What's Your Best Bet to Get the Load Out

by Curt Bennink
Created: May 16, 2012

Wheel loader size and setup for efficient load out are a balancing act between production and versatility.

Poland Sand and Gravel demands versatilty and speed since its loaders have to perform several functions. They have found the 5- to 61/2-yd. machines best fit this application.
Poland Sand and Gravel demands versatilty and speed since its loaders have to perform several functions. They have found the 5- to 61/2-yd. machines best fit this application.
Poland Sand and Gravel shuttles wheel loaders around the site to where they are needed, which places strong emphasis on speed and stability.
Poland Sand and Gravel shuttles wheel loaders around the site to where they are needed, which places strong emphasis on speed and stability.
Poland Sand and Gravel shuttles wheel loaders around the site to where they are needed, which places strong emphasis on speed and stability.
Poland Sand and Gravel shuttles wheel loaders around the site to where they are needed, which places strong emphasis on speed and stability.
The Caterpillar 980K can be configured as a two pass loader, with a 9-yd. bucket for applications where the loader will be dedicated high-volume truck loading.
The Caterpillar 980K can be configured as a two pass loader, with a 9-yd. bucket for applications where the loader will be dedicated high-volume truck loading.
The Caterpillar 980K can be configured as a two pass loader, with a 9-yd. bucket for applications where the loader will be dedicated high-volume truck loading.
The Caterpillar 980K can be configured as a two pass loader, with a 9-yd. bucket for applications where the loader will be dedicated high-volume truck loading.
Volvo developed the L250 as a dedicated two pass loader with a 9.yd. bucket to fill a market niche.
Volvo developed the L250 as a dedicated two pass loader with a 9.yd. bucket to fill a market niche.
Balancing the loader to the frequency of trucks is really where you gain efficiency. "Whatever the number of passes, if you load a truck as another one shows up, you are at optimum efficiency," says...
Balancing the loader to the frequency of trucks is really where you gain efficiency. "Whatever the number of passes, if you load a truck as another one shows up, you are at optimum efficiency," says Gary Bell, KCMA Corporation, manufacturer of Kawasaki wheel loaders.

The larger machines also seem to last longer. “Generally, our replacement life cycle of a 5-yd. machine is around the 9,000-hour area. When you get into the 6 1/2- or 7-yd. machines, we are up in the 12,000-hour area,” Rommel indicates. “Then we are trading a machine that still has value.” If you jump up another size class, there are comparable machines with 20,000 hours on them. “That is just what I am used to seeing. There are bigger bearings and bigger pins.”

But one of the keys to longevity is simply using the loader correctly and maintaining it properly. “A well-maintained, well-operated and properly sized machine for the job, in almost anybody’s make or model, should give you very adequate life — 10,000+ hours,” Bell asserts. “We get many machines with 20,000 and 30,000 hours.

“When you see a guy who runs a machine well, you will see he gets better life. He gets more economic value out of that machine,” he continues. “If he runs it like a cowboy, or you have a different operator on it every day, that makes a big difference on the overall costs.”