The loader assembly may be a removable attachment or permanently mounted on the vehicle.  Often times, the bucket can be replaced with other devices or tools, such as forks or a hydraulically operated bucket.

Larger style front loaders, such as the Caterpillar 950G or the Volvo L120E, normally have only a front bucket and are known as front loaders, where the small front loaders are often times equipped with a small backhoe as well and called backhoe loaders or loader backhoes.

Loaders are primarily used for loading materials into trucks, laying pipe, clearing rubble, and also digging.  Loaders aren’t the most efficient machines for digging, as they can’t dig very deep below the level of their wheels, like the backhoe can.

The deep bucket on the front loader can normally store around 3 – 6 cubic meters of dirt, as the bucket capacity of the loader is much bigger than the bucket capacity of a backhoe loader.  Loaders aren’t classified as excavating machinery, as their primary purpose is other than moving dirt.

In construction areas, mainly when fixing roads in the middle of the city, front loaders are used to transport building materials such as pipe, bricks, metal bars, and digging tools.

Front loaders are also very useful for snow removal as well, as you can use their bucket or as a snow plow.  They can clear snow from the streets and highways, even parking lots.  They will sometimes load the snow into dump trucks which will then haul it away.

Unlike the bulldozer, most loaders are wheeled and not tracked.  The wheels will provide better mobility and speed and won’t damage paved roads near as much as tracks, although this will come at the cost of reduced traction.

Unlike backhoes or tractors fitted with a steel bucket, large loaders don’t use automotive  steering mechanisms, as they instead steer by a hydraulically actuated pivot point set exactly between the front and rear axles.  This is known as articulated steering and will allow the front axle to be solid, therefore allowing it to carry a heavier weight.

Articulated steering will also give a reduced turn in radius for a given wheelbase.  With the front wheels and attachment rotating on the same axis, the operator is able to steer his load in an arc after positioning the machine, which can come in quite handy.  The problem is that when the machine is twisted to one side and a heavy load is lifted high in the air, it has a bigger risk of turning over.

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Skid loaders are capable of turning in their own tracks, which makes them very maneuverable and valuable for jobs that require the use of compact,
agile loader.

Unlike conventional front loaders, the lift arms lay beside the driver with the major pivot points located behind the shoulders of the operator.  Due to the operator being in close proximity to moving booms and buckets, earlier models of skid loaders weren’t as safe as conventional front loaders, particularly during entering and exiting.

Skid loaders today have fully enclosed cabs and other safety features that will protect the operator from injury.  Just like other front loaders,  the skid steer can scrape material from one location to another, carry material in a bucket,
or load material on a truck or a trailer.

Operation
A skid loader can sometimes take the place of a large excavator by digging a hole out from the inside.  The skid loader will first dig a ramp that leads to the edge of the hole.  Then, the loader will use the ramp to carry material out of the hole.

The skid loader will then reshape the ramp by making it steeper and longer as the excavation gets deeper.  This method is very useful for digging under an overhead structure where the overhead clearance doesn’t allow for the boom of a large excavator, such as those situations where you are digging a basement under a house.

The bucket of most types of skid loaders can be replaced with several specialized buckets or attachments, many of which are powered by the
hydraulic system of the loader.

History
The first 3 wheeled front end loader was invented by two brothers, Cyril and Louis Keller in their machinist shop in Minnesota back in 1957.  The Kellers built the loader to help a nearby farmer clean turkey manure from his two story barn.  The light and compact loader, with the rear caster wheel, was able to turn around within the length of itself, while performing the very same tasks as conventional front end loaders.

Down the road, the Melroe manufacturing company in Gwinner ND, purchased the rights to the Keller loader in 1958 and hired the brothers to continue their loader invention.  Resulting from the partnership, the M-200 self propelled loader was introduced at the end of 1958.

The loader featured two independent front drive wheels and a rear caster wheel, a 12.9 engine and a 750 lb lift capacity.  Two years later, they ended up replacing the caster wheel with a rear axle and introduced the M-400 loader, which was the first four wheel skid steer loader in the world.

In 1962, the Bobcat name was added to describe the key features of the machine – touch, agile, and quick.  The M-440 was powered by a 15.5 HP engine and offered a 1100 lb rated operating capacity. In the mid 1960s, the skid steer loader progressed with the introduction of the M600 loader.

Years later, the Bobcat skid steer loader experienced quite a few changes, including the development of a hydrostatic drive system, enforced cab structures, radius and vertical lift arm configurations, deluxe instrumentation, and even heating and air conditioning.

In addition to the rubber tire skid loaders of today, there are now all-wheel steer loaders and even compact track loaders. Compact track loads offer
less ground disturbance and feature better traction and control in soft, muddy, wet, and even sandy ground conditions.

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