A skid steer loader, also called a skid steer or skid loader for short, is a compact heavy equipment used for various construction and landscaping projects. It has lift arms that can attach to a wide variety of buckets and other labor-saving tools or attachments. Skid steers can be four-wheeled or tracked. Their wheels usually lack a steering mechanism, remaining fixed in a straight line in relation to the machine's body. To change direction, the skid loader achieves turning by manipulating the speeds of the left and right wheel pairs, causing the wheels to skid or drag across the ground, hence the name. Skid steers are smaller and more maneuverable than wheel loaders, and they offer two lifting configurations: vertical and radial. Vertical lift machines are more powerful, while radial lift machines have fewer internal parts.