Wheel loaders, also known as front end loaders or bucket loaders,are used primarily for material handling, digging, road building, site preparation and load-and-carry. The earliest versions were actually small agricultural tractors outfitted with a loader bucket to transport light materials. Over time these machines evolved, first as rigid frame wheel loaders in the late 1930s, then to articulated wheel loaders in the 1940s.
Wheel loaders, also known as front end loaders or bucket loaders,are used primarily for material handling, digging, road building, site preparation and load-and-carry. The earliest versions were actually small agricultural tractors outfitted with a loader bucket to transport light materials. Over time these machines evolved, first as rigid frame wheel loaders in the late 1930s, then to articulated wheel loaders in the 1940s.
As wheel loaders increased in size, safety concerns arose, particularly concerning the positioning of the loader pivot arm. These concerns ledto the adoption of a front mounted pivot in the late 1950s. Hough was one of the first manufacturers to produce a wheel loader with a safer design, followed quickly by Caterpillar, Case and Allis-Chalmers.
Today's wheel loaders are comprised of a pivoted frame with the engine mounted over the rear wheels. A cab or canopy rests over the frame. The machine's pivot arrangement gives the wheel loader the ability to work in small turning circles.
Wheel Loaders News and New Products
Fri September 01, 2017
Strategy Improves Total Operation for Britton Industries
Family-owned and operated Britton Industries, a producer of natural and dyed mulches, screened topsoil, leaf compost and aggregate products, has been servicing the landscaping and construction markets of central New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania for more than 28 years....
Tue November 19, 2019
Orchard Farmer Finds Success Using Doosan Equipment
Situated approximately 60 miles southeast of Mount Rainier, Wash., is the Yakima Valley, a breathtaking agricultural region known for its apple, wine and hop production. The Yakima Valley has the largest variety of fresh grown produce in the Pacific Northwest because of local farmers and growers like Brad Ziemke, owner of Ziemke Farm Fresh Produce....
Thu November 14, 2019
Hitachi Technology Digs in With New ZW140-6 and ZW150-6 Wheel Loaders
Hitachi's new Dash-6 line of wheel loaders — the ZW140-6, ZW150-6 and ZW150PL-6 (Parallel Lift) — fill out the range of utility-sized models from Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America Inc....
Mon November 11, 2019
Gleason Johndrow Deploys SDLG Wheel Loaders to Tackle Seasonal Applications
In the past, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping and Snow Management (Gleason Johndrow), a U.S.-based contracting company, had to rent construction equipment for snow removal projects. After purchasing 12 SDLG wheel loaders, the Massachusetts-based contractor now has a fleet that can work on any seasonal work from snow removal to landscaping projects....
Wed October 30, 2019
Cat Small Wheel Loaders Receive Attachment Visibility, Comfort, Performance Enhancements
Caterpillar launched several new design enhancements for its small wheel loader (SWL) line — Cat 926M, 930M and 938M models — centered on improving attachment visibility, operator comfort and machine performance....
Wed October 09, 2019
Doosan Infracore North America LLC will exhibit a DX42-5 mini excavator and a DL200-5 wheel loader in its booth — C5577 — in the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the annual World of Concrete in Las Vegas, Feb....
Thu September 12, 2019
John Deere Extends 20,000-Hour 944K Hybrid Wheel Loader Warranty
Confident in the strength and long-lasting design of its machines, John Deere is extending the eight-year/20,000-hour power electronic components warrantyon the 944K hybrid wheel loader. The warranty supports John Deere's commitment to the durability and reliability of its popular 944K hybrid wheel loader, which was recently named as a finalist for the Diesel Progress Summit Awards in the Electrification Application of the Year category....
Wed September 11, 2019
JCB Wheel Loaders Now Available With High Lift Option
JCB announced a new high-lift (HL) loader arm option for its 457 HT wheel loader. With a hinge pin height of 15 ft. 5 in. (4.7 m) — 23 in. (58 cm) higher than the standard ZX loader arm — the JCB 457 HT HL is now the highest lifting four-cylinder, 4.5-cu....
Tue September 10, 2019
Hitachi Delivers Construction-Duty Workhorse With ZW180-6 Loader
Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America's updated ZW180 — a member of the Dash-6 line-up of mid-sized wheel loaders — weighs in at 32,100 lbs. (14,560 kg), delivers 26,530 lbs. of breakout force and is powered by a Cummins 200 hp Tier 4F QSB6.7 engine....
Wed August 14, 2019
John Deere Rolls Out Powerful L-Series Wheel Loaders
Designed for the toughest and most demanding work sites, the new John Deere Class Production Class L-Series wheel loaders offer customers the power and comfort they need on the job. Three models — including the 744L,824Land 844L— are equipped with a roomier cab, new electrohydraulic (EH) controls and an improved HVAC system, resulting in better overall all-day comfort and productivity, according to the manufacturer....
Mon August 12, 2019
Komatsu Introduces WA900-8 Wheel Loader
Komatsu America Corp. 's WA900-8 is a 256,618 lb. (116,400 kg) wheel loader that is equipped with an EPA Tier IV Final certified emission regulations-compliant engine and is purpose-built to load 70 to 150 ton haul trucks....
