Side Loader

A side loader is a mobile machine that can move loose or solid materials from one place to another and pile or load them. Side loader machines deal especially well with transporting loose materials, but they can also handle large, heavy objects like metal or concrete pipes or even trees. Essentially, side loaders are tractors that lift and move stuff from here to there. Side loaders usually have wheels. They may use a wide bucket on one side to transfer material. Some side loaders have buckets that can be replaced with other tools, whereas other side loaders have permanently attached buckets.

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

If you need prodigious digging capabilities, a side loader is usually not your best solution unless it has a good backhoe on it. Many side loaders hold about 3-5 cubic meters of material in their bucket, which is generally more than what regular backhoes can handle. Most side 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 alternatives to side loaders that they carry. Click on the links to visit their Web sites.

Alternatives to Bobcat side loaders include:

• All-wheel steer loaders

• Compact truck loaders

• Mini-track loaders

• Skid-steer loaders

Alternatives to Caterpillar side loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Knuckleboom loaders

• Multi-terrain loaders

• Skid steer loaders

• Track loaders

• Wheel loaders

Alternatives to John Deere side loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Crawler loaders

• 4WD loaders

• Landscape loaders

Alternatives to Volvo side loaders include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Wheel loaders

• Skid steer loaders

For more information related to side 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 side loaders are right for you.