Bulldozer vs. Wheel Loader: What Are the Differences?

Deciding which machine to pick, a bulldozer or a wheel loader, can be difficult at times. Although both are capable of material handling, they vary in a number of different aspects. Thus, the nature of your project will be the deciding factor in choosing a suitable piece of equipment.

In our present discourse, we are going to describe what bulldozers and wheel loaders are, their key differences, and guide you on how to figure out which one is most suitable for your project.

What Is a Bulldozer?

Bulldozers are heavy machines designed for pushing, digging, excavating, and leveling soil and debris. Bulldozers are designed to be used with minimal maneuverability but with a maximum destruction capability. Moreover, bulldozers come in different sizes such as the crawler or mini bulldozer that can be used depending on the amount of work to be done. In whatever size, they give away the brute force required to move large amounts of earth.

Best for:

• Pushing large amounts of material
• Digging projects
• Excavating earth
• Leveling soil
• Landscaping
• Moving debris

What Is a Wheel Loader?

Wheel loaders are heavy machines whose function is to pick up and transport materials such as sand and rocks from a given location in a job site to another. Wheel loaders are also referred to as front loaders, front-end loaders, payloaders, and loading machines.

Aside from finding various types of wheel loaders such as backhoe loaders and skid steers, they are also available in different sizes. Regardless of whether your requirement is a big wheel loader or a small wheel loader, you can easily find the best wheel loader which meets your requirements for the job you were going to do that will perform the job exceptionally well.

Best for:

• Transporting raw materials
• Rehandling objects to minimize loading cycles
• Placing loads into other vehicles
• Clearing rubble
• Laying pipes
• Digging
• Snow removal

What Are the Key Differences Between Bulldozers and Wheel Loaders?

It is noticeable that both of these machines are similar in their operations, but there are some differences in their functioning that can assist you in identifying which of these machines is more suitable for your project.

Wheel Loaders Use a Large Bucket, While Bulldozers Use a Heavy Metal Plate

The bulldozers’ equipment is a heavy metal plate or blade—like a straight blade, a universal blade, or any other bulldozer blade—that works as a scraper in front and moves material along the ground. It does pushing and digging through materials when the weight is behind the task being done. Quite the opposite is the Wheel loader which is equipped with a large bucket that is utilized at the front side of the machine to pick up and transport products.

Wheel Loaders Are Best for Transporting Materials

The functionality of a bulldozer is visible in the fact that due to design, it is exclusively for pushing materials and it ❜s not able to take things. The wheel loader as equipped with a bucket, on the other hand, is capable of pushing heavy materials, such as rocks and debris, carrying and re-handling objects to minimize loading cycles. The general use of a bulldozer is usually the case in the grading of land surfaces, levellings…

Bulldozers

Hiring a bulldozer is less expensive than hiring a wheel loader. The first one will cost you somewhere between $1,300 and $2,000, while the latter will require you to have $1,700 to $3,500, depending on the size, horsepower, operating weight, and the duration that they are needed for.

Low Manoeuvrability of Bulldozers

There are bulldozers that move on tracks which increase traction but also limit their mobility. It is also true that wheel dozers are present, though not in the dominant share. The argument against the mobility of the bulldozer is that the wheels of the front-loader make it the best choice in all situations. Although it is true that the wheels of the front-loader provide much versatility and the ability to move the material faster around the site than the bulldozer.

Bulldozers Are Good at Getting Through Rough Areas

There indeed could be times when the construction site will be rough, and that is where bulldozers are second to none. The fact that bulldozers operate through their tracks increases their movement only in vertically rough terrain. Under such conditions, they could be equipped with the rear-mounted rippers to make the task of breaking down rocky terrains facile. Wheel dozers, contrariwise, prove to be more useful for working on soft, fairly level grounds because they are less secure when it comes to the risk of rolling down hills, or the uneven track when carrying the material.

Which One to Choose Between a Bulldozer and a Wheel Loader

You have now seen that both the typologies of heavy machinery have their paybacks and setbacks. While the bulldozer fits certain tasks, the wheel loader is more suitable for others. Without doubt, your decision will mainly be determined by the kind of project it is meant to work for.

The rule of thumb is: In case you need to clear or level the land, then go for a bulldozer, but if want to transport several tons of material at a time, then the wheel loader is your choice. If you want to hire a bulldozer or a wheel loader, you have many options at your disposal such as Cat and John Deere rent at BigRentz.

If you happen to need a dump truck, a backhoe, or another kind of heavy-duty construction equipment, we are also capable of covering that. You may want to get in touch with us today and we will provide you with the necessary assistance in deciding which equipment is the best for your next task.