Crawler Loader For Sale: A Buyer's Guide
Crawler Loader for Sale: A Buyer's Guide
In case you see those tempting words, " Crawler Loader for Sale, " and you're tempted to buy, here's a guide to help you make the right decision.
A crawler loader is not just a combination of a crawler tractor slammed on with a loader bucket to serve its purpose of transporting, material handling, digging and excavating on site. Granted that a crawler loader and a wheel loader practically do the same job and that the only outward difference is its “wheels”. Where the crawler loader basically edge on slowly as it does its job, the wheel loader merrily does its job at a faster pace.
The main advantage of a crawler loader is that it can maneuver itself to any point and terrain of a construction site. There are newer models of hydraulic excavators in the market today but although the hydraulic excavators perform better in terms of lifting capability and flexibility, the machine is stumped when it comes to mobility in the construction site. Hydraulic excavators need to be towed from one area of the construction site to another.
As crawler loaders move on crawler tracks, it is easier for such machinery to travel on uneven terrain, soft soil and even muddy soil. The “teeth” of crawler tracks are called grouser shoes. These provide great traction and grip. The crawler tracks’ grousers are available in varying types as in the number of teeth and the kind of material used. Most grousers are made of forged steel. Though highly durable and could definitely last a lifetime, forged metal crawler tracks are not applicable when paving. Rubber grousers are more appropriate. Where the site is in a swampland, the suitable type of grousers is the flat ones for ease in navigating slippery terrain.
The size of the bucket on a crawler loader varies too. Generally, the bucket comes in standards exclusive to the manufacturer. The power of a crawler loader could be expressed in terms of horsepower (HP). The smallest crawl loader in terms of horsepower is 99 horsepower and the largest at over 180 horsepower. Most crawl loaders uses hydraulics when operating instead of transmission. Thus operating a crawler loader is as easy as operating a video game’s joystick.
There are plenty of crawler loader manufacturers. The leading brands are: John Deere, Komatsu, Case, Caterpillar, Liebherr, Massey Ferguson, Takeuchi, YTO, Mitsubishi, Dresser and New Holland. Each manufacturer has its own specifications – pros and cons- and it’s up to you, the buyer, to study the specifications that would suit you needs.
The three manufacturers that are continuously upgrading their full -sized loader crawler models are Caterpillar, Liebherr and John Deere. Each manufacturer offers three model sizes. Caterpillar has the 953, 963 and 973 D models doing at par with other competitive brands.
Liebherr introduced LR 614 (101-horswpower) LR 624 (143 horsepower) to join the line of 184-horsepower LR 634. Bucket capacities are from 1.57 to 3.14 cubic yards.
John Deere has the 181-horsepower D-series version of the 755 crawler loader for sale. This new version has been upgraded with style and maneuverability. The engine is Deere PowerTech that has been proven better than the previous Libeler power plant. On a smaller scale John Deere has the 99-horsepower 605C with the innovative idea of putting its engine at the rear.
Any of the above are good purchases, not only because they work well, but because they are well supported in the event of a maintenance issue. It will be easy to find crawler parts to help you make small repairs.
A crawler loader for sale can be an excellent buy. These machines are by no means obsolete. Many contractors are still sold on the idea of using this machine as it can do excavation work, haul the excavated material then pile it too.
