Choosing the Best Loader for Your Needs

Overview

When deciding on the best machine for your operation, you have options! Whether you're in the business of snow removal, landscaping, nurseries, hobby farming, or agriculture co-ops, most customers find that a loader significantly boosts productivity. The quest for the most suitable loader depends on a multitude of factors.

Like anything, you'll want to consider each of these factors to make the most educated decision. We recommend taking into account elements like the primary terrain of your job site, clearance, power and maneuverability needs, budget and maintenance, attachment capabilities, cab visibility, and desired overhead/rollover protection.

If you have a bigger job requiring heavy lifting and loading, you'll want to consider a full-size loader, like the CASE 521G-1121Gs. They'll provide you with the most power and lift capacity to move and load large quantities of heavy materials like gravel, rock, sand, and dirt. They're also your go-to for those large snow removal jobs like our northern friends clearing out that Mall of America/IKEA parking garage each winter! However, if size, maneuverability, and versatility are some of your key focuses, a smaller loader will be your solution for optimal productivity and value.

To learn how each of the small loaders, including compact wheel loaders, skid steers, compact track loaders, mini track loaders, and small articulated loaders, go head to head in each category, check out our quick graphic guide below or read through our complete analysis!

Terrain Performance 

With speeds of up to 25mph, compact wheel loaders lead the field with the highest top-end speed, easily beating the next closest two entrants in the category, skid steers at 10-15mph and compact track loaders at 8-12mph, by a wide margin. With that said, it's important to note that because these loaders are on wheels, they'll perform best on solid surfaces like pavement, concrete, and gravel that aren't at risk for damage and that won't cause wheels to get bogged down from soft earth. Because of the articulation, compact loaders can also make tight turns. 

Clearance, Capacity, & Maneuverability 

Being a larger machine, wheel loaders require more space. However, they also have a higher lift capacity and breakout force, thus being able to move heavier loads as a result. 

Cab Visibility & Safety

A cab that seats the driver higher up like these provides increased visibility and, in our CASE Compact Wheel Loaders, a 360-degree view. The cab is also larger and offers greater operator comfort and ease of access. 

Attachment Capabilities

Compact wheel loaders can operate most skid steer attachments with a skid steer coupler, including buckets, rakes, augers, hydraulic hammers, and breakers. Therefore, if the attachment capability is your primary draw to the skid steer, but you have a larger job, the wheel loader might be worth considering.  

Budget & Maintenance

Compact wheel loaders will cost more upfront, but cheaper tire replacements (compared to the higher cost of replacing tracks and undercarriage components) and lower operating costs overall can potentially offset that cost, if not save in the long run. 

Summary: Favored Applications

If you have larger landscaping jobs, the compact wheel loader is an excellent choice for those earthmoving and lifting tasks you may come across. Similarly, if you're moving pallets, loading trucks, or traversing larger areas, wheel loaders can also be helpful in farm and agriculture-related operations, including hobby farming. Wheel loaders can also make a solid snow removal machine with snow tires added, providing quick transport speed between jobs, greater productivity with its push/pile capacity, and better visibility for the operator working in parking lots and around buildings and landscaping. 

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Terrain Performance

Skid steers perform best on hard surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt, and gravel. They have higher top speeds than compact track loaders and can manage tight turns, as opposed to tracked options, which can suffer more significant wear and tear if driving on hard ground. 

Clearance, Capacity, & Maneuverability

The lighter weight of wheels, rather than tracks, makes them best for lighter loads that require less horsepower. However, a benefit of that lightweight is that they're also easier to move and transport, meaning you can do so with relative ease using your pickup or trailer. 

Cab Visibility & Safety

All skid steers offer an enclosed cab or ROPs option, which means defense from the elements and rollover protection. ROPs are still standard, though we stock and sell most of our machines with full cab/air/heat. However, the visibility that it provides varies between brands and models. In CASE's skid steers, operators have large front and side windows with a low entry threshold, providing visibility down to the bucket. The hood is also low-sloping, allowing visibility to the rear. All of this is additionally supplemented with a backup camera and cab-wide rearview mirror. 

Attachment Capabilities

It's no secret that operators can outfit skid steers with various specialized buckets and attachments. They're typically easy to install, and CASE skid steers also include an optional Enhanced High Flow to power more demanding attachments like cold planers, mulching heads, and stump grinders.   

Budget & Maintenance

Overall, skid steers tend to cost less than compact track and wheel loaders both upfront and later on in maintenance and fueling. They typically require less maintenance than CTLs, and tires are cheaper to replace than tracks and undercarriage components when necessary. 

Summary: Favored Applications

Favored over CTLs for snow removal, as CTLs tend to slide around more on snow and ice, skid steer loaders are an excellent choice for those winter options. Its versatility, light weight, and maneuverability also make it a great choice for  landscaping. The skid steer can also be a reasonable option for small chores around the farm, especially in tighter spaces, like within your barn!

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Terrain Performance

Tracked loaders, like Compact Track Loaders (CTLs)/Track Skid Steers and Mini Track Loaders (MTLs), boast significant advantages for anyone primarily traveling across dirt or other soft surfaces, including sand, rather than pavement. Their tracks and low ground pressure allow for more effortless movement across uneven terrain or softer ground, as opposed to wheeled options that can get bogged down or disrupt the earth beneath them. Though there's a tradeoff in reduced average speed, track loaders tend to offer operators a smoother driving experience overall!

Clearance, Capacity, & Maneuverability

Regarding size and capacity, CTLs and MTLs can make tight turns when needed but may require more space to do so. The advantage is that more weight also means the ability to accommodate heavier loads.

Due to its size, the compact track loader will naturally have more reach, lift capacity, and stability. However, it is limited in where it can operate as a result. It also has a higher hydraulic flow rate, translating to more power and increased efficiency.

Its mini track loader version is an excellent solution for operations requiring a fit in tighter spaces and frequent attachment swaps.  

Cab Visibility & Safety

CTLs feature enclosed cabs or ROPs enclosures providing additional rollover protection. However, this can also mean it has less visibility overall and makes swapping attachments more time-consuming, needing to mount and dismount each time. With that said, CASE CTLs feature cabs that are both roomy and easy to get in and out of. Like the skid steer, large front and side windows, low-sloping rear hoods, and a low entry threshold provide prime visibility in addition to the backup camera and cab-wide rearview mirror.

The MTL by design is going to differ in this aspect. The MTL does its job by putting the driver up high and in the rear. You don't have protection this way, but you do have maximized visibility all around you with no cab encasement to get in your way. With no cab, it's convenient to mount and dismount and provides unlimited visibility as long as you're okay with the tradeoff in protection from elements and fewer attachment options, given their lighter load capacity. 

Attachment Capabilities

With both machines, you have attachments aplenty. Operators can equip CASE MTLs with 40+ attachment options. Even better, if you upgrade to a larger machine, most of those attachments can move up with you. 

Budget & Maintenance

Overall, CTLs have a higher purchase price than their skid steer cousins and have higher maintenance and fuel costs. Across the board, tracked machines require more maintenance and upkeep and have higher track replacement costs than wheels, but they offer other benefits that wheels cannot. 

Summary: Favored Applications

Tracks provide minimal disturbance in soft surfaces, including soil and sand, making them a great choice for  landscaping and concrete-pouring applications. CTLs have the horsepower and capacity for higher productivity applications, while MTLs provide the small footprint and maneuverability required for nurseries and smaller landscape projects. 

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Terrain Performance

Like their tracked cousins, Small Articulated Loaders (SALs) can navigate uneven terrain and distribute the ground pressure to reduce damage to the ground beneath. Again, this will be a significant benefit to anyone operating primarily on the soft earth. They also boast higher top speeds than skid steers and CTLs and minimal wear and tear, making them a more productive option for operations involving a lot of travel. 

Clearance, Capacity, & Maneuverability

Narrow and light in design, SALs are highly maneuverable through tight passageways and confined spaces and are easy to store and transport. 

Cab Visibility & Safety

One reason we love our CASE models is that they feature forward articulation, providing a larger cab size, easier entry/exit, and zero cab swing compared to rear articulation models. 

Attachment Capabilities

CASE SAL features more than 70 attachments available across six different models. Many models feature telescoping arms for added reach when loading or hauling, allowing the operator to do some work of a telehandler. Additionally, with high-flow hydraulic performance, SALs can pair with a wide range of attachments. 

Budget & Maintenance

Pretty straightforward, SALs are relatively low-cost machines overall!

Summary: Favored Applications

As long as the wheels won't negatively impact your operation via terrain damage, SALs provide excellent visibility, agility, and overall size for small landscaping projects or nurseries. Its telescoping arms can also provide an added benefit for those same operations. 

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Our Promise

Whatever compact loader solution you choose, you can count on the equipment experts at Titan Machinery to answer your questions and provide the service and parts support you need throughout the process. Find your nearest dealership to stop by or contact us today, and let us know how we can help put the power of Titan to work for you! 

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