Blade Turns Skid Steer Into Giant Spade

Blade Turns Skid Steer Into Giant Spade MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers The Spade Blade for skid steers is designed for maximum versatility and visibility The pointed blade sinks straight down to dig out rocks and trees or for pinpoint excavations “You wouldn’t use a square nose shovel when you need a pointed spade ” says Matt Trelstad TM Manufacturing “The Spade Blade with its pointed blade works like a spade Mounted to the arms of a skid steer it slides into the ground to remove objects or skims at an angle to create a swale ” Retailing for $1 295 the Spade Blade has a 2-ft width and a 5-ft reach It weighs in at 385 lbs The blade is made in the U S with grade 80 3/8-in steel The sandblasted and powder-coated steel comes standard in a silver color although custom colors are possible “The arms are made from sandwiched layers of 3/8-in grade 80 steel for greater strength ” says Trelstad “They are designed to handle the abuse of a large machine pointing a 2-ft wide spade at roots and rocks When Trelstad designed his skid steer mounted log splitter Vol 34 No 1 he made visibility a key feature He did the same with the Spade Blade The 2 heavy-duty mounting arms give the operator a clear view of what’s being dug “The window between the arms makes it easy to do precision digging ” says Trelstad “Why hire an excavator to dig out a leak in a water pipe or to access a buried cable? The window in the Spade Blade lets you see exactly where you are digging and what you are digging into ” That window made it possible for Trelstad to add even more versatility to the Spade Blade He used the space between the arms on the shoulder of the shovel to create a dirt scoop It has a straight center section and curving edges When the arms are extended parallel to the ground the center section is at a slight angle and ready to dig into the ground when dragged backward creating a shallow trench Trelstad notes that a couple of passes with the dirt scoop would be ideal when excavating for a sidewalk or doing shallow trenching “The dirt scoop feature eliminates digging up more than needed ” says Trelstad “It gives you precise control skimming sod or other material I used it to gather up weed fabric that had been laid down between rows of newly planted trees ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup TM Manufacturing 25621 Minn Hwy 4 Grove City Minn 56243 ph 320 286-3077; matttrelstad@yahoo com; www skidsplitter com

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