Developed for commercial production as far back as the 1950s, the backhoe loader has continued to dominate the global market in earthmoving equipment ever since. Sure, there are plenty of mini-diggers and bulldozers that are still produced, but it is the backhoe loader that is still the first machine that is called for on just about every construction site you can think of around the country. Given that the basic backhoe loader design is now approaching 70 years of age, why is it that the machine continues to be so widely used in Australia and across the world?
Adaptable Usage
The key to any earthmoving machine's success is that it needs to be able to get the job it is designed for doing but also to be flexible enough to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that might crop up from time to time. In this regard, the backhoe loader is without parallel. Probably the most adapted and adaptable of all earthworks equipment, the backhoe loader can be used to transport building materials over a site even if there is nothing much more than soft, muddy ground to support it. It can be used to help with both construction and demolition jobs.
In many countries, backhoe loaders are put to use to clear snow when it falls. They can also be used to dig holes in the ground as well as to excavate in highly controlled ways - to form foundation trenches, for example. In fact, a backhoe loader is often to be found on archaeological digs, too, such is its high-precision functionality favoured by archaeologists when removing earth and soil. They can be used to break up roadways and to help with landscaping projects and - most crucially of all - any combination of the sort of jobs listed above.
Bucket Arm Alterations
One of the key features of a backhoe loader is that its bucket can be removed within a few minutes. It can, therefore, be replaced with new attachments, such as a breaker, which might be used as a jackhammer to help smash up material. Sometimes, buckets are switched for grapples, too, which help them to lift things. Along with stump grinder attachments, the bucket arm alterations make backhoe loaders widely used in the forestry industry as well as for earthmoving. You can also fit them with helical screw blades, known as augers, to drill holes and create mini piles in the ground.
Self-Stabilisation
Unlike some other earthmoving equipment, backhoe loaders can deploy outriggers rapidly and without the need to delay works. This means that they remain stable when shifting earth even when they are reaching a great distance to obtain it. Overall, this lends itself to the backhoe loader's well-deserved reputation for safety.
