You may be thinking back in frustration about a time, not so long ago, when you didn’t have a lot of options when it came to job-site tools. Most likely, you had a shovel or a huge loader to choose from, but not many options in between. This means a lot of jobs were harder than they needed to be. The good news is that those annoyances are in the past. Today, there’s a wide selection of innovative and efficient compact equipment that can complete many different jobs and serve many different purposes. Best of all, they can make your projects run more efficiently. The team at any Williams Equipment location can help navigate these new waters and find the perfect Bobcat machine for the work you need to do.
Different Types of Loaders
There are four different types of loaders. Each one is designed to provide a different level of power, lifting capacity, and mobility.
- Mini track loader – Thanks to its small size and relative agility, the mini track loader can go anywhere. It also offers minimal ground disturbance, making it easy to load and transport. These loaders can do jobs that would previously rely on manual labor, wheelbarrow, and shovels. You can complete a variety of jobs in limited-access areas where large equipment wouldn’t fit.
- Skid-steer loader – This loader features wheels that function independently for the right side to the left side. This provides better maneuverability through a skidding motion. An enclosed cab also offers better comfort with heat and air conditioning.
- All-wheel steer loader – The all-wheel steer loader is perfect for jobs requiring minimal ground disturbance. These loaders use all four tires to steer, and in some cases, offer skid-steer capabilities for even more versatility.
- Compact track loader – The rubber tracks on this loader offer low ground pressure and great mobility on soft, muddy, and unpaved conditions.
Know Your Working Conditions and Work Space
Choosing the right loader can be overwhelming, especially because each one has distinct abilities and advantages. But knowing what your need and understanding how your working conditions affect the equipment you use can help you start to narrow it down.
For instance, skid steer and all-wheel steer loaders have the advantage on paved surfaces, because of their tires. They’re often the preferred choices for demotion and renovation projects as well as snow removal needs.
Compact track loaders can dig and load more in the same amount of time as compared to their wheeled counterparts. This is because of their superior traction and increased contact area. When it comes to soft, sandy ground or wet and muddy job sites in most of North America, compact track loaders can add productivity and days or months to a typical contractor’s working year.
Landscaping:
Bobcat compact loaders, small articulated loaders, and mini track loaders are ideal for landscaping projects. You’ll be able to tackle any size of the project, from digging holes, installing rock, placing mulch, clearing brush, doing final grading, or sweeping streets. Loaders make it possible for your team to work faster and reduce the needed amount of manual labor. Plus, their compact size means your crew can easily maneuver into gated yards or around sidewalks. Simple controls are easy for seasonal employees to learn.
Construction:
Bobcat compact track loaders are the stars and hardest working parts of every construction job site. With a loader, you can lift more, run harder, take-on bigger jobs, and do more in less time. 2-Speed travel helps you get to and from each task faster. High-flotation tracks on compact track loaders keep you working in muddy conditions. You don’t have to let any inconvenient circumstances get in your way. You can tackle any problem with these durable machines. And with simple, straightforward controls, your entire crew will be up and running in no time.
Agriculture:
Any Bobcat loader can be a significant asset on any farm. The compact size and exceptional maneuverability are ideal for chores in small spaces such as feeding livestock, cleaning pens, and moving hay. Side lighting helps you work when and where you need to even if that means starting in the early morning or late into the night. Easy maintenance enables you to keep your loader working at peak performance. A reversible fan purges debris from the radiator screen, so you don’t have to do it by hand.
Know What You Need to Do
What you need to do, such as the kind of lifting and digging, will also affect your Bobcat loader choice. When it comes to lift arm design, most manufacturers offer a choice between loaders with a radius or vertical lift path.
- Radius lift path – This means that the load is raised in an arc, providing the maximum reach at the height of the truck bed. Radius lift path machines are ideal for jobs with mid-range or lower working heights (dumping materials over a wall, backfilling, or loading and unloading flatbed trucks, leveling, and grading materials).
- Vertical lift path – These loaders give a higher lift capacity and more reach at full lift height than a radius lift path machine. The balance of height and reach makes vertical lift path loaders great for clearing high-sided trucks and hoppers.
Williams Equipment Can Supply the Bobcat You Need
Williams Equipment & Supply strives to be a partner to our customers. We’re passionate about providing contractors the most innovative, hard-working products on the market. We’ll help you determine your needs and how they can be met. We would never recommend a machine or piece of equipment without making sure you’re getting the value you need and are well-equipped to accomplish your goals. You work hard on every job you do, and we work hard for you.
Contact us or visit a store today to get what you need to get any job done right.