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.
Construction Equipment Guide's Used Wheel Loaders for Sale page includes links from more than 50 manufacturers, including Case, Caterpillar, Hyundai, John Deere, Kawasaki, Komatsu, Liebherr, Volvo and many more.
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....
Mon June 24, 2019
LiuGong North America Introduces 877H Wheel Loader to U.S. Market
LiuGong North America (LGNA) has introduced its new 877H wheel loader, a high production machine, to fill the gap between its 856H and 890H wheel loaders. The new machine has a Cummins QSL9 engine, generating 331 hp....
Thu June 20, 2019
Hitachi ZW220-6 Covers All the Bases for Loader Versatility
The release of the ZW220-6 shows how Hitachi Construction Machinery Loader America has raised its sights to deliver productivity and efficiency for the most demanding owners and operators. The ZW220-6 is the first of Hitachi's new mid-sized wheel loaders in the Dash-6 Series, fully equipped to excel in the full range of duties expected from the top tier in this class....
Wed June 05, 2019
Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Finds Traction in Snow-Removal Market
Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas is showcasing its focus on equipment solutions for the snow-management market when it participates in the June 25 to 28 SIMA Snow and Ice Symposium in Grand Rapids, Mich....
Wed June 05, 2019
Volvo Dig Assist Start and Load Assist Now Standard on Excavators and Wheel Loaders in North America
Volvo Construction Equipment continues to unlock the full productivity potential of its excavator and wheel loader lineup with its basic package of Dig Assist — Dig Assist Start — now standard on new EC220E to EC480E excavator models, and its Load Assist system now standard on new L150H to L260H wheel loader models....
Wed June 05, 2019
Hitachi Launches Compact Loader Line With New ZW80
To introduce its new line-up of compact wheel loaders, Hitachi has incorporated some of the latest features from its full-sized machines. Landscapers and rental fleets welcomed last year's initial offering of re-flagged compact machines from Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America Inc., (HCMA) but now Hitachi engineering has updated these compact models to take their place in the complete wheel loader fleet....
Mon April 29, 2019
Liebherr to Display Powerful Wheel Loader, High-Precision Wheeled Excavator at Waste Expo 2019
Liebherr USA Co. Construction Equipment is displaying the high performance L 556 XPower wheel loader and the A 914 Litronic wheeled excavator at Waste Expo in Las Vegas from May 6 through 9, 2019. The Liebherr-XPower driveline on the L 556 XPower wheel loader offers reduced operating costs, lower fuel consumption and increased working efficiency that allows the machine to maneuver in the toughest waste industry conditions, according to the manufacturer....
Tue April 09, 2019
Doosan Infracore North America to Offer Trimble's New Generation of Loader Onboard Scales
Trimble and Doosan Infracore North America LLC announced the availability of Trimble LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale as an option on Doosan wheel loaders. The LOADRITE L3180 SmartScale uses weighing intelligence and solid state sensors for more accurate, precise and faster loading....
Mon April 08, 2019
Case Unveils ProjectTETRA: Methane-Powered Wheel Loader Concept
Case Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V. gave the public an insight into a sustainable, connected and technologically advanced future of construction at the bauma trade show in Munich, Germany, with the unveiling of its methane-powered wheel loader concept – ProjectTETRA....
Wed April 03, 2019
John Deere to Display Equipment for the First Time at bauma at Wirtgen Group Booth
John Deere will be exhibiting a selection of its construction equipment – including motor graders that will be sold via the Wirtgen Group's German sales and service companies and via the French sales and service company Wirtgen France SAS – at bauma from April 8-14, 2019....
Tue April 02, 2019
ZW550-6 Puts Hitachi in the Top Ranks of Wheel Loaders
With the release of the ZW550-6 loader, Hitachi Construction Machinery Loader America Inc. (HCMA) has established a flagship machine worthy of the firm's goal of delivering on the needs of America's most demanding buyers of heavy equipment....
