clearing. But they solve one problem nothing else does: moving snow when there's nowhere left to push it.
Once perimeter banks get too high to push into, a blower can throw snow over a fence, across a divider, or into an adjacent area. For shopping centres and large commercial properties that get hit with 15+ snowfalls a season, having a blower available for bank management is necessary. For smaller lots or residential properties, it's overkill — rent one for the three days a year you need it.
Looking for specific models available in Canada? Browse the skid steer snow pusher catalog for verified product pages on real models sold through Canadian dealers.
Browse verified Canadian dealer listings for this attachment type.
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