AssetTrader Buying Guide to Wheel Loader

Introduction

Wheel loaders work in unison with many other construction vehicles. They are used for digging, hauling, scooping and provide an essential tool for construction inventory.
Wheel loaders come in such a wide range of size that knowing what are of work you want to use the wheel loader for, will narrow down you’re choices significantly. The loader can also be referred to as front end loader, front loader, bucket loader or shovel. It is considered to be a type of tractor that has a bucket on one end attached to two brooms that lift the bucket containing material to dump or unload.
AssetTrader has put together a guide to the varieties of use and sizes that loaders come in and the purchasing prices and features you should look for.

Functionality and Use

Loaders or wheel loaders can come as small vehicles, with around 50 to 80 horsepower (hp), these loaders have operating capacities of 2,000 to 5,000 lbs. The mid range loaders come equipped with 100 to 300 hp and have operating capacities of up to 30,000 pounds or more.
Generally the large scale loaders can be seen on mining sites or large-scale hauling construction sites. These massive loaders can range from 500 up to 1,500 hp and can operate tons of 20 to 40 in a single scoop. These are really only used for unique job sites only.
Wheel loaders come with a variety of different attachments; the most common too is the bucket tool. Used for a variety of purposes, the buckets come in size and capacity depending on the material you are moving, the sturdier buckets are used for transporting rocks, or large amounts of earth for instance. Loaders are also for laying pipe, removing debris, and excavation.
Loader applications can also include attachments such as grapples, which allow large amounts of scrap metal with can be manoeuvred easily.