Chilton MX Technic and MX Utility tractor front-end loaders: Bigger loaders on larger tractors Not only are tractor loaders enjoying an upsurge in popularity, but the past four to five years have also seen a growing trend for offering units to fit 100 to 120hp+ tractors. A knock-on effect has been an increase in the demand for good second-hand tractor loader combinations. Taking Chillton MX and MX Utility loaders as an example of the breed, James de Havilland reviews the points to consider when buying ‘used’
There has been a marked change in loader buying trends over the past few years. Where once a loader may have been purchased for use on a tractor that would spend most of its time on yard duties, there is now a growing demand for higher capacity loaders that can be fitted to and, equally important, quickly removed from general-purpose tractors. In many cases, the loader is operated as back-up to a handler. A classic example is to use a tractor unit to load bales on to trailers in the field, freeing up the highreach telehander to stack the bales into the barn back at base.
Critically, the loader has also evolved to allow a better integration with the host tractor. In the not so distant past, loader controls were tricky to install neatly into the cab. Now, however, it is possible to buy a tractor with a factoryfitted hydraulic joystick control which can, in turn, be utilised to operate a loader from a third-party manufacturer and work a front linkage as well.
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