ity. They also appreciate that cab-rear miniloaders tend to be made of solid steel. Cab-front models usually have plastic or thin metal coverings to ac- commodate the operator. Attachments Miniloaders oen come with attachments, such as the standard or telescoping booms that are common- ly used by tree care companies. Consid- er a miniloader with a universal mount that will allow a range of attachments from different manufacturers. Maintenance In general, miniloaders require low-cost, regular maintenance that a competent mechanic can handle. Look for models that are easy to work on yourself and for which parts are readily available. Brands that have a large distributor network will have bet- ter accessibility to resources for main- tenance, repair, and parts. Transport One reason miniloaders are so popular is because of the ongoing shortage of commercial truck drivers. Tree care companies can sidestep the need to find one if their miniloader is small enough to be carried on a truck that does not require a commercial driver’s license.
and 25 horsepower are the most com- mon size and power for miniloaders in tree care work, according to Sleurink. Width While the width of a wheel loader matters, a narrow profile is an advantage for miniloaders by allowing them to navigate through gates and passageways. Miniloaders.com offers miniloaders with eight wheels, four of which can be temporarily removed to make the ma- chine even narrower. The company’s Intrepid KM85 model is unique in the industry for being able to fit through a 36-inch gate. “That’s big for guys who do a lot of ur- ban tree care,” says Sleurink. Li capacity It’s important to con- sider how much weight a miniloader can he without falling over. The ide- al weight-to-li ratio is 1:1, meaning the miniloader can li its own weight off the ground. But not all miniloaders can reach this standard. Depending on its weight and width, a miniloader can typically li 2,000 to 7,500 pounds. Cab position Proponents of cab-rear miniloaders say this design reduces tail-swing and provides better visibil-
Tree Care Attachments
With miniloaders, it’s all about the ac- cessories. With a universal mount, there are hundreds of attachments available. Here are the ones most popular in the tree care industry. • Boom (telescoping or standard) • Multi-purpose (knock-around) grapple • Buckets of various kinds
• Pallet fork • Tree shear • Log grab • Stump grinder • Root grapple • Side arm • Ripper • Backhoe
when it comes to saving time and open- ing new revenue streams. “These compact articulating loaders will virtually haul out entire tree remov- al jobs without causing any sort of turf damage,” said Dustin Breiwick, owner of TNE Distributing , an equipment supplier in Minnesota. “We believe that tree care businesses are losing money by not having an articulating loader as part of their fleet.” Before you go shopping, make sure you know how you’re going to use it in your operations. “It’s better to consider four things when considering which loader best fits your operation: size, power, machine fea- tures and attachment options,” says Foster. Here are a few things to consider when buying a miniloader. Size There’s a miniloader for every job and location. A smaller size usually works best in tight, urban areas, while suburban or rural areas can handle larger sizes. In general, 3,000 pounds
“I want as small of a machine as possible
TNE Distributing’s Cast Loader 30 series is popular among tree care professionals due to its compact size. At just 96 inches long, it weighs 3,200 pounds and has a lift capacity of 2,300 pounds.
10 | ArborTIMES Winter 2024
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