Wheel Loaders
Another common piece of heavy machinery on a construction site is the wheel loader. Wheel loaders are a variation of the standard tractor design, and are made for much heavier lifting. Wheel loaders have larger, durable tyres that afford them great manoeuvrability: they generally employ a hydraulic steering system based around a pivot point, which allows the wheel loader to bear a large amount of weight on both its front and rear wheel axles. The cab for the operator is located at the front end of the frame, just behind the mechanical arms.
The wheels of the wheel loader mean that the machine is suitable for use on paved roads, whereas a loader with tracks would be much more likely to tear up the ground beneath it.
Wheel Loader Buckets
The standard wheel loader is typically fitted with large flexible arms on the front, which is fitted a massive square scoop, or bucket. This bucket is called the loader, hence the name of the vehicle. The loader can sometimes be removed from the mechanical arms that support it, but usually it is permanently attached. As the name suggests, this particular kind of wheel loader is generally used for the loading and transportation of large amounts of material. They are frequently employed to shift sand and gravel, and in a similar vein are also deployed as snow ploughs in commercial areas. The movable nature of the front scoop allow the wheel loader to scoop and dig, as well as dumping and carrying.
Mini Wheel Loaders
As well as being used on construction sites, wheel loaders are popular in the farming industry. Different configurations of wheel loader are available to carry out a number of different farming tasks, such as excavating farm land, and it is even possible for the buyer to purchase mini wheel loaders which can be used inside buildings.
Wheel Loaders For Sale
There are many different types of wheel loaders for sale, and many manufacturers that make them. This allows the buyer in the used wheel loaders market to be quite specific as to the features and capabilities that they desire from a particular machine. Wheel loaders tend to be categorised in the market according to their horse power. The lowest category is of compact wheel loaders, which typically possess 80 or less horsepower, and the categories increase incrementally from there, with the next highest being 80-150 horsepower, and so on. For instance, Caterpillar manufactures wheel loaders that range from the compact 904H with its 52 horse power engine, to the 994F which has a massive 1463 horse power.
Companies generally offer wheel loaders in a range of sizes. Hitachi and Komatsu, for example, both offer mini wheel loaders that are ideal for use inside barns, such as the Hitachi LX15-7 and the Komatsu WA50-6. These models also come with a variety of optional wheel loader attachments, so the buyer can tailor the machine to each individual task as required. They also offer massive machines for heavy industrial purposes, such as the Komatsu WA 1200-3.