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.
Liebherr has redeveloped and fundamentally revised its range of mid-sized wheel loaders. The newly-designed lift arm ensures maximum breakout, holding and lowering forces. It has optimised z-bar kinematics and improved working hydraulics. Increases in engine power and tipping loads prepare the wheel loaders for demanding operations in various sectors, such as excavation, recycling or log handling. The new development of the mid-sized wheel loader series from Liebherr is also characterised by a powerful design and intelligent assistance systems. These include, for example, active personnel detection with brake assistant or the fully automatic LIKUFIX quick-coupler system. The new mid-sized wheel loader…>
Dow Group UK received their new CASE 721 G loading shovel from Case dealer, Hodge Plant, a Tier 4 final machine using SCR only - no EGR required. The Case 721G is designed for comfort, with a seat-mounted console, premium control interface with an 8 inch display, a built in hands-free kit and an active premium seat. Joshua Hodge from Hodge Plant commented, "A huge thank you to Sheila Dow for the continued business with HPL & CASE Construction Equipment. We wish you all the best with the new machine" Sheila Dow & Joshua Hodge The wheel loader was sold…>
Caterpillar is inviting machine operators around the globe to take on the world in their 2022/2023 Global Operator Challenge. The challenge tests the skills and precision of equipment operators as they prove their excellence in operating Cat machinery and their ability to master any piece of construction equipment safely and efficiently. “More than 80 Cat dealers will host local, one-of-a-kind competitions, celebrating equipment operators and enabling them to showcase their exceptional skills in fun and dynamic ways,” said Tony Fassino, group president, Construction Industries, Caterpillar Inc. “Whether their expertise lies in digging a trench, moving aggregates, or managing demolition, our…>
Doosan has launched a new Compact Wheel Loaders range manufactured by Tobroco-Giant, Netherlands-based leading manufacturer of Compact Wheel Loaders for materials handling, construction, rental, agriculture and landscaping. Currently the range includes such models as DL60, DL65, DL80, DL85 and DL80TL. The ranges starts with the DL60-7 which has an operating weight of 3,750kgs and 66hp, extending to the DL85-7 with a 5,100kg operating weight and 75hp from the Kubota stage V engine. The range starts with the DL60-7 which has an operating weight of 3,750kgs, extending to the DL85-7 with a 5,100kg operating weight The range also includes the ‘TL’…>
Hitachi has launched a larger next-generation model from its Stage V-compliant wheel loader range. The ZW310-7 comes with powerful performance, low total cost of ownership and exceptional efficiency. Safety Systems To protect the operator and machine from potential hazards, it allows a superior view from all angles – especially with the visibility to the rear and either side of the narrow engine hood. With the Aerial Angle camera system, operators also have an exceptional 270-degree bird’s-eye view of the job site, while the rear obstacle detection and warning system alerts them immediately if anything is close to the rear of…>