Telehandler, wheel loader or front loader: which one fits?

Three kinds of loading machine

Telehandler. A machine with a long arm that extends, also called a telescopic loader. At the front there is a pallet fork or a bale grab. A telehandler lifts high and far, for example bales onto the top of a stack in the barn.

Wheel loader. A machine on four wheels with a big bucket at the front. A wheel loader scoops, pushes and loads: manure, sand, silage. On farms you often see a small yard loader.

Front loader. A loader arm with a bucket or fork mounted on the front of a tractor. You do not need a separate machine: the tractor does the loading.

With toys it works the same way. A child who stacks bales gets a lot out of a telehandler. A child who digs in the sandpit gets more out of a wheel loader.

Telehandlers

Bruder makes several telehandlers at 1:16: the Manitou MLT 633 (02125), the Cat telehandler (02141) and the JLG 2505 (02140). The JCB Teletruk (02512) is a cross between a forklift and a telehandler. On Bruder models you extend and raise the arm by hand.

At 1:32, Britains makes, among others, the JCB AgriPro telehandler in Union Jack livery and the New Holland TH7.42. From ROS there is the Manitou MRT 2260, a rotating telehandler whose cab and arm turn round. Britains and ROS make detailed scale models; check the age on the box.

Wheel loaders

Bruder's Schäffer 2630 loader (02190) is a 1:16 yard loader, the kind of machine you see on many livestock farms. It also comes in a set with a lorry: the MAN TGS with roll-off container and Schäffer loader.

Siku makes the JCB Agri 435S wheel loader (3663) at 1:32 and the Manitou 3300V compact loader (3049), also at 1:32. Smaller is the Claas Torion loader (1914) at 1:50.

A tractor with a front loader

A tractor with a front loader is two machines in one: it pulls a trailer and it loads. That makes it a handy first tractor for many children. Bruder has, among others, the New Holland T7.315 with front loader (03121), the Steyr 6300 Terrus CVT with front loader (03181) and the Massey Ferguson 7624 with front loader (03047). From Siku there are the John Deere with front loader (3652) at 1:32 and the Fendt 942 Vario with front loader (1990); the latter does not give its scale in the name, so check the product information.

A front loader does not reach as high or as far as a telehandler. For bales on a high stack a telehandler is the obvious choice; for loading around the yard a front loader is often enough. Our guide to choosing a Bruder tractor lists the Bruder tractors.

Age and scale

Choose the same scale as the tractors and trailers you already have: a Bruder telehandler at 1:16 goes with Bruder bales and trailers, a Siku wheel loader at 1:32 with Siku models at 1:32. Siku also makes smaller models, such as the Claas Torion at 1:50, so check the scale in the name. Our scale guide helps if you are unsure.

The age is on the packaging. Bruder usually gives 3 or 4 years and up for its toys. Britains and ROS models are scale models with small parts; check their age with extra care.

How to choose

• Stacking bales: a telehandler, from Bruder for example the Manitou MLT 633.
• Scooping and loading: a wheel loader, such as Bruder's Schäffer 2630 or Siku's JCB 435S.
• No tractor yet, or only one: a tractor with a front loader.
• Collecting at 1:32: the telehandlers from Britains and ROS.

You will find every loading machine under loaders and lorries. If the machine needs moving, read the guide to toy lorries.