Loader

Loaders are mobile machines that can move loose or solid materials from one place to another and pile or load them. Bucket loaders deal especially well with transporting loose materials, while other types of loaders can handle large, heavy objects like metal or concrete pipes or even trees. Essentially, a loader is a kind of tractor that lifts and moves stuff from here to there. Loaders usually have wheels. They may use a wide bucket on one end to transfer material. Some loaders have buckets that can be replaced with other tools, whereas other loaders have permanently attached buckets.

There are several types of loaders. If a loader is especially large, it typically has only one bucket on the front. This kind of loader is called a front loader. Smaller loaders frequently come with a small backhoe and are thus called backhoe loaders (or loader backhoes, if you prefer).

If you need prodigious digging capabilities, a loader is usually not your best solution unless it has a good backhoe on it. Many loaders hold about 3-5 cubic meters of material in their bucket, which is generally more than what regular backhoes can handle. Most loaders have wheels instead of tracks (unlike bulldozers), which gives them greater mobility and allows them to not damage paved roads as much.

Below is a basic list of several companies and the types of loaders that they carry. Click on the links to visit their Web sites.

Bobcat loaders include:

• All-wheel steer loaders

• Compact truck loaders

• Mini-track loaders

• Skid-steer loaders

Caterpillar loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Knuckleboom loaders

• Multi-terrain loaders

• Skid steer loaders

• Track loaders

• Wheel loaders

John Deere loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Crawler loaders

• 4WD loaders

• Landscape loaders

Volvo loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Wheel loaders

• Skid steer loaders

For more information related to loaders, feel free to browse through our Web site. Our free guides to different types and brands of heavy equipment will help you decide what kind of loader is right for you.