Compact track loaders are go-to machines for multiple earthmoving tasks. Their pushing power and material-handling abilities make them in demand on today’s job sites.
Compact track loaders took off immediately in the 1990s due to their versatility, traction and ability to operate on various terrains. Today, they’ve surpassed skid-steer loaders in sales in North America, and the trend shows no sign of letting up.
Customers use compact track loaders to complete projects in a variety of applications, including the following:
- Construction
- Landscaping
- Agriculture
- Grounds maintenance
Gain a deeper understanding of how these machines and the variety of compact track loader attachments can enhance your work across various applications and tasks.
What is a Compact Track Loader?
A compact track loader, often called a CTL, combines the capabilities of a skid-steer loader with the enhanced traction and stability provided by rubber tracks. It’s also capable of operating a wide range of attachments.
Unlike a skid steer that uses wheels for mobility, a compact track loader uses rubber tracks. These tracks provide better traction and weight distribution, especially in challenging conditions like mud or soft ground.
As the name implies, compact track loaders are relatively small, nimble machines. They can maneuver to and work in tight spaces where larger construction equipment, such as wheel loaders, cannot operate.
Generally speaking, compact track loaders provide better stability and higher lifting than similar-sized skid-steer loaders. This enables them to handle heavier loads and perform more demanding tasks.
Best Compact Track Loader Applications by Industry
Compact track loaders are operated in many different industries due to their performance and versatility. They can do more than dig; auxiliary hydraulics make it possible for them to operate dozens of different hydraulic attachments.
Compact track loaders are well-suited for a variety of tasks in each of the following applications.
Construction: Site Prep, Excavation and More
One of the most common applications for compact track loaders is construction, encompassing residential, commercial and industrial projects.
In construction, compact track loaders are typically operated for land clearing, site preparation, excavating and grading.
When clearing a job site of trees and overgrown vegetation, a compact track loader and a variety of attachments can efficiently complete the task. The loader’s auxiliary hydraulics power the attachments, making it possible to replace larger dedicated land-clearing machines.
Grading buckets are traditionally the go-to attachments for site preparation. However, alternative attachments, including box blades and graders, are also available for grading.
Attachments for land clearing and excavating include:
- Rotary brush cutters
- Skeleton grapples
- Root grapples
- Buckets
Landscaping: Move Materials, Dig Trenches
When your job is nearly finished or if you specialize in landscaping, compact track loaders are the ideal machines for many of your tasks.
Compact track loaders distribute the machine’s weight more evenly than skid-steer loaders, resulting in lower ground pressure and minimizing soil compaction. This is especially important when working or traveling across established surfaces, such as lawns, patios and landscaped areas.
Attachments enable you to complete a wide variety of landscaping tasks. Scoop and move rocks, soil or mulch. Dig holes for planting trees or installing fence posts. Create trenches for underground irrigation systems and drainage. Level and prepare the soil. Lift and transport materials. Gather rocks, sticks and debris.
Attachments for landscaping include:
- Augers
- Pallet forks
- Power rakes
- Light-material buckets
Agriculture: Move Hay, Feed and Fertilizer
Compact track loaders are valued in agriculture for their versatility, durability and ability to operate in a variety of conditions.
Frequently used to move materials around the farm, compact track loaders lift and carry hay bales, feed and fertilizer.
At dairy and beef cattle production facilities, compact track loaders clean barns and stalls, removing manure and bedding with buckets and grapple attachments.
Another benefit of compact track loaders is their exceptional reach and dump height. The machine’s vertical-lift-path design provides increased reach at full lift height and higher dump height. This is helpful at facilities where operators use compact track loaders to transport feed and load mixers.
Farm maintenance requires regular fence repairs, which are made easier with an auger attachment. Land management may include mowing overgrown areas around the property using a rotary brush cutter.
Farming doesn’t stop when it snows. Agriculture producers regularly use compact track loaders with light-material buckets, blowers and pushers to clear snow and keep operations moving.
Attachments for agriculture include:
- Augers
- Buckets
- Pallet forks
- Rotary brush cutters
- Scrap grapples
- Snowblowers
- Snow pushers
Grounds Maintenance: Snow Removal, Debris Cleanup
Whether they’re maintaining existing surfaces or developing new ones, grounds maintenance crews rely on compact track loaders. They are the preferred compact machines due to their versatility and turning capabilities.
Grounds maintenance professionals regularly operate compact track loaders for snow removal, trail construction, debris cleanup, erosion control and construction and maintenance of recreational areas.
Successful grounds maintenance depends on attachments. Crews may operate multiple attachments in the same day. A hydraulic quick coupler allows operators to change attachments in less than a minute and move on to the next task.
Attachments for grounds maintenance include:
- Angle brooms
- Buckets
- Rotary brush cutters
- Snowblowers
- Snow pushers
By Dylan Freeman, Compact Track Loader Product Manager
Dylan Freeman is the product manager for compact track loaders at DEVELON. He has 4 years of experience working in the compact equipment industry. His experiences include product management and market research analysis.
