# Articulating loaders



## GarethVW

How many of you use articulating loaders? They seem to have some advantages over skid steers. Does anyone have any experience with the boxer articulating loaders? What about the ditchwhitch zahn?


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## codog

*articulating loader*

I've been thinking for the last couple years an articulating loader would be my ticket. I've traveled 300 miles 3 times to look at and demo the gehl 140. I still think this is what I need. Whats holding me back is the fact that I'm not able to find much info from owners. About the only thing on line I've seen is about a guy who tipped his over and was asking questions about how to fix the damage that resulted. I have an mt-52 and love it, but I want more efficiency. 
I pay special attention to everything arborpro has to say. He talks about mini's a lot. I would love his input on articulating loaders. I seem to agree with everything he has to say. 
Its hard to/ if not impossible to find reviews on these.


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## GarethVW

I have found some info on the older gehl al20 dx articulating loaders
people seem to like them. There are some clips on youtube showing them in action.


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## Bigus Termitius

I used to want to go this route, but I've got minis on the brain. I'd rather an articulating loader than a skidsteer, but I've considered the smaller telehandlers as well once I need a bigger machine.


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## GarethVW

Yea I looked at those too. They look like they could do a lot. But too heavy!


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## dozerspj

*used loaders for lifting*

there is a tractor parts dealer in wolf creek illinois who has a 3000# lift swinger called a "300" those are great lifting machines best to have flotation tires if ground is soft .some machines used for fertilizer have rust in front area and below. great to see postings on tractors/skid steers /articulates i use a 1600 bobcat and a swinger 100 to help with bandmill and firewood work ,i'll post some pic's soon .i can help with ?'s too


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## wheelloader123

I've used articulated machines for quite some time now. I started with a Swinger 240, then later purchased a Swinger 2000. They have both served me well. My newest loader though, is a Boxer 749DT and so far I have been incredibly impressed. Albeit it is a little bit different but once you get used to it, it is a very capable machine. Send me an email and I'll get a bit more specific about each and its pros and cons. I'll PM you my info.


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## Panama

I run a Multione SD-30 articulated loader with a Branch Manager grapple and rotator. The 700 series boxer loaders are from the same company CFS Italy. I would also be very interested to hear from anyone running an articulated Boxer. Love the Multione, and would seriously consider adding a larger boxer articulated. The skid-steer guys around here absolutely destroy lawns, which drives more customers to me. I get many comments on how cool it is, and how it doesn't leave a mark.


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## Koa Man

I had a tracked mini skid and a Gehl AL20DX. I got rid of the mini because it would tear up lawns and moved too slow. I love my old Gehl. Here is a video of it in action.
YouTube - ‪Log Loading made easy‬&rlm;


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## pdqdl

Bobcat A300.

It does both: steers with all four wheels, or skid-steers. Flip a switch and take your pick.

Weight: about 9,000 lbs with implement attached.
Tipping load: 6,000lbs.

It is exactly the same size as an S300, and pretty much the same capacity when in skid-steer.


The thing that most folks don't realize is how much traction is lost in skid steer. We get stuck easily in skid steer (like all machines of that style), but we just flip into 4-wheel steer and drive away. I bought mine because I didn't want to tear up yards, driveways, and tires. What I didn't anticipate was how much more capacity it has to dig, push snow, and get out of mud.

The A300 is a little big for a lot of tree jobs, so it might be better as the "second" loader you buy, with a mini- as your first choice. Tele-handlers have more height and usually more capacity, but they are much less maneuverable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2cz0JMRtgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9qc6PisMo
Notice the lack of spinning out in the snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9qc6PisMo

I delivered and spread two semi-truck loads of mulch at the convention center in KC. We were done in 1 1/2 days, with a 4 man crew. We drove all up and down the clean white sidewalks, but didn't make any tire tracks. We drove across the irrigated lawn, and had no damage whatsoever. Some of the mulch was over 400 yds from where we were loading it, so the 12 mph transport speed was definitely a plus. We finished by hooking up the sweeper attachment, cleaning the roads and sidewalks, and bugged out early the second day. 

I routinely load logs that are 12' long and 2' in diameter with my rock-rake/grapple. When the logs get to 4' in diameter, it becomes too heavy to pick up more than about 5-6' long logs, depending on the variety of tree.

After my Bandit chipper, it is the second best piece of equipment I have purchased.


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## D&B Mack

Case makes the 21 and Komatsu makes the 50, these are the only two I have first hand knowledge of. Both are very good machines, I would say Komatsu has a little more power to weight ratio and it is quicker.

As with any wheel loader, but especially the smaller sizes, they are easy to tip while turning with heavy loads up in the air.

Much faster with further distances than a skid steer, better traction (wheel v. wheel), and higher tipping capacity.


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## arbor pro

I guess I've been called out by codog so I'd better weigh in...

Main reason I haven't considered an articulated loader is length and width. I want a 36" machine that will fit thru gates and most articulating loaders are around 42" wide. In addition, most ALs are longer than mini skids. While neither width nor length may be of significance to some folks, they're vital to me as I haul my loader on my chip truck and it will only accomodate a machine up to 38" wide and no longer than 92" without an attachment.

In addition, I prefer to stand on the back of a mini skid vs ride on a seat in a cab. Better visibility and more efficient.

Lastly, if you make wider turns with a mini skid, you won't tear grass. However, if you need to make zero-radius turns in tight areas, you have the ability to do so; whereas, with an AL, you don't. Can't begin to count the number of times an AL wouldn't have worked in a confined space the mini skid did work.

All that said, I'm sure there are numerous situations where an AL would outperform a mini skid. Additional lifting height and reach over the box of a truck are just two specs that really stand out on paper. If I owned a bobcat 300, a mini skid and an articulated loader, I'm sure I could find a use for all three; however, if I had to choose just one (which I have), I'd stick with a tracked mini. Does everything I need it to do and worth its weight in gold to me.

AP



codog said:


> I've been thinking for the last couple years an articulating loader would be my ticket. I've traveled 300 miles 3 times to look at and demo the gehl 140. I still think this is what I need. Whats holding me back is the fact that I'm not able to find much info from owners. About the only thing on line I've seen is about a guy who tipped his over and was asking questions about how to fix the damage that resulted. I have an mt-52 and love it, but I want more efficiency.
> I pay special attention to everything arborpro has to say. He talks about mini's a lot. I would love his input on articulating loaders. I seem to agree with everything he has to say.
> Its hard to/ if not impossible to find reviews on these.


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## arbor pro

*minis*

BTW - as long as we're on the subject of small loaders - anybody looking for a tracked mini skid? I take delivery of my new Ditch Witch sk650 next week (very stoked) so the bobcat mt52 that I'm currently using is up for sale with only 92 hrs as is a 24hp PowerHouse Prowler (boxer) mini I recently picked up. 

Bobcat is in like new condition. Prowler runs good but is going in the shop for a full service and minor repairs next week and will be ready to roll in a week or so. Have augers, trenchers and other attachments to go with either machine.

AP 
605-228-9350


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## GarethVW

How do the articulating loaders compare to skid steers in other areas? Specifically cutting and grading to level the ground. Are the Boxer loaders strong enough? The only reason I ask is because of their very light weight compared to any other loader with their lifting capacity. Are they strong and stiff enough? I know that my tractor can't cut ground like a skid steer because the loader arms are to weak and they flex just enough that if I am working in clay I can't cut level because one corner of the bucket will flex down just a little and gouge the ground.


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## wheelloader123

*Boxer Loaders and Swingers*

The large Boxers work very well for grading and dirt work due to their oscillation lock (which makes the machine rigid). The Swinger loaders, not as much because of their oscillation (the front and rear frame sections operating independently). If you are interested in the Boxers, I have 6 brand new 2008 Boxer 749DTs for sale. They each have less than 20 hours. I would like to move these and am asking $33,000 each. They originally were selling for around $45,000. Post or email me at [email protected] Thanks!


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## arbor pro

Used my new ditchwitch sk650 for the first time this weekend. What a great machine! Had my HD grapple bucket on it to do tree and stump cleanup and had my toro stump grinder head on my bobcat mt52 to do stump grinding in spots where my sc252 grinder couldn't get to (very rough terrain on the side of a ditch). Other than flipping my DW onto its side once :msp_scared: those two minis made what would have been a pretty difficult job a fairly easy one. I dont' think a wheeled articulating loader could have performed as well as the tracked minis did in that rough terrain. While I flipped the DW once, I would have flipped an AL several more times when hitting holes and half-buried tree stumps.

PS - the mini is fine. Got it turned off immediately and uprighted within a few minutes with the help of the other loader and my pickup. Just a bit of oil and hydraulic fluid leaked out but no damage done and used it for 5 more hours that day...

AP


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## gwiley

As has been said previously, you don't NEED to tear up the lawn with your skid steer. If you use a wide turn radius on a tracked SS you cause very little damage. My 773 has metal over the wheel tracks and amazes me at how light a touch it is on lawns. At about 72" width it doesn't fit through gates at all (although it will 'make' a gate for you in 0 time 

Damage to lawns is due to sloppy or inexperienced SS operators in my opinion.

If you need ultra tight turn radius, the SS wins every time.


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## Toddppm

All of the legit arborists are getting these loaders now! I hear they're great! Just ask at your next AA meeting! 
View attachment 188315


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## Bigus Termitius

Looks like a lawn guy doing tree work.....but hey, no damage to the lawn.


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## GarethVW

How available are parts for the Gehl al20 loaders? That seems like the size I am looking for. I have a tractor for the larger stuff if needed. What 
about parts for the multi one and multi loaders? Are they the same machine?


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## Panama

GarethVW said:


> How available are parts for the Gehl al20 loaders? That seems like the size I am looking for. I have a tractor for the larger stuff if needed. What
> about parts for the multi one and multi loaders? Are they the same machine?


 
Not sure about parts for the gehl. Multione and the newer Boxer 700 series are from the same parent company in italy, CFS. Multione parts are getting scarce but their part numbers are very similar to the Boxer 700's, so with a little work most parts can be purchased from boxer dealers.


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