Wheel loaders, also known as front end or bucket loaders, are used primarily for material handling, digging, road building, site preparation and load-and-carry. Starting as small agricultural tractors outfitted with a loader bucket to transport light materials, 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.
Addressing the needs of customers looking for compact solutions that provide enhanced maneuverability, stability and power, John Deere expands its Performance Tiering offerings with the shift from L-Series to P-Tier for the 244, 324 and 344 compact wheel loader models.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas introduced the ZW-7 generation wheel loaders with an emphasis on comfort, versatility and safety.
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is launching its updated L350H wheel loader in North America, complete with a host of upgrades that will give customers greater productivity and fuel efficiency with lower service costs in a machine designed for a range of heavy-duty applications.
The 4-cu.-yd. Hitachi ZW220-7 wheel loader is an efficient loading tool available in both standard and high-lift arm configurations.
Liebherr presented its new mid-size wheel loaders as well as large wheel loaders from its XPower series at ConExpo 2023.
LiuGong North America has sold its first battery electric vehicle in the United States, the 856H-E MAX wheel loader, to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.
Once thought of as a product category with limited interest in North America, Case Construction Equipment has showcased the power and versatility of compact wheel loaders for applications as wide ranging as landscaping yards to snow removal and everything in between.
Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas introduced its largest-capacity wheel loader model, the HL985A, among the new machines included in its exhibit at ConExpo-Con/AGG 2023.
The 3.5 cu. yd. Hitachi ZW180-7 and ZW180PL-7 wheel loaders feature a 33,047 lb. operating weight. The ZW180-7 offers either standard or high-lift front arms that excel in most bucket applications.
The innovative Next Generation of Cat 926, 930 and 938 wheel loaders offer a range of new technologies and features designed to boost productivity by simplifying machine operation.