A wheel loader belongs to a widely used category of construction machines. It is used for earth-moving operations and comes in the form of a two-axled wheeled vehicle with an arm and an attached working organ, which is typically a front loader shovel.

Special features of loaders on wheels

An advantageous peculiarity of wheel loaders is that they easily drive on public roads, developing a speed of up to 60 km/h. It means they can move from one working site to another without the need for transportation.

However, greater maneuverability (in comparison with that, which is typical for crawler excavators) has the other side of the coin. Wheel loaders tend to be less stable than excavators on tracks and have to be supported by outriggers. It results in them being able for pushing and lifting any heavy materials and objects. In addition, the manufacturers are constantly improving the design of wheeled machines to make progress in this matter.

The most successful manufacturers of wheel loaders represent the big names in the construction industry:

1. Liebherr
2. Caterpillar
3. Volvo
4. Hitachi
5. Atlas

As for maintenance, special attention should be paid to tires. Apart from scheduled technical inspections, regular visual examinations make much sense to minimize problems with tread punctures or other sidewall damage. Also, it’s worth looking for rocks wedged in between dual tires to eliminate tire failure.