Small articulated loaders continue to make strides in the U.S. with new models introduced in the past year for those who want a step up from a stand-on mini loader or prefer their attributes to a ride-in, rigid-frame skid steer.
SALs represent a loose machine classification — also known as "subcompact wheel loaders," “compact articulated loaders” or “mini wheel loaders” — with manufacturers doing the naming for their individual machines.
For this report, we define them as those with wheels, weighing less than 6,000 pounds, under 75 horsepower — and, of course, they articulate.
{For compact wheel loaders over 6,000 pounds, see: The Right Fit for Your Jobsite? – Compact Wheel Loader Buyer's Guide 2025-26}
In the past year, five manufacturers — Avant Tecno, Bobcat, Case, Intrepid and Wacker Neuson — have introduced new models in the U.S., joining at least six other companies with SALs on the market.
The loaders' manufacturers view SALs as a good entry-level compact wheel loader — a step up from stand-on mini skid steers — with some benefits over a full-size wheeled skid steer.
SALs’ benefits include:
- Lightweight with low ground pressure for less turf disturbance and easier transport.
- Low power-to-weight ratio for greater fuel efficiency, lower owning and operating costs, and faster travel speed.
- High maneuverability for navigating tight spots.
- Some have telescopic booms with higher lifting heights for truck loading.
- Some can be equipped with sealed cabs with heating and air and other operator comforts.
- Electric and gasoline models are also available in some cases.
Like skid steers, they can run a variety of attachments, including buckets, forks, grapples, brooms, brush cutters, hydraulic breakers, snow blades and snowblowers. They can also be used for site prep, grading and light excavation.
With spring here, you might also be able to find some deals on small articulated loaders. For example, New Holland is offering up to $13,500 cash back or 0% interest for 60 months, and buyers can get a $2,500 credit toward an attachment purchase until April 30.
In this report, we take a look at what’s on the market and the latest models and features from Avant Tecno, Bobcat, Case, Giant, Hummerbee, Intrepid, Mecalac, New Holland, Rayco, Vermeer and Wacker Neuson.
Avant Tecno
Avant's 423Avant Tecno
The 423 has a 1,102-pound lifting capacity and a 9-foot lift height. The front frame can be reduced to 36 inches at its narrowest when equipped with 5.70-12 size tires.
The operator gets more leg room. The redesigned multifunction display provides key machine metrics.
The 423 runs on a 22-horsepower Kubota diesel engine, which produces enough power for both drive and auxiliary hydraulics, the company says.
All Avant loaders come standard with an open ROPS/FOPS-certified cab. Enclosed cabs are optional and also are certified ROPS/FOPS.
Avant offers a variety of SALs, from lift capacities of 772 pounds and 20 horsepower to 4,190 pounds and 57 horsepower. It has an electric model, the e5, primarily geared to indoor work, with a lift capacity of 2,000 pounds.
The company recently released a new Forestry Mulcher and an updated Timber Grab for its SALs.
Bobcat
This marks the third SAL from Bobcat, which first entered the equipment category in 2020.
The L35 delivers a step up in performance from the former largest member of the lineup, the L28, with more than double the horsepower at 57, twice the travel speed at 16.2 mph and 538 pounds more operating capacity for a total of 2,072 pounds.
It also boasts higher hydraulic flow for running attachments, topping out at 25.3 gallons per minute with the auxiliary high-flow option.
Its telescoping arm can extend more than 9 feet for dumping material. With the standard bucket, the loader is 54 inches wide.
The 6,000-pound L35 can be equipped with an enclosed cab with heat and air, a sound-dampening headliner, storage and USB connectivity. Operators also get standard adjustable suspension seat, LED work lights, cupholder, retractable seat belt, backup alarm and horn, and parking brake.
Bobcat’s other two SALS weigh less than 4,000 pounds and run on a 24.8-horsepower diesel engine. The L23 has a fixed boom with a lift capacity of 1,159 to 1,395 pounds.
The telescopic boom for the L28 gives it a height to bucket hinge pin of 8 feet 8.4 inches, about 19 inches higher than the L23. The L28’s lift capacity ranges from 1,222 to 1,952 pounds with optional counterweight.
Case
Case's telescopic SL12 TR
The new 5,940-pound, telescopic SL27 TR gets about 4 feet more lift height over the standard model for a total of over 12 feet.
Case’s loaders are designed and manufactured by Netherlands-based Tobroco-Giant. Case offers six other models under 6,000 pounds, including the electric SL22EV. They range from the 25-horsepower SL12 to the 50-horsepower standard SL27.
The company highlights its 2,646-pound telescopic SL12 TR on the smaller end of the lineup with a 36-inch width to fit through gates. It specializes in "offloading taller trailers, placing mulch or stone with precision, moving material in hard-to-reach places and using a fork to stack pallets," Case says.
It comes equipped with a CII mechanical coupler for attachments, like those for loading, tilling, digging, sweeping, grappling, stump grinding or fine grading. A 2-inch receiver and wheel tie-downs are optional.
It features a 9-foot lift height, about 2 feet more than the standard SL12.
Case also classifies these two models with operating weights above 6,000 pounds as small articulated loaders: the 65-horsepower SL35 TR and 74-horsepower SL50 TR.
Giant
Giant G2300 X-tra HD
In 2016, it opened Tobroco Machinery LLC in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to distribute its products in North America and to capitalize on the market potential for compact articulated wheel loaders, according to its website. The company also manufactures SALs for Case and New Holland.
Giant offers five modes of SALs, with each having several different versions based on their arm options of standard, X-tra or telescopic.
The smallest is the 2,420-pound, 25-horsepower GS1200.
The largest is the G2700, weighing 5,732 to 5,940 pounds and 75 horsepower.
All Giant’s diesel SALs run on Kubota engines.
The company also offers two electric models, the 4,850-pound G2200E and 5,709-pound G2700E.
Giant’s G2300 HD is a combination of the smaller G2200’s frame and the driveline of the larger G2500 HD for “big performance in a small package,” the company says.
The 5,000-pound loader runs on a 26-horsepower Kubota diesel engine and does not require diesel oxidation catalyst nor diesel particulate filter.
The G2300 HD is available in two boom configurations of X-Tra and Z-Bar. Both come with a universal skid steer quick-attach plate. Tipping load is 3,516 pounds with a lift height of 9 feet for the Z-Bar version and 4,982 pounds with a lift height of 8 feet for the X-tra.
Other standard features include two-speed gearbox, 8-ton axles and planetary final drives. It can travel up to 12.4 mph and is available with open ROPS, deluxe ROPS or full cab with heat.
Hummerbee
Hummerbee 525R
In 1996, the family-owned company transformed a Swinger 110 compact articulated loader into an articulated off-road forklift by replacing the tower and lift arm with a forklift mast. The company’s Hummerbee name comes from its strong ties to the pollination and orchard industries in California, which were the initial markets for the new forklifts.
After the Swinger 110 was discontinued and as the market later grew for articulated loaders, Hummerbee developed its 500 Series of SALs based on the former 110.
The two 525 models run on 25-horsepower Kubota diesel engines. The 525M features a mechanical joystick and weighs 4,150 pounds.
The 525R features a piloted Joystick, rocker foot pedal and adjustable suspension seat. It weighs slightly more, at 4,570 pounds.
Both models have a 2,700-pound lift capacity and 8.5-foot hinge pin height.
Hummerbee also offers a gasoline model, the 550GR, which runs on a 50-horsepower Kubota liquid-cooled engine, which Hummerbee says has the same performance as diesel but quieter. The 550GR has the same highlighted features as the 525R mentioned above and weighs 5,510 pounds.
Hummerbee also offers the 774R loader, which comes in just over the threshold for this article, weighing 6,641 pounds. It runs on a 74-horsepower Kubota diesel, has a lift capacity of 4,000 pounds and a lift height of 10.5 feet.
Intrepid
Interpid KM180 Tele
A fifth model was added in 2025 to Intrepid’s U.S. lineup of SALs with the 5,000-pound KM180 Tele.
The loader’s telescoping boom can extend 10.8 feet for loading materials into trailers and dumpsters or over fences.
It runs on a 43-horsepower Yanmar diesel engine and has four independent hydraulic wheel-motors for increased torque for simultaneously lifting and carrying loads up to 2,866 pounds.
All functions — forward, reverse, auxiliary hydraulics and boom — are controlled by joystick. A left foot pedal serves as the inching pedal, and a right foot pedal serves as the throttle. A hand throttle allows the operator to manually set rpms.
The loader comes with a skid steer quick-attach mount plate.
The operator’s seat is placed on top of the engine to prevent tail swing when articulating. The design also improves operator visibility to the rear of the loader.
Intrepid offers four other SALs, from the KM85 at 1,970 pounds and 23 horsepower to the KM250 Tele at 5,400 pounds and 48 horsepower.
Mecalac
Mecalac MC4+ with foldable canopy
In 2024, it introduced a foldable canopy option for low-clearance jobsites. The models equipped with the quick-folding canopy allow operators to temporarily reduce the height of the machine to less than 6.6 feet for navigating under garage doors or other low-height areas. The canopy folds down by removing a pin on each column and pushing the roof back.
Mecalac’s six-model small articulated loader lineup consists of the MCL2, MCL4, MCL4+, MCL6, MCL6+ and MCL8. The “Plus” models feature a standard short boom for greater lifting capacities, while the other four models have a long boom for increased dumping height.
The MCL2 and MCL4 run on a 25-horsepower Perkins diesel engine, with tipping loads ranging from 2,557 to 4,101 pounds.
The MCL6, MCL6+ and MCL8 have a 49-horsepower Perkins and tipping loads of 4,211 to 5,115 pounds.
All models offer 45 degrees of articulation to keep the front wheels on the same path as the rear wheels while traveling, the company says. A 10-degree oscillation delivers traction on uneven ground.
New Holland
New Holland ML27T
The latest additions for New Holland are the ML27 and ML27T loaders, which fit in the mid-range of the lineup, weighing 5,732 pounds. The "T" stands for telescopic.
Both models get a 50-horsepower Kubota diesel engine and can reach a top speed of 18.6 mph. The ML27 has a dump height of 5 feet 9 inches, while the ML27T is 9 feet 6 inches.
New Holland lists some of the new SALs’ uses as site preparation, debris removal, material transportation, loading and unloading trucks, landscaping tasks, street and sidewalk maintenance, pothole repair, curb installation, clearing snow, trenching, backfilling and laying pipe.
The loaders come equipped with a hydraulic skid steer coupler and the ability to run more than 50 high-flow attachments, according to New Holland.
In all, the company offers seven models under 6,000 pounds, from the 2,425-pound, 24-horsepower ML12 up to the ML27. That includes the electric ML22X.
Rayco
The company says the 3,850-pound model is designed for material handling for light construction, municipalities, landscaping, agriculture and tree services.
It comes with a telescopic boom that can extend to a max lift height of 9.5 feet. It runs on a 24.8-horsepower Kubota diesel engine. It has a lift capacity of 1,800 pounds.
The 1800AWL has an ROPS and FOPS open cab, a suspension seat and is designed to maneuver in tight spots with minimal turf disruption while turning, the company says. It can reach a top speed of 7.5 mph. It has a quick-attach system with a mini skid steer connection plate for handling more than 100 attachments.
Vermeer
Vermeer ATX850
Vermeer small articulated loaders feature a double-H style boom instead of the more typical single-arm design. The company says its dual-arm design helps prevent bending and twisting that can occur to single-arm booms over time.
Vermeer sells four SAL models:
- ATX530 — 25 horsepower and 1,343-pound lift capacity.
- ATX720 — 25 horsepower and 1,917-pound lift capacity.
- ATX850 — 57 horsepower and 2,517-pound lift capacity.
- ATX960 — 57 horsepower and 3,285-pound lift capacity.
All four models come with telescopic booms, hydraulic quick-connect for attachments, ROPS/FOPS, work lights and an articulation lock for transporting, among other features.
Wacker Neuson
Wacker Neuson WL250
The model weighs between 3,986 and 4,960 pounds, depending on configuration, and runs on a 24.7-horsepower Perkins engine.
It has an overall height of 6.5 feet for fitting into buildings or under gates for construction or landscaping work, the company says. Its articulated pendulum joint with a 12-degree oscillating angle maintains traction for all four wheels on uneven terrain.
The WL250 has a tipping load of 1,631 to 3,726 pounds, depending on configuration and position.
The SAL comes with cabin that includes adjustable seat and climate control. Air-suspended or heated seats are available options.
The low front-end design provides visibility to attachments, and the hydraulic quick-change system speeds up tool swaps.
The drive system uses four hub motors mounted directly on each wheel and driven by a travel hydraulic pump for higher pushing power, faster acceleration and more responsive driving performance, the company says. Lifting-arm dampening minimizes machine rocking at high travel speeds.
Wacker Neuson also offers the WL28, which just misses this report’s cut-off at 6,040 pounds.
