
Backhoe loaders are one of the most popular items when discussing contract plant hire in the UK. They are used within many different types of jobs on a construction site and in many cases a backhoe loader will be the primary piece of heavy machinery that plant hire companies will lease to a client. A backhoe loader is a combination of a backhoe, a tractor and a loader in one piece of fantastic equipment. It is unique in appearance and an interesting invention, as it is not immediately apparent what it’s primary function is, because it is really three pieces of construction kit in one that work well together.
What are the different components to a backhoe loader?
Let’s take a look at the three different components of a backhoe loader and how it could make a big difference to your plant hire plans and your upcoming projects.
The tractor – The main central structure of the backhoe loader is a tractor. It is designed in a way that makes it easy to manoeuvre over rough terrain, all types of tricky terrain actually, and it is a powerful piece of machinery that offers basic steering controls for the operator no matter which part of the vehicle they are using at any given moment.
The loader–This is the component attached to the front, with the backhoe located on the back of the vehicle. The loader is capable of a number of functions and applications. It can be used as a giant scoop to pick up debris with ease and to move them around the site. It is capable of carrying large amounts of loose material and to smooth things over.
The backhoe – This is the main tool of the backhoe loader and is on the back of the vehicle. It is used to dig hard, compact materials, to lift heavy loads and to drop the debris to the side of the hole being dug. The segments of the backhoe are connected by three joints and provides power to dig many different types of holes.
With these components, a backhoe loader is suitable for digging trenches on construction sites, with a flexible operating hub allowing the operator to swing round and control the backhoe to dig and the loader to scoop up debris and move to another part of the site once digging has been completed. The power and versatility of the tractor makes movement easy.
Why are backhoe loaders so popular with plant hire companies?
You see backhoe loaders on every single site, doing many different jobs. They have been around for decades and have become more and more popular over time, especially with the boom in plant hire and contract plant hire in the UK over recent decades. The power, versatility and flexibility, make the backhoe loader an extremely popular option on any site. If there are trenches to dig, pipes to be laid and foundations and drainage systems prepared, the backhoe loader will play a crucial part in preparing the land, digging holes, moving debris from site, smoothing things over ready for the next phase and doing so with great power and manoeuvrability on the trickiest of terrain.