Articulated Loaders Explained | Equipment Solutions

Buyer's Guide · 2026-06-05

If you've never run an articulated loader, the first thing you notice is how it turns. Instead of skidding its tires around like a skid steer, the machine bends in the middle and pivots. That one design choice changes everything about how it works, and it's why landscapers, nurseries, and livestock operations love them.

Here's what an articulated loader is, how it's different, and when it's the right tool.

We carry the Gehl AL and ALT articulated loaders, so we'll point to those as we go.

What "articulated" actually means

An articulated loader is built around a pivot joint in the center of the frame. The front half (with the loader arm) and the back half (with the engine) are joined at that hinge, and the machine steers by bending at the joint. All four wheels keep rolling forward as it turns, so it sweeps through a tight arc instead of scuffing the ground.

That's the whole idea, and it leads directly to the two things these machines are known for: a tight turning radius and a gentle touch on the ground.

Why it's easy on turf (and your knees)

A skid steer turns by dragging its tires, spinning one side faster than the other. That works great on dirt and pavement, but on grass, gravel, or a finished surface it tears things up. An articulated loader rolls through the turn, so it leaves your turf, your gravel, and your barn floor in one piece.

That makes it the go-to for:

• Landscaping and lawn maintenance
• Nurseries and sod farms
• Horse barns and livestock operations
• Municipal and park work
• Any job on finished or sensitive ground

The higher operator position is a bonus. You sit up where you can actually see the load and what's around you, which beats craning your neck over a low skid steer all day.

The lineup, from compact to telescopic

Articulated loaders are usually sized by tipping load and lift height. Here's the ladder we carry:

• The Gehl AL650 is the compact pick, with a 65 hp diesel and roughly 10 feet of lift. Great for tight barns and landscape crews.
• The AL750 steps up to a 74 hp diesel and more tipping capacity when you want a little more muscle for loader and bucket work.

Need more reach? The ALT machines add a telescopic boom that extends the lift:

• The ALT750 is the telescopic version of the AL750. The boom extends to put loads up around 16 feet at the hinge pin instead of the usual 10, which is a big help for stacking and truck loading.
• The ALT950 is the flagship, with a 143 hp diesel, a 10,974 lb tipping load, and 17 feet of lift height. It's the one when you need real reach and capacity but still want to be kind to the ground.

Versatility you can actually use

The thing that makes an articulated loader worth owning is how much it does with attachments. Gehl machines come with a hydraulic attachment system that uses a standard skid steer interface, so a lot of the attachments you may already own will bolt right on. Buckets, pallet forks, grapples, bale spears, you name it. One machine, many jobs.

On the bigger machines you'll also see a choice of loader arm. A Z-bar arm gives you more breakout force for digging into a pile, while the telescopic ALT arm trades some of that for extra reach. We'll help you pick based on whether you dig more or stack more.

Where it fits next to a skid steer or telehandler

A quick way to place it:

• Skid steer - best for dirt work and tight, hard surfaces where ground damage isn't a concern.
• Articulated loader - best for finished ground, turf, and barns where you can't afford to tear things up, and where you want a comfortable ride and good visibility.
• Telehandler - best when reach and lift height are the whole point.

Plenty of operations run an articulated loader as their main machine and never look back, especially once they see the lawn isn't getting chewed up anymore.

Let's figure out your size

Tell us what you move, how high, and what kind of ground you work on, and we'll point you to the right machine instead of overselling you. Browse the full articulated loader lineup to compare capacities and reach, or request a quote on any model.

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