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Drums of a smaller size will typically fit in planers with a wider housing; for example, a 24-in. planer can utilize drums ranging from 2 ½ in. to 24 in. wide.

Moorman says the advantage to using a cold planer is that it "completes the job more efficiently and in less time. It mills, and you won't have to redo any of the work."

Compaction Plate
A compaction plate is an attachment for prep work before the asphalt gets placed. It compacts soil, sand, or gravel to give the asphalt a firm, solid, level base to help resist the shifting and settling that causes cracks, according to Guthrie. One of the benefits of a compaction plate is it can be used in small or confined areas.

"The compaction plates let paving contractors utilize their skid steers so that they can do parking lot repair, driveways, and around manholes and trenches and things like that where the big, huge, expensive machines can't go," Guthrie says. But a compaction plate attachment doesn't only help the bigger paving companies. Guthrie says that small contractors who are growing and getting bigger jobs can use this attachment as well. A paving contractor doing small jobs can use a hand-held unit, but once he starts bidding and winning larger jobs, such as parking lots or even low-volume roads that need compaction, the hand compactors aren't going to cut it. That's where the attachments come into play. Guthrie says they are the next step up before buying the big machines.

Most compaction plates have a shaker box, which is what delivers the pounding force. The Coneqtec/Universal plates also offer dual counterweights and isolation mounts. The dual counterweights ensure that the compaction force will only be applied vertically and nothing will be wasted horizontally, Guthrie says. They also help to lessen the "every action has a reaction" element by reducing the vibration back to the skid steer and its operator.