# 14 and 16ft front end loader pushers, how much can they push on what machine?



## Ramairfreak98ss (Aug 17, 2005)

We're looking to purchase a 14 or 16 foot push box for a shipping facility, runs are not exactly plowable with truck, front employee parking is ~1200ft long, can plow some of this with trucks, back is ~1800ft long, trucks/building on both sides, majority of snow needs to go down one end, or both ends but really need a big box and machine for this. 

Our biggest machine we own is a 9500lb JD 332D skid with 10' box, although it pushes a lot, i doubt its going to go far enough to make it without overfilling and running out of traction at very least.

Other concern is with so many trucks, hundreds of feet with trailers on both sides of the main lane, i'd ideally like to get a box where at the end of the storm, i can run it around "slowly" with the loader and grab some of the snow underneath the front neck of the trailers... I'm unsure of clearance height , but plowing similar smaller lots in the past, i know we have a minimum of 4ft, so a 48" box or shorter would be fine. Looked into protech, and Artic sectional plow so far. Protechs site says a 16 footer should go on a 3 yard machine, thats at least a JD 544 or 624 machine which are pretty darn large. Would it not have enough traction/weight on a smaller machine?

JD 304j is 14,000~ lbs
JD 444k is 25,000lbs "smallest full size loader"
JD 524k is 27,000lbs
JD 544k is 29,000lbs
JD 624k is 34,000lbs

Seems they don't jump up much more for their power/size, i couldnt see a considerable difference between a 444k and 624k machine, although one is much larger, pushing the box. Since a 9500lb skid steer we have pushes a 10' box, adding another 6ft is only 60% extra "i know theyre taller too", so wouldn't a 20,000lb machine still be plenty? 

The lift capacity of a 544k is 20,000lbs, where it would tip itself frontwards. The 16' boxes are only 2700~lbs, and since its on the ground pushing anyway, you don't have a ton of weight up front.

A 304 we can trailer, a 444k already is too big, but dealer has a new one for rental and we'd get a descent deal for lease. The more compact the better for plowing up front where the cars park too.


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## SPCanada (Aug 27, 2009)

*pushing the line*

The reason that so many contractors like the jd544/case621/cat924 size loaders is that they all fall in that 27-29,000lbs catagory and with a 16 footer you have the displacment weigth to do the long pushes regardless of moisture density in your snow. So depending on your type of snowfall you could have 3 tons out front or 7 tons thats why on a 16ft you are risking it with a 20k machine. Always remember nobody judges you on the 10- 2" snowfalls its how you perform on the big one that wins you acalades. So if you are hell bent on that jd444(jd would be proud lol) would not go over 14ft .The other consideration is can you put piles closer together if you can do that, then you can take on more risk and go a bit smaller. But if you can't, go 27k and up with the 16 been there many times good luck


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## greywynd (Dec 13, 2008)

I've run a 644 a lot, and with a 16' box you can run out of traction on a long push with wet snow. You have to remember, that as the width goes up linearly, the volume of snow you're pushing goes up exponentially. The pile is wider, and higher, and goes out farther in front. 

Also on a site like this, you need size to reach and stack snow, most industrial sites aren't often game to doing removals, and want it piled high. With the 644 and a box in front of the bucket, the piles can go as high as a tractor trailer. Makes for a lot of snow in a relatively small space. 

For the length of run you're looking at, you need a big machine, and big box. TBH, if you get a big snow, that 444 won't cut it for a facility that size. I'd suggest at least a 544, or bigger. Send the skid in after to clean out under the trailers if necessary, the shipping places I did didn't get too concerned about it as long as the empty parking spaces were clean, they'd shuffle trailers around before the next event and the strays would be cleaned up next round.


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

We have a Kawaski 60z (about 20k lb machine) originally we used it with a 14' Protec backhoe model, it had a had time in most events here. I found a 12' Protec loader moder at online auction (turn out to be an IST) much better. Anything with long pushes requiring moving large amounts of snow takes alot of time, pushers fill up, just like you can only windrow so far with a truck.


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