Applications · Livestock and farmstead
Feed push-up, alley scraping, pen and stall cleanout, bedding and bagged feed. This is mini loader work done in enclosed air, near animals and people, every day of the year.
Short answer
The STAG Beetle 100 suits daily barn chores on dairy, hog, poultry and horse operations. It has no engine, so it adds no carbon monoxide or diesel exhaust to barn air. It is quiet, 35.6 in. wide, and takes standard mini skid steer attachments such as buckets, scrapers, forks and bale spears. Its rated capacity of about 1,090 lb limits it to lighter loads than a full-size skid steer.
Barn air is already working against you
Livestock barns hold ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and methane from manure and animals. The Canadian factsheet reprinted by Poultry Producer lists working exposure limits of 25 ppm for ammonia and 35 ppm for carbon monoxide. Unbedded calf and veal barns, swine barns and poultry houses commonly run ammonia above 25 ppm.
A diesel loader adds carbon monoxide to that air. CPWR, the construction safety research group, warns that carbon monoxide poisoning from diesel equipment “can occur quickly indoors” where airflow is reduced. In winter, when curtains are closed and fans run slow, that risk is highest. A battery loader takes the engine out of the barn entirely.
Chores by species
Dairy
Push up feed along the bunk several times a day. Scrape free-stall alleys. Bed stalls and clean calf pens. Each of these is a short, repeated job, which suits an electric machine because it draws almost no power between pushes. In calf barns, where ammonia already runs high, keeping exhaust out matters most.
Hogs
Clean out pens and move bagged feed and supplies through narrow center alleys. The 35.6 in. narrow-track width clears a standard 36 in. door.
Poultry
Clean out litter between flocks and move bedding. Poultry houses record the highest ammonia levels of any livestock building, and CO from combustion heaters and engines adds to the load.
Horses
Muck out stalls, move bedding and keep aisles clear. Horses react to engine noise and vibration. A quiet machine you can run by remote from the aisle is calmer for the barn.
Grain bins and confined spaces
Mini loaders are used for bin cleanout. With no engine there is no exhaust in the bin. That removes one hazard and none of the others. STAG does not rate the Beetle 100 for explosive atmospheres, and grain dust can explode. Follow OSHA’s grain handling standard (29 CFR 1910.272) and lockout, entry permit and engulfment rules every time.
Barn air limits · working exposure
- Ammonia
- 25 ppm8-hr limit; 35 ppm short term
- Carbon monoxide
- 35 ppm8-hr limit
- Carbon dioxide
- 5,000 ppmexceeded in swine and poultry barns
- Beetle 100 exhaust
- 0no engine
Attachments for barn work
- Dirt and light-material buckets
- Manure scraper or alley pusher
- Feed pusher blade
- Pallet forks for bagged feed and mineral
- Bale spear (check bale weight)
- Grapple for bedding and brush
- Auger for fence posts
Any attachment with a standard CII mini skid steer plate. Auxiliary flow is 8 gpm.
Farm questions
Can I run the Beetle 100 inside a barn with animals in it?
Yes. With no engine it adds no carbon monoxide or diesel exhaust to barn air. STAG lists noise under 70 to 75 dBA. Use the same care around stock that you would with any machine.
Can I charge it in the barn?
It charges from a standard 110V/15A outlet in about 8 hours. Barns are wet and dusty, so use a properly rated GFCI circuit and have an electrician check the outlet you plan to use for overnight charging.
Will it lift a round bale?
Only a light one. Round bales often weigh 800 to 1,500 lb or more, and the Beetle 100’s rated operating capacity is about 1,090 lb. It handles small squares, bagged feed and bedding well. Weigh your bales before you use a spear.
Does it work in winter?
STAG has not published cold-weather ratings. Lithium iron phosphate batteries generally should not be charged below freezing unless the pack is heated. Ask your dealer about cold-weather operation and plan to charge in a heated space.
Guides in this section
Go deeper
Dairy farms
How the STAG Beetle 100 electric mini track loader handles dairy chores: feed push-up, free-stall alley scraping, bedding and calf pen cleanout with no exhaust.
Read the guide →Poultry houses
Using the STAG Beetle 100 electric mini track loader in poultry houses: litter cleanout between flocks, bedding, and moving supplies with no exhaust.
Read the guide →Hog barns
How the STAG Beetle 100 electric mini track loader fits hog operations: bedded hoop barns, solid-floor pens and supply handling, with notes on barn gases.
Read the guide →Horse barns & arenas
The STAG Beetle 100 electric mini track loader for equestrian facilities: stall mucking, bedding, aisle cleanup and indoor arenas with low noise and no exhaust.
Read the guide →Beef cattle operations
Where the STAG Beetle 100 electric mini track loader fits beef cattle operations: calving barns, working facilities, feed bunks, fencing and light bale handling.
Read the guide →Hobby farms & homesteads
Is the STAG Beetle 100 a good fit for a hobby farm or homestead? Charging at home, chores it handles, noise, snow and how it compares on cost.
Read the guide →Grain bin cleanout
What changes when you use an electric mini loader like the STAG Beetle 100 for grain bin cleanout, and the OSHA grain handling rules that still apply.
Read the guide →Sources
Manufacturer figures checked against STAG’s published pages on October 1, 2026. Where STAG’s own pages disagree, we show the current homepage figure and note the range on the spec sheet.
- Poultry Producer, Air Quality Inside Livestock Barns (exposure limits)
- CPWR, Quieter Skid Steer: diesel noise and carbon monoxide risk
- STAG Inc., FAQ page
- STAG Inc., Beetle 100 product page and savings calculator
- H.O. Penn, The Role of Skid Steers in Agriculture
- Wikipedia, Skid-steer loader (origin in a Minnesota turkey barn)
STAG and Beetle 100 are trademarks of STAG Inc. This guide is produced by Fastline Marketing Group and is not published by STAG Inc. Specifications, prices and warranty terms come from STAG's public materials as of October 1, 2026 and can change; confirm them with an authorized STAG dealer before you buy. Tax information is general and is not tax advice.
