Donate a skid steer and let the attachments go with it

Where donated skid steers come from

Landscapers and small builders, mostly, at the point of an upgrade. A machine with four thousand hours still works but no longer suits the volume of the business, and the trade-in offer is unappealing. Farms and ranches donate them when an operation changes hands. Estates produce them with a shed full of attachments.

The attachments are the part people underestimate. A bucket, forks, an auger, a grapple, a breaker and a set of tracks can be worth as much as the machine. They sell with it, they ride on the same trailer, and they are reflected in your Form 1098-C.

One trailer, machine and attachments together

A skid steer or compact track loader goes on a tilt-deck or equipment trailer, driven on under its own power where possible and winched where not. Attachments ride on the same trailer when there is room, or on a second trip when there is a lot to move. Giving Center arranges and pays for the transport.

We ask whether it starts, whether the loader arms and bucket function, whether the tracks or tires will hold on a ramp, and how the trailer reaches the machine. Soft ground and locked gates are the two things worth mentioning up front.

What decides what a skid steer brings

• Hours, the headline number, with under 2,000 desirable.
• Tracks or tires, the most expensive wear item and the first thing checked.
• Operating capacity, which decides what work the machine can do and therefore who wants it.
• Hydraulic flow, since high-flow machines run more attachments and sell for more.
• Attachments included, frequently adding thousands to the sale.
• Cab or open station, with an enclosed heated cab widening the market in cold states.

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

Machines in this class are not titled in any state, which is normal rather than a problem. A manufacturer's statement of origin, a bill of sale matched to the serial plate, or a fleet or farm asset record establishes ownership. Where nothing survives, a notarized affidavit of ownership with the serial number is accepted by most buyers and auction houses. Financed units need a lien release, which we help you request.

Your deduction is the gross sale proceeds once Giving Center sells it, on Form 1098-C. Items in this class regularly clear $5,000, and when your claim does the IRS requires a qualified appraisal that you obtain and pay for, plus Form 8283 Section B signed by your appraiser and by Giving Center. We tell you before pickup whether to expect it. Full detail on the tax benefits page.

Makes and models we accept

Compact loaders are a brand-driven market, so include the model number.

• Most common: Bobcat S and T series, Caterpillar 232 through 299, John Deere G and E series, Case SR, SV and TR, New Holland L and C series, Kubota SSV and SVL, Takeuchi TL.
• Also seen: Gehl, Mustang, ASV Posi-Track and RC series, JCB Robot and Teleskid, Wacker Neuson SW and SM, Terex, Volvo MC, Yanmar.
• Attachments: buckets, pallet forks, augers, grapples, brush cutters and breakers from Bobcat, Land Pride, Blue Diamond, Virnig, Paladin and Bradco.

Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own machine. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.