How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Skid Steer in Arkansas?
One equipment dealer’s posted rates start at $285 a day for a small track loader of about 25 hp. Mid-size track loaders of 55 to 70 hp run $335 to $385 a day. At 92 hp, its skid steer runs $365 a day and its track loader $490. Weeks run $855 to $1,470, and a 4-week period $2,052 to $3,528.
Tax, delivery, fuel and a protection fee come on top. That sheet is not from an Arkansas yard, so call yards near you for their rates. A national cost guide puts a hired skid steer with an operator at $100 to $300 an hour.
Those are market numbers, not our price list. Craig Land Management does not rent machines out. Based in Monette, we bring our skid steer and do the work. See our skid steer services for the jobs we take on.
What does each size of skid steer rent for?
Machine size sets the base price. On the dealer’s sheet, horsepower and rated capacity climb together, and so does the rate. Rated capacity is the load a machine is rated to carry.
| Machine on the dealer’s sheet | Rated capacity | Machine weight | Day | Week | 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small track loader, about 25 hp | 1,000 lb | 3,390 lb | $285 | $855 | $2,052 |
| Mid-size track loader, 55 hp | 1,490 lb | 6,424 lb | $335 | $1,005 | $2,412 |
| Mid-size track loader, 70 hp | 2,200 lb | 8,022 lb | $385 | $1,155 | $2,772 |
| Large skid steer, 92 hp | 3,350 lb | 9,314 lb | $365 | $1,110 | $2,664 |
| Large track loader, 92 hp | 3,475 lb | 10,515 lb | $490 | $1,470 | $3,528 |
Wheels or tracks moves the price too. A skid steer rolls on tires, and a compact track loader runs on tracks. At 92 hp, the dealer’s skid steer rents for $365 a day and its track loader for $490. That is $125 more a day for tracks.
Attachments carry their own day rate. On the same sheet, a grapple bucket runs $190 a day and an auger with a bit runs $165. The 70 hp track loader with a grapple bucket comes to $575 a day before fees.
What do a day and a month mean on a rental sheet?
A rental day is not unlimited running time. On the dealer’s sheet, a day covers up to 8 hours of machine time in each 24 hours. A week covers 40 hours over 7 days. Hours past those limits get billed on top.
A month there is a 28-day, 4-week period capped at 160 hours. Rent by the week, and the sheet says the fourth week is free after the third. The 4-week rate is lower still. Three single weeks of the small track loader add up to $2,565, against $2,052 for 4 weeks.
The sheet has no hourly rates and a one-day minimum. Charges run from the time the machine goes out to the time it comes back. A week costs about three days of rent there, so a job past three days fits a week rental.
What fees come on top of the rental rate?
Delivery or towing it yourself. The dealer’s prices are at its own lot, and delivery and pickup cost extra. Towing it yourself takes a trailer and a truck rated for the load. The 92 hp track loader weighs 10,515 pounds on that sheet.
Fuel and upkeep. The sheet bills fuel by the gallon when a machine comes back less than full. While it is out, greasing, oil, filter changes and tire repairs fall on the renter.
A damage waiver or proof of insurance. That dealer wants proof of insurance for the full value of the machine. Without liability coverage, it adds a 15% protection fee to the rental charge. On the 92 hp track loader’s $1,470 week, that comes to $220.50. Damage from abuse gets billed back to the renter.
Cleaning and a deposit. Bring a machine back caked in concrete, asphalt or manure, and the sheet adds a cleaning fee. Ask each yard whether it holds a deposit, and how much.
Arkansas tax. A rental of less than 30 days in Arkansas carries state and local sales tax. The state’s tax rule adds a 1% short-term rental tax on top, and the rental company collects it.
What safety and digging rules come with a rented skid steer?
On the dealer’s sheet, the renter accepts full liability for all actions resulting from machine use. Ask the yard to show you the controls before you leave. Have them show you how to tie the machine down on your trailer, too.
Digging adds rules of its own. Arkansas 811 says state law requires people to contact it before any digging. Its homeowner list includes putting in a mailbox or fence, so setting posts with a rented auger counts. Its contractor list includes using earthmoving equipment.
Member utilities mark their lines within two full working days. Arkansas 811 does not mark lines itself. Near marked lines, you must hand dig or use a method the utility approves. Utilities mark only their own lines, so a private line behind the meter can go unmarked.
How much does it cost to hire a skid steer with an operator?
A national cost guide puts an operator with their own skid steer at $100 to $300 an hour. The same guide says most charge a minimum of one day or eight hours. At that minimum, a hired day comes to $800 to $2,400. These are market numbers, not our price list.
The same guide puts an operator without equipment at $50 to $150 an hour. That is the price of help if you rent the machine yourself. Compare a hired day with a rental day plus delivery, fuel, the protection fee, tax and your own time.
Should you rent a skid steer or hire the work out?
| Question | Renting tends to fit | Hiring tends to fit |
|---|---|---|
| Your own time | A free weekend and a short job | No days to spare |
| Learning curve | You have run a skid steer before | You have never run one |
| Trailer and truck | Rated for the machine’s weight | None, or not rated for it |
| Attachments | One, like a grapple bucket | Several, each with its own day rate |
| Risk | You can carry damage and full liability | The machine and its repairs stay with the contractor |
Thick growth changes the math. See renting or hiring a forestry mulcher for brush and small trees. For tall grass and weeds, see bush hog rental vs hiring.
Would you rather have the work done?
Craig Land Management works about 50 miles around Jonesboro from our base in Monette. We run a skid steer with a drum mulcher, a brush cutter and a grapple, plus a dump trailer. That covers dirt work, gravel driveways and clearing brush and small trees.
Call (870) 351-5107 and ask for a free estimate. After we look at the property, you get a written estimate. Our skid steer services page lists the work we do with the machine.