Hi folks; I was interested in what everyone thought someone should look for (besides the obvious) when buying a wheel loader? I'm most concerned with how best to assess the condition of the articulating pins etc, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thx in advance....
Have someone pick up and lower the machine on the bucket. You will be able to see play in the articulation pins if there is any.
Transmission operation, and a current oil sample (unless it's a L70E, then run). Brakes (most wet brakes have inspection port), along with current oil samples from each axle. Those two items have proven to be the most expensive items I've encountered on wheel loaders. Most everything else is easily inspected or relatively inexpensive to repair/ maintain. 544G loaders have proven nearly indestructible here. Got several over 20k hours. But 544H, J, and K brakes only survive reasonably long for us if the machines have axle oil coolers.
Sitting in the seat you won't be able to see much of a bad center hitch unless you've done a lot of them. You can feel them bump when you put a small load on the bucket pushing into the ground and then picking up. The other thing I do is hold my head in one spot, maybe my elbow on the steering wheel steadying my head to not move, and then load and unload the boom and linkage. Focus your eye on one of the boom foot bosses. You will be able to see the front of the machine move slightly away and then back at you. If the implement joints are loose it will make checking the center hitch even tougher. If all is that bad, I'll stand off the machine while someone else runs the machine. The other big issue is the rear axle bolster. Basically the rear axle either sits in a cradle on old machines or has trunnions on the front and rear of the differential that allows the axle to swing in relation to the machine. I've seen plenty of those worn out. Again you will feel it clunk when ever you shift the machine into and out of reverse. If you feel it you will need someone else to run the machine while you watch for movement. The rest is fluid levels, leaks, damage and performance. Good Luck!