Skid steer width is the number that decides whether the machine reaches the back yard at all, and it is measured across the tires or tracks rather than across the bucket. Compact machines run roughly 36 to 48 inches, mid frame models 60 to 66, and large frame models 72 to 78. The bucket is normally wider than the machine, and it is the part that hits the post.
The gate opening is the real spec
Measure between the posts at their closest point, not between the fence panels, and take an inch off for the hinge hardware. Then leave a hand's width either side of the machine, because nobody threads a skid steer through a gate with nothing to spare on the first try. That number is what you give the yard.
The bucket sticks out past the frame
A standard bucket is a few inches wider than the machine on each side so that the tires run inside the cut. Many yards will send a narrow bucket, or let you carry the bucket through separately and pin it on the far side, which is the trick that gets a mid frame machine into a tight yard.
Narrow machines give up capacity
A thirty six inch machine carries a fraction of what a mid frame lifts and sits lower on both reach and breakout force. That is the trade for access. Where the gate allows it, the wider machine finishes the same job in noticeably less time, so measure before you assume you need the small one.
Tracks, tires and what width does to the lawn
A tracked machine of the same width spreads its weight much better and is kinder to turf and soft ground, but it turns by scrubbing and will tear a lawn on a sharp pivot. A wheeled machine marks less when it moves straight and much more when it spins. Plan three point turns either way.
Questions people ask about skid steer width
What is the narrowest skid steer I can rent?
Around thirty six inches over the tracks on the smallest compact models, which is what gets a machine through a standard garden gate. Below that you are looking at a mini track loader with walk behind or stand on controls, which is narrower again and lifts considerably less.
Is skid steer width measured with the bucket on?
No. Published width is over the tires or tracks, and the attachment is listed separately. Always ask for both numbers, because a machine that fits your gate with a sixty inch bucket bolted to it does not fit with a seventy two inch bucket.
How much room does a skid steer need to turn?
It pivots within its own length, which is the point of the design, but it needs clear space either side while it does so and the rear counterweight swings. Allow a couple of feet beyond the machine's footprint and keep the fence, the car and the downpipe out of that circle.