Skidding System Selector: 5 Steps to Choose the Right Skidding System
When choosing a hydraulic skidding system, most crews start by asking, “What is the weight of the load?” That question is a good starting place, but two crews can be planning to move loads of identical weight and still need completely different skidding systems. In this article, we’ll walk you through five questions to ask […]
How to Choose a Hydraulic Skidding System by Capacity
“What’s the capacity?” This is usually the first question customers ask when choosing a hydraulic skidding system. It’s an important question, but it’s not the only one when choosing the right system for your needs. The weight of the load (or loads) you’ll be moving, how the weights will be distributed, and the expected environment […]
Hydra-Slide System Comparisons: How to Choose the Right Hydraulic Skidding Systems for Your Needs
Hydra-Slide systems are the world’s simplest, most versatile hydraulic skidding systems. If you have a heavy load you need to move, especially in tight, confined spaces, this article will guide you through the process of choosing the right options for your needs. Hydra-Slide Skidding Systems: 4 Low Profile and 2 Heavy Track Systems Hydra-Slide offers […]
Hydra-Slide Skidding Systems Comparison Guide
Hydra-Slide manufactures six hydraulic skidding systems that are used across the globe to move heavy loads. All of Hydra-Slide’s systems share the same basic operating principles. To use them, operators: Lift a heavy load by a few inches Place a skidding system underneath the load Lower the load onto skid shoes or skid plates that […]
7 Common Hydraulic Skidding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Compared to other heavy-lift systems, hydraulic skidding systems are simple, safe, and easy to operate. But like any heavy equipment, skidding systems require proper setup and operation. When operators skip steps, misjudge the environment, or push a system beyond design specifications, that’s when problems happen. When working with very heavy loads, these mistakes can mean […]
Do You Need Specialized Training to Operate a Hydraulic Skidding System?
One of the most common questions we get from new customers is: How difficult is it to use hydraulic skidding? The short answer is: Not very. Hydraulic skidding systems are simple to operate, and crews with previous rigging experience usually become comfortable with the system within a few hours. In this article, we’ll explain: How […]
Skidding Fundamentals: The Complete Guide to Hydraulic Skidding & Heavy Load Movement
A practical, engineering-grade guide to grounded heavy load movement—what hydraulic skidding is, how it works, and why it’s used when control and precision matter. Navigation: Skidding Applications and Use Cases Why Hydraulic Skidding Exists The Three Principles Behind Safe Heavy Load Movement What Is Hydraulic Skidding? How the Load Is Carried Managing Force, Speed, and […]
How to Move Heavy Loads in Confined Spaces
Moving heavy loads in confined spaces is a common challenge in manufacturing plants, power stations, refineries, and underground facilities. For example, in many projects we’ve been a part of, a machine or equipment that has been in place for decades needs to be replaced, serviced, upgraded, or removed. Sometimes, the building it sits in was […]
How to Offload Heavy Equipment Safely
Getting heavy equipment to a job site is only half the challenge. The other half is getting it off the truck, railcar, or trailer and to its final position safely. We regularly work with operators and facilities to help solve this problem. A transformer arrives on a flatbed, but the pad is still a hundred […]
How to Move a Transformer
Power transformers are big, heavy, and surprisingly fragile, especially when fully dressed. They’re often installed in power substations or other locations that are difficult to access. In a substation, for example, transformers often sit within a complex web of high-voltage wires and electrical equipment, usually with tight clearances throughout. There’s rarely overhead access without moving […]