Making Use of Multi-Function Vehicles for Commercial Snow Clearing
Winter in the Upper Midwest isn’t for the faint of heart, and if anybody knows that to the bone, it’s our outdoor trades customers. One thing that most folks up this way have in common is that we all get to clear snow in our work or home lives at some point. But for the trades, they often get the privilege of clearing snow for both! From this fact of life, we frequently help our customers choose between Utility Vehicles (UTVs) and Skid Steers for their commercial snow clearing applications. There is no blanket rule that makes one option better than the other in all cases – instead, each offers a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that customers must fully weigh, as we’ll walk through below.
At a high level, commercial UTVs and Skid Steers are two separate vehicle classes that don’t naturally overlap in their functions or capabilities. Here’s a quick description of each:
- Utility Vehicles are light-weight, nimble machines primarily used to transport people and light cargo around farms, campuses, and complexes. Commercial UTVs are favored by groundskeeping, maintenance, and managerial staff to quickly traverse large areas. You can visualize commercial UTVs as a heavier duty golf cart capable of performing light-to-moderate work.
- Skid Steers are heavy-duty, highly maneuverable equipment used in construction, earthwork, agriculture, municipal maintenance, land management, and many more industries. Skid steer loaders are powerful machines that routinely perform drilling, grading, demolition, pallet lifting, landscaping, and digging operations. A good way to describe a skid steer is as a miniature tractor.
As we can see, these vehicles clearly serve different primary functions but do share one feature in common: they can both be outfitted with attachments to expand their capabilities, including snow clearing apparatuses. This is what makes these two vehicles so attractive for commercial snow clearing – instead of purchasing dedicated snow handling equipment, customers can utilize these equipment options for multiple functions (including snow clearing) throughout the year.
Comparing Utility Vehicles and Skid Steers for Snow Clearing Applications
From the above descriptions of commercial UTVs and Skid Steers, you might have concluded that these two equipment pieces are not fighting in the same weight class, and you’d be right. To further prove this point, let’s next compare two example equipment models’ core specifications. As you read the below table, focus on getting a good sense of the power, size, and complexity of each option – we’ll draw on that information later. (Hint: bigger is not always better).
| Commercial Utility Cart | Skid Steer | Commercial Utility Vehicle | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Example Model | Cushman Hauler PRO | JCB 215 | Polaris Pro XD |
| Seating | 2 Person | 1 Person | 2 Person |
| Operation | Standard Steering Wheel & Pedals | Multi-Drive Joysticks & Controls | Standard Steering Wheel & Pedals |
| Engine | 4 Cycle Gas Engine (401cc) | 4 Stroke Diesel Engine (2,482cc) | 3-Cylinder Kubota® Diesel |
| Drive | 2-Wheel Continuous Variable Transmission | 4-Wheel Hydrostatic Transmission | On-Demand 4×4 |
| Power | 14.9 HP | 74 HP | 24.5 HP |
| Cab | Open, Exposed | Enclosed, Protected | Open, Exposed |
| Ground Clearance | 4.3” | 8.3” | 11” |
| Dump Height | N/A | 7’ | N/A |
| Net Weight | 761 lbs | 2,112 lbs | |
| Load Capacity | 1200 Lbs | 4,592 lbs | 1,900 lb |
| Speed | 16.5 MPH | 11.5 MPH | 26 MPH |
| Hydraulics | N/A | 18.5 GPM Standard Flow | |
| Tires | 18” 18×8.5-8 6-Ply Tires | 30” 10×16.5-8 10-Ply Off-Road Tires | 26 x 10-12 Duro® DI-2042 Power Grip (M/T) |
| Suspension | Leaf Springs w/ Hydraulic Shocks | SRS Boom Suspension System | Front Suspension – 9 in (22.9 cm) Rear Suspension – 9 in (22.9 cm) |
| Ideal Applications | Best for Shallow, Light, Infrequent Snow Clearing on Even Surfaces | Best for Deeper, Heavy / Wet, Frequent Snow Clearing on Uneven Surfaces | Best for toughest worksites without compromising safety or uptime |
| Purchase Cost w/ Snow Blade | $10,000 – $20,000 | $50,000 – $60,000 | |
| Rental Cost w/ Snow Blade (Daily) | $150 – $300 | $250 – $500 |
Breaking Down the Details Between UTVs and Skid Steers
To summarize the above table, UTVs are lower cost, convenient people movers while Skid Steers are higher cost, resilient workhorses. However, as we hinted above, this doesn’t automatically make skid steers the only viable option for commercial snow clearing applications. What it comes down to is discerning how each equipment option fits into critical details about each application, as follows:
- Snow Depth – UTVs are best suited for light to moderate snowfall (6”-12”), as their lighter weight, lower ground clearance, and lower horsepower can stall out with heavier snow. On the other hand, skid steers provide the heavy weight and high horsepower to handle deep, wet, wind-packed snow (over 12”). (FYI, both vehicles can gain improved traction by adding snow tires or snow chains.)
- Snow Removal Attachment / Method – UTVs most often use static attachments such as snowplow blades (or at most, small electric snow blowers) to clear light, fresh snowfall. For anything more substantial, skid steers are better suited with their wide range of snowplows, buckets, and powered snow blowers.
- Attachment Adjustability – clearing long, straight, level, hardpacked surfaces is a completely different application than clearing uneven, inclined, crowned, frozen or soft earth surfaces. As such, UTVs with static attachments are preferred for the former condition, and skid steers with fully adjustable attachments are preferred for the latter (using the skid steer’s powerful hydraulic system for motive force).
- Working in Weather – we can’t forget that working conditions and operator comfort play a big role in this decision. Some UTVs have open cabs that don’t protect operators from wind, cold, rain, or snow. Skid steers have enclosed, heated cabs that solve these issues outright.
- Snow Clearing Speed – UTVs are usually the faster of the two options in terms of top-end speed, but that speed quickly declines when put up against increasing snow density and depth. When the snowpack hits a certain depth and density, it’ll slow down a UTV so much that a skid steer will be needed to get the job done.
- Reliability – in general, the industrial nature of skid steers makes them relatively more reliable than UTVs, especially in extreme cold weather environments. Most skid steer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), like JCB, offer cold weather packages that include integrated hydraulic, engine, and battery heaters, as well as fluids and elastomers rated for low temps. Some UTVs have similar packages, either from the OEM or through aftermarket channels.
- Budget – without question, UTVs are the more budget-conscious option of the two, including both upfront costs and ongoing maintenance costs. It must be noted that skid steers have complex hydraulic, electronic, and diesel engine technologies that require more costly maintenance, but that cost is fully justifiable in applications where UTVs and other light-duty equipment are not an option.
By picking through the above criteria, you’ve likely landed on the best fit for your snow clearing needs. Before wrapping up, take a moment to consider how the equipment will be used when it’s “not” clearing snow. During this time, which option offers more year-round versatility without sacrificing too much snow clearing performance? For instance, an excavation company with minimal snow load could use a skid steer in many more ways than a UTV. As another example, a facility management company with heavier snow load may elect to make do with a commercial UTV for its people-hauling benefits. Consider the whole picture of what an equipment investment means for your needs, and look for where you can derive the greatest total value across the board.
No matter which equipment you choose, to anyone jumping into a multi-function vehicle to clear snow around their residence, business, or jobsite, we salute your commitment to providing safer roads and work areas for everyone!
We hope that this discussion has been helpful for your commercial material handling and operational needs. Fairchild Equipment is the Upper Midwest’s premier Material Handling Equipment and Service resource, with headquarters in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and numerous locations ready 24/7 to serve your needs throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, northern Illinois and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For more information or to discuss which equipment solution might be best for you, please call us at (844) 432-4724 or send us a message.
