Construction Demolition Equipment
Volvo Loaders
Volvo has a large selection of wheel loaders and several compact wheel loaders available. The five main components that make Volvo wheel loaders unique are: Volvo Engine, Volvo Care Cab, Volvo's Torque-Parallel Linkage, Volvo Axles & Brakes, and Volvo Transmission. The L45G and the L50G are the two smallest wheel loaders available. They have an operating weight around 20,000 pounds, a 98-114 net horse power, and a 1.8-3 cubic yard bucket capacity standard. The L350F is the largest with an operating weight around 115,000 pounds, 528 net horse power, and an 8.1-16.6 cubic yard bucket capacity standard. More information can be found here: Volvo Wheel Loaders.
About Loaders
Caterpillar Loaders
Caterpillar has categorized its wheel loaders into Compact Wheel Loaders, Small Wheel Loaders, Medium Wheel Loaders, Large Wheel Loaders, and loaders with the Block Handler Arrangement. The 924K is the smallest of the Small Wheel Loaders with an operating weight of 28,360 pounds, 141 rated net power, and bucket sizes ranging from 2.5-6.5 cubic yards. The 988K is the largest of the Large Wheel Loaders with an operating weight of 112,574 pounds, 541 horse power, and bucket capacity of 8.3-10 cubic yards. More information can be found here: Caterpillar Wheel Loaders.
Loaders are perfect for smaller demolition jobs such as house demolition. They are very effective when it comes to tearing down or pushing through walls. There are several types of loaders including: skid steer loaders, compact wheel loaders, & track loaders. Wheel loaders are most commonly used for demolition.
Why Loaders?
John Deere Loaders
John Deere is another company that manufactures wheel loaders. Their fleet ranges in size and power quite a bit as well and it also includes the 644K Hybrid which features a hybrid-electric powertrain that reduces fuel consumption by approximately 25%. The 204K is their smallest loader with 59 horse power, an operating weight of 11,806 pounds, and a 6'-3" bucket width. The 844K-II is the largest with 380 horse power, a 7.25 cubic yard bucket, and 47,549 pounds of breakout force. More information can be found here: John Deere Wheel Loaders.
Rockland Demolition Bucket
Rockland is a company that manufactures attachments for construction equipment. They produce buckets, forks, rakes, couplers, grapples, and booms for loaders. Most loaders are equipped with special buckets for demolition jobs and one of Rockland's products is their Demolition Bucket. It is a multi-use bucket that can dig, load, carry, and doze. The bucket is made for heavy-duty demolition work and comes in varying sizes ranging from 2-7 cubic yards and weighing between 5,900 and 11,090 pounds. More information can be found here: Rockland Demolition Bucket.
Allied-Gator Claw Bucket
Allied-Gator also produces a bucket for loaders that can be used to tear down walls. It is called the Allied-Gator Claw Bucket and opens like a mouth to grab onto the tops of structures and pull them down. The "mouth" opens up to an 85 degree angle and the bucket is made out of heavy-duty steel that protects all of the internal hydraulics and cylinders. This bucket is produced in a variety of sizes and can be fit onto wheel loaders or skid steer loaders. More information can be found here: Allied-Gator Claw Bucket.
