Obviously new here! My dad and I run a small concrete company and use a mid '70s Case W18 for loading the trucks! At some point I'll have to replace the machine, so I'm doing a bit of looking to see what the market looks like. Is there much rhyme or rhythm to wheel loader model numbers? I can tell bigger numbers are bigger machines, but not sure who is comparable to a w18. Specifically interested in Case and Deere. What do the letters mean after the 3 digit model #? i.e Case 621B When did wheel loaders start getting computers & electronics? Everything we have is mechanical, and that has been great for us.
The letters are normally the model designation, so in the terms I know Volvo L70 blank made first, then L70B series, then L70C series etc etc. when they became electrically dependent come down to individual manufactures and when the machines were produced, as strange as it sounds as soon as the cabs start looking "modern" not boxy then electrics start becoming more prevalent.
Electric controls started being used on machines in the mid nineteen eighties at least that I remember and probably earlier. It all depended on manufacturer. The big boys were first with the lesser used at later stages. Wheel loaders have never, as far as I know, had a logical system utilized by the industry for model numbers to denote the size of the machine. You generally need to find some kind of data base on the internet that lists model equivalents. Komatsu has an interactive data base you might check out. https://www.komatsuamerica.com/competitive-comparison It is slanted from their product side but does provide the basics to answer you question.