Practical test: Front loader comparison – part II In our January issue we took a technical look at seven different loaders, listing their paper specs and test capacities. This month we switch the focus on to what the various machines are like to live with, from an operator’s point of view. The test loaders hail from Alö Trima, Alö Quicke, Hauer, Hydrac, MX, Stoll and Zenz
So, off we go on part II of our loader test. How do our magnificent seven stack up when it comes to their ease of use, visibility and build quality? Are they quick to fit onto and remove from their respective tractor hosts? And just how slick are they when swapping over attachments? Last month’s assessment of the loaders’ operating statistics – how much load to what height – was important.
But it’s not the whole story, not by any loader stretch. What really counts is a combination of the two: Performance stats and what the machines are like to live with in practice. Perhaps the biggest surprise is just how different these essentially similar loaders can be in certain respects. Then again, they do have a number of pleasing traits in common.
A stand-out feature in this regard is the detailed attention that has been paid by all manufacturers to ease of loader maintenance. What won’t come as a surprise, however, is that there is much to contemplate when selecting a loader, a point that became clear to us as we worked with each unit in turn. Although it is the physical performance of a given loader that usually provides the initial basis for model choice, it is also important to consider what the unit is like to operate, the effectiveness of the supplied boom suspension system, build quality, and ease of fitting and removal. And then, of course, there’s the price.
The bottom line is that what is right for one farm may not be for another. Below we give a brief summary of our findings. When talk turns to loader and control installation, bear in mind that the individual loader firms were responsible for fitting their own units to the supplied Claas Ares 557 tractors.
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