Both excavator-loaders and skid steer loaders have their own advantages, and which one is better depends on specific usage scenarios and needs. The following is a comparative analysis of them:
Working Performance
- Excavator-loader: Excavators have strong excavation and crushing capabilities, especially large excavators, which are suitable for heavy-duty operations such as mining and large-scale earthworks. Loaders, on the other hand, are mainly used for shoveling, transporting, unloading, and stacking loose materials such as soil, sand, gravel, and coal, and are highly efficient in material handling and loading.
- Skid steer loader: Although its excavation and loading capabilities are relatively weak, it has a pivot steering function, which makes it extremely flexible to operate in narrow spaces. Moreover, it can be equipped with more than 100 types of attachments, enabling it to perform various operations such as road cleaning, milling, snow removal, and trenching.
Applicable Working Conditions
- Excavator-loader: Excavators are suitable for various terrains, especially excavation and crushing operations in complex terrains such as mountainous areas and wetlands. Loaders are suitable for material handling and loading operations in large flat sites such as construction sites and gravel yards.
- Skid steer loader: It is mainly used in occasions where the working site is narrow, the ground is uneven, and the operation content changes frequently, such as urban infrastructure construction, factory workshops, warehouses and other narrow sites.
Mobility
- Excavator-loader: Most excavators are of crawler design, with relatively slow moving speed, but good stability, and are suitable for operations on uneven and slippery ground. Loaders generally adopt wheeled design, which makes them flexible in movement, with a small turning radius, and can quickly move between different operating locations.
- Skid steer loader: The main machine weight is generally 2-4 tons, with a small and flexible body and a short wheelbase, so its mobility in narrow spaces is far superior to that of excavator-loaders.
Operating Efficiency
- Excavator-loader: In large-scale excavation and loading operations, excavator-loaders can efficiently complete tasks by virtue of their strong power and large bucket capacity.
- Skid steer loader: In cases where the operation content needs to be changed frequently, skid steer loaders can effectively improve operating efficiency due to their ability to quickly replace attachments. However, when the amount of a single excavation or loading operation is large, their efficiency is not as good as that of excavator-loaders.
If it is for large-scale excavation and crushing projects, such as mining and earthwork operations in large construction sites, excavator-loaders are more suitable; if it is for various types of operations in narrow spaces, such as urban street maintenance and multi-functional operations in small construction sites, skid steer loaders have more advantages.
