How Long Will Electric Skid Steers Run?

As the construction industry continues to innovate and seek more efficient methods for labor-intensive tasks, electric skid steers are gaining traction. Contractors and project managers are increasingly opting for electric models, not just for environmental reasons, but for the tangible improvements they bring to worker safety and efficiency on job sites. This is particularly true for indoor projects where traditional equipment struggles to provide the necessary productivity without complications like noise, exhaust, or heat.

For those contractors and construction companies looking to streamline operations and increase worker efficiency, one of the most pressing questions is:

How long will electric skid steers run, and how will they impact my crew’s productivity?

Let’s dive into these benefits, focusing on how electric skid steers can transform the dynamics of your worksite.

Worker Efficiency: Maximizing Time on the Job Site

When evaluating the runtime of electric skid steers, contractors need to consider how long they can maintain productivity between charges.

Modern electric skid steers, like the Cratos Sherpa 100ECO, are designed to operate efficiently for up to eight hours of continuous work—an entire shift for most construction projects. While these machines are charging, the need for idle labor significantly diminishes, as electric skid steers can perform many tasks traditionally handled by a team of workers with manual tools.

Imagine a job site where a crew no longer needs to spend hours manually moving materials with wheelbarrows or cleaning with brooms and shovels. The electric skid steer essentially consolidates multiple job roles into one efficient machine. This shift immediately increases productivity. Workers who once spent their day on repetitive, laborious tasks now have more time to focus on skilled labor that moves the project forward.

Eliminating Fatigue and Laborious Movements

One of the biggest challenges on construction sites is worker fatigue. When a crew is tasked with using a broom or shovel to clear debris, or using a wheelbarrow to move materials, you’re introducing physical wear and tear into their daily responsibilities. Over time, this not only slows down productivity, but it increases the likelihood of mistakes or accidents.

Electric skid steers reduce this burden by removing the need for manual material handling.

Instead of spending hours transporting loads across the site, a single operator can use the skid steer to quickly move materials with minimal physical strain. This allows workers to conserve energy and focus on more value-driven tasks that require precision and expertise, such as assembly, installation, or detailed finishing work.

Additionally, with electric skid steers, workers are not dealing with the strain of operating a loud, vibrating, fuel-powered machine. Electric models are quieter, easier to control, and far less physically taxing to operate. Over the course of a project, these factors contribute to better worker morale, fewer breaks due to fatigue, and more efficient use of time on the job site.

Indoor Construction Projects: A Game Changer

For contractors focusing on indoor construction projects, electric skid steers offer significant advantages over their fuel-powered counterparts. Indoor environments present unique challenges, especially in enclosed spaces where traditional combustion engines generate fumes, excessive noise, and heat—elements that can hamper productivity and create an unsafe working environment.

Electric skid steers shine in these indoor settings, providing clean, fume-free operation. This not only benefits worker health but also streamlines project timelines by eliminating the need to ventilate or pause for safety concerns related to emissions. When workers are able to work comfortably and continuously without worrying about environmental hazards, productivity naturally increases.

Moreover, the compact size and nimbleness of electric mini skid steers make them ideal for tight, indoor spaces. Traditional machines often struggle to maneuver indoors, forcing workers to rely on manual labor to fill in the gaps. With electric skid steers, however, contractors can avoid this inefficiency. These machines like the 2Speed are designed to fit through doorways and tight corridors, allowing them to perform a wide range of tasks that would otherwise require significant manpower.

Imagine how much time your crew will save when tasks like material transport, debris clearing, and compact site work can be handled quickly by a single machine. By reducing reliance on manual labor, electric skid steers can help contractors meet project deadlines more reliably while minimizing the physical toll on their workers.

Switching to Electric Removes Brooms, Shovels, and Wheelbarrows

For many indoor construction projects, a considerable portion of the labor is spent on cleanup and material handling. Traditionally, these tasks are performed by crews simply picking up debris by hand or with brooms, shovels, and wheelbarrows—a labor-intensive approach that eats into project timelines and inflates labor costs.

By switching to electric skid steers, contractors can significantly reduce the need for these manual tools and processes. For example, instead of having a crew spend hours sweeping a site at the end of each day, an electric skid steer can quickly and efficiently clear debris. This eliminates the need for excessive manual labor and reduces the time it takes to complete these necessary—but non-revenue-generating—tasks.

In the same vein, transporting materials across a site is no longer limited to wheelbarrows. While a team might take multiple trips to transport materials manually, an electric skid steer can move significantly larger loads in a fraction of the time. This efficiency not only speeds up the process but reduces the number of workers needed for simple transport tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-priority aspects of the project.

As a result, the overall labor force required on a project can be reduced without sacrificing productivity. Contractors are able to do more with fewer hands, allowing them to allocate resources more strategically while also saving on labor costs.

Improved Safety and Reduced Injuries

Worksite safety is always a top concern for contractors, and electric skid steers offer a tangible improvement in this regard. Manual labor tasks like shoveling, sweeping, and moving materials with a wheelbarrow are not only time-consuming, but they also pose significant injury risks, especially over time. Strains, sprains, and overexertion injuries are common among workers performing repetitive tasks, and these injuries can lead to downtime, reduced productivity, and even workers’ compensation claims.

By integrating electric skid steers into daily operations, contractors can help mitigate these risks. These machines take on the bulk of material handling tasks, reducing the physical demands placed on workers and minimizing the likelihood of injury. Workers spend less time performing high-risk movements and more time operating machinery, which significantly lowers the chances of accidents.

Additionally, electric machines contribute to a quieter and cleaner work environment. Construction noise is not just a nuisance—it can also lead to accidents when workers are unable to communicate effectively or hear important instructions over the roar of engines. Electric skid steers, which are much quieter than their combustion engine counterparts, allow for better communication on site and contribute to overall situational awareness, further reducing accident risks.

Reduced Parts Needs: More Time Spent Working

A lesser-known benefit of electric skid steers is their design simplicity. Traditional combustion engines come with a range of parts that wear down over time, leading to potential delays when replacements are needed. With fewer moving parts, electric skid steers require less intervention during normal operation. This translates to more time spent on actual work and less downtime spent waiting for parts to arrive or for maintenance to be completed.

While this blog isn't focused on maintenance costs, it's important to note that fewer parts mean less time-consuming manual intervention. As a contractor, this means that you can count on your electric skid steers to be available for the job at hand, without unexpected interruptions. Every hour saved by keeping equipment running smoothly is an hour that can be used to move the project closer to completion, increasing overall productivity.

Is an Electric Skid Steer Right for Your Next Project?

If your projects involve significant indoor work, material transport, or site clearing, the shift to electric skid steers will drastically enhance your crew’s productivity. You’ll not only eliminate the manual tasks that slow down a job site, but you’ll also be equipping your workers with machinery that boosts their efficiency and keeps them safer on the job.

As for runtime, today’s electric skid steers, like the Cratos Sherpa 100ECO or 2Speed, are built to keep pace with your team. With up to eight hours of continuous operation, they are capable of running for the duration of a full workday without recharging, minimizing disruptions and ensuring that you can meet your deadlines more effectively.

The focus, however, shouldn’t just be on the machine’s runtime in isolation, but on how that runtime can positively impact your entire workflow. Whether it’s eliminating the need for brooms, shovels, and wheelbarrows or reducing worker fatigue and injury, electric skid steers represent a significant step forward in construction efficiency.

Next Steps: Explore Cratos Electric Equipment

Ready to take the next step in upgrading your equipment? Cratos Equipment offers a range of electric skid steers designed to meet the needs of modern contractors and construction projects. Contact us today to learn more about how Cratos electric machines can help streamline your operations, increase worker efficiency, and keep your projects on track.

By investing in electric skid steers, you’re not just adding a machine to your fleet—you’re empowering your workforce to work smarter, safer, and faster, ensuring that your projects are completed on time and within budget.