| Articulated front end loaders are designed by | | | | articulated front end loaders are built with very low |
| engineers from the ground up to push hard into earth | | | | operating heights. This allows you to go inside buildings |
| and lift heavy loads at the front of the loader and also | | | | and perform more work. Tractors are designed for |
| to be extremely versatile in the field. | | | | towing with large rear wheels and so are much higher |
| The following article illustrates 8 points of difference | | | | and could never access such low areas. This allows |
| between an articulated front end loader and a front | | | | many intensive farming operations such as small horse |
| end loader fitted to a tractor generally after purchase. | | | | stables, cow sheds, chicken pens and greenhouses to |
| 1. Maneuverability. Articulated front end loaders allow | | | | be quickly cleaned out. Compact articulated front end |
| you to work in very tight areas - places where | | | | loaders are also generally much narrower than |
| tractors can't even begin to access. Articulated | | | | equivalent tractors and allow access up the side of |
| steering is similar to having two very short machines | | | | residential properties, building sites, and vineyards. A big |
| attached together with a rod, so really you are | | | | advantage of compact articulated loaders is that the |
| operating a very short machine and the other chassis | | | | low height and narrow width allow access into building |
| follows behind. Tractors on the other hand have a rigid | | | | and demolition sites for construction and removal of |
| chassis and are no-where near as maneuverable as a | | | | debris. |
| modern articulated front end loader. This ability to | | | | The low height and relatively narrow width of |
| operate in confined areas of articulated front end | | | | articulated front end loaders when further coupled with |
| loaders allows you to gain access to places you | | | | the extremely tight turning circle gives even more |
| couldn't with your tractor. The higher utilization rate of | | | | accessibility in confined spaces. The low operating |
| articulated front end loaders pays off with less jobs | | | | height of a compact articulated front end loader also |
| having to be performed manually. Often maintenance | | | | gives another benefit not realized at the beginning - the |
| that has been done for years by hand, now gets done | | | | easy access for personnel to the cabin area means |
| rapidly with a compact articulated front end loader! | | | | they get used constantly for all jobs as they are so |
| The much better all around visibility in a compact | | | | convenient. Tractors, due to their high wheels at the |
| articulated front end loader also makes productivity in | | | | back must have high cabin heights and constantly |
| confined areas much higher as the operator isn't | | | | getting in and out can be chore, particularly for smaller |
| concerned about damage to buildings, machinery, | | | | tasks and where one has to get in and out of the |
| personnel or animals constantly on the job site. | | | | cabin frequently and so often the job is just done by |
| 2. Steering under load. Articulated front end loaders | | | | hand. Another advantage of the low height of |
| utilize strong rams to pivot the whole front chassis | | | | compact articulated front end loaders is when trucking |
| which steers the vehicle in the required direction. The | | | | machines about the total transport height is lower and |
| powerful steering is required as under load the centre | | | | permits don't need to be obtained. |
| of gravity shifts approximately 2/3 of the whole | | | | 6. Centre of gravity. Articulated front end loaders are |
| machine onto the front axle, making it heavy under | | | | built from the ground up to maximize the efficiency of |
| load if the steering isn't suitable. Tractors however are | | | | the weight they can lift at the front of the machine. |
| designed to tow - this is the reason the big wheels | | | | The placement of counterweights and the longitudinal |
| designed for heavy loads, are mounted at the back | | | | centre of gravity on an articulated front end loader is |
| and the small wheels, which are easier to steer, are | | | | designed completely differently to that a tractor. |
| mounted at the front. When a front end loader is | | | | Articulated front end loaders have a very heavy |
| added to a tractor and the operator loads the bucket, | | | | chassis and the most efficient designs incorporate |
| the tractor's centre of gravity shifts onto the front | | | | weight as far behind the rear axle as possible to make |
| wheels and axles, making it very hard to steer as they | | | | lifting at the front as efficient. Significant weight as far |
| aren't designed to turn under such a heavy load. As | | | | out the back of the rear axle as practical makes it |
| the centre of gravity shifts when a load is picked up | | | | possible to lift higher amounts at the front of the |
| with the front end loader a massive amount of | | | | articulated front end loader due to the simple lever |
| pressure transfers onto the front axle and CV joints in | | | | principle - the more counter weight out the back, the |
| the tractor. Tractors really are designed to tow and | | | | more effective it will be. Articulated front end loaders |
| when loaded on the back of the three point linkage | | | | when unloaded have approximately 2/3 of the total |
| when towing, pressure is actually reduced on the front | | | | machine weight resting on the rear axle, however |
| wheels as the centre of gravity shifts backwards | | | | when loaded the centre of gravity shifts to 2/3 of the |
| taking pressure off the CV joints! Tractor front axles | | | | total weight on the front axle. |
| aren't designed for the constant loading when working | | | | Tractors on the other hand are built completely |
| with a front end loader and may not last. Front wheel | | | | differently to an articulated front end loader - all their |
| assist has now been included by some tractor | | | | weight is mounted as far forward as possible to give |
| manufactures to help with the steering when the front | | | | the best stability and capacity when towing - |
| end loader takes a full load but it still has difficultly | | | | counterweights are even designed to hang off the |
| under full load as the CV joints are loaded up and | | | | front of the tractor! Their longitudinal centre of gravity |
| under stress. Articulated front end loaders however | | | | of a tractor is approximately 50/50 on the front and |
| have rigid axles so they don't have any CV joints to | | | | rear axles, with a shift towards more weight on the |
| get damaged under when the centre of gravity shifts | | | | front axle in bigger tractors. A quick look at any tractor |
| forwards when loading - the steering is controlled via | | | | shows that the engine has been mounted as far |
| articulating the whole front chassis - just another | | | | forward as practical which gives great stability at the |
| reason showing that articulated front end loaders are | | | | back of the machine and allows the tractor to maintain |
| truly designed from the ground up for loading, | | | | weight on the front wheels for traction when towing a |
| particularly in the long run when maintenance costs are | | | | heavy object - the opposite of an articulated front end |
| taken into account. | | | | loader. |
| 3. Loading speed. Many farmers load their trucks with | | | | 7. View of front end when operating. Compact |
| tractors, however when you load with a big tractor | | | | articulated front end loaders are built from scratch to |
| you waste a lot of diesel compared to an articulated | | | | have a great view of the front end as this is where all |
| front end loader. When operating a big tractor you | | | | the work occurs and the driver must have a great |
| need a lot more space to get in the right position to | | | | view if they are to perform work quickly and safely. |
| load and then to dump into the truck. The truck must | | | | The front chassis on an articulated front end loader is |
| be parked much further away from the pile of material | | | | minimized in size so maximum visibility is created for |
| to be moved as the tractor has limited maneuverability. | | | | the driver. The mast is also designed to be as |
| On the other hand articulated front end loaders | | | | streamlined as possible so no interference occurs to |
| operate easily in very confined areas so they don't | | | | the drivers view and anything unnecessary is put |
| need to travel as far to dump and get in the right | | | | behind or underneath the driver such as the engine. |
| position to load again. This is due to the very tight | | | | The view of the front end of a tractor is totally |
| steering angle - one of the greatest advantages of an | | | | different - tractors are designed for towing so the |
| articulated vehicle. The most efficient compact | | | | engine is put as far forward as possible and then a |
| articulated front end loaders on the market now have | | | | front end loader mast added afterwards. The tractors |
| articulation angles of 47 degrees. Smaller articulated | | | | engine totally obscures the front end of the tractor so |
| front end loaders, generally under 1750kg, have | | | | it is very difficult to see the working face and more |
| articulation angles of 60 degrees as they don't | | | | guess work and less precise work has to be |
| incorporate a drive shaft so the articulation angle can | | | | performed with a tractor than an articulated loader. |
| be made much higher. | | | | The tractor is thus can only be used for very rough |
| 4. Transmission advantages. Most modern articulated | | | | work and all finishing must be performed by another |
| front end loaders utilize a clutchless hydrostatic | | | | machine or done later by hand. It is very easy to see |
| transmission which gives you smooth power transfer | | | | which machine is built for heavy duty work - an |
| when digging constantly into soil or hard materials. The | | | | articulated front end loader or a tractor with a loader, |
| hydrostatic transmission makes articulated front end | | | | pay careful attention to the size of rams, pins and the |
| loaders much faster in speed than tractors in loading | | | | strength of the mast and it is quickly apparent that only |
| situations, allowing the operator to perform more work | | | | a good quality articulated front end loader is built for an |
| in less time. As articulated front end loaders use a fluid | | | | industrial life. |
| hydrostatic the operator isn't wearing out mechanical | | | | 8. Towing Vs pushing. Articulated front end loaders are |
| clutches or gearboxes with friction as you would need | | | | built for constant pushing. However, tractors are |
| to constantly shift between gears with a manual | | | | designed for towing; they are not designed to develop |
| gearbox like in a tractor. | | | | the pushing force which is needed for loading and |
| The hydrostatic transmission that is used in the most | | | | shifting. Generally everyone understands that the |
| modern articulated front end loaders allows the driver | | | | bigger the wheel, the less the torque that can |
| to concentrate solely on loading the bucket rather than | | | | efficiently generated from it. The massive rear wheels |
| having to change manual gears all the time to | | | | of big towing tractors make the ability of developing a |
| maximize speed against the torque required for | | | | lot of torque an impossibility, however big tyres at the |
| loading. The hydrostatic transmission means that the | | | | back create a lot of stability and the ability to have |
| articulated front end loader can be driven into a pile for | | | | massive loads on the rear utilizing the three point |
| loading and the hydrostatic pump is load sensing and | | | | linkage perfectly. The front wheels on tractors |
| automatically senses the power required and adjusts | | | | however are very small and not designed for the |
| torque as necessary for the most efficient loading. | | | | same loading as the rear - hence their small size. |
| The speed in the hydrostatic articulated front end | | | | Articulated front end loaders however have the same |
| loader is controlled just by pressing the accelerator | | | | tyre size all around which are much smaller than |
| pedal down more or less, the same as operating an | | | | tractors so it is easy for the axles to generate much |
| automatic car. | | | | higher torque which is required to dig into hard |
| 5. Low operating height. Some modern compact | | | | materials when loading or cutting into bare earth. |