Equally important for many construction jobs as on the farm, a wheel loader (wheeled loader) is a popular machine in the UK. Choosing from the range of manufacturers and models of wheel loaders for sale at Plantpages is not a straightforward task. No single manufacturer dominates the listings – although Volvo often come out on top. It is Volvo that claims to have invented the wheel loader in 1954 and this carries some credibility with it. Other popular brands of wheeled loaders are JCB in the UK and Caterpillar worldwide. As with all machines of this nature, there is an array of sizes of loaders available – determine the site requirements, including access and transportability of the machines.
It is a vital piece of kit for moving materials around site. Two key elements – it has wheels (obviously) which means that it can be used on finished surfaces, unlike tracked machines which can cause damage. Since o lot of the machine’s tasks will involve loading a vehicle of some kind, this is often likely to take place on prepared surfaces. It is for this reason that they massively outnumber tracked loaders.
The second part is the loading element. Unlike the backhoe loader which can both dig and load, the wheeled loader is specialised only in the loading element. This typically means that it more effective than a dual purpose machine. Usually fitted with a bucket – which come in a vast array of sizes – many operators will call these ‘Loading Shovels’ – on these pages you will often see the title of the advertisement, ‘Loading Shovel for Sale’.
These buckets will vary hugely in size, from a half of a cubic metre up to sixteen cubic metres. However, if you are loading a relatively small vehicle, you won’t want to dump a whole large bucket load in one go!
In addition to buckets, different attachments make the wheeled loader suitable for specialist applications. You may come across agi specials which use a rake/grab system to collect the bulky materials on the farm. Similarly the smaller loaders can turn their hands to loading using forks. Not as accurate as a forklift or telehandler, a forked wheel loader can nonetheless manage a decent job.
Anything from snow clearing – (a snow plough is good at pushing snow to one side at speed, but if you really want to move the snow out of the way totally then you need the services of a wheel loader), to construction site work, farming and everything in between.
Smaller loaders may be confused with skid steer loaders – these are different categories at Plantpages, although they can be used for smilary jobs, landscaping, small works etc.
A number of manufacturers, including Volvo CE have a category of ‘Compact Wheel Loaders’. These range frrom an operating weight of 4.3 tonnes and a bucket capacity of .045 cubic metres to a ten-tonne machine with bucket sizes up to 2.3 cubic metres.
Again, when considering the Volvo CE range, the large loaders start with an operating weight of 11 tonnes increasing to a massive 56 tonnes and bucket capacities of 16 cubic metres.
Caterpillar has revealed that Cat Command for Loading is expanding to all medium wheel loaders, excluding the GC models. Removing the operator from the machine, Command for Loading offers semiautonomous remote control of next generation Cat 950 – 982 wheel loaders designed to increase operating safety in hazardous environments. Remote Operation Expansion Cat Command for...>
Mecalac, a specialist in compact loaders and dumpers has extended their MCL range of small loaders that has been tailored specifically for agricultural applications. Mecalac’s entry into this market was driven by the increasing demand for small, flexible articulated loaders within the agricultural and landscaping industries. MCL loaders are expertly engineered to excel in confined...>
Komatsu has launched its latest generation of wheel loaders, the WA475-11 and WA485-11. These two new models have improved efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and payload and bucket capacity and reduced emissions. Power and Efficiency At the heart of new Dash 11 generation wheel loaders is a newly developed Komatsu diesel engine which is...>
Volvo CE is celebrating the opening of their new production facilities for electric wheel loaders at its plant in Arvika, Sweden. The building in Arvika is the latest development for the Swedish site which specialises in manufacturing medium and large wheel loaders. Measuring approximately 1,500 sq m and constructed in less than a year following...>
Caterpillar has introduced multiple technology and performance updates on the next generation Wheel Loaders to increase productivity and operating ease. The new auto front differential lock engages the differential lock to recover or maintain traction. Additionally, upgrades to both auto front and rear differential locks are options for the wheel loaders. The auto lock is...>