Volvo loader modification designed for weighty applications

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) and Volvo CE North America are offering a version of the L180H Wheel Loader adapted to fill a truck in three passes.

The companies say the adaption is targeted to wheel loader operators who have “spent too much time trying to get just the right amount of material loaded into a truck.” Applications for which the modified loader could be suited include crushed concrete and shredded ferrous scrap material handling tasks.

Volvo CE is showing the new version of the L180H, which it says is “tailored specifically to rehandling,” at the 2024 World of Asphalt/Agg1 trade fair this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Volvo has modified its “tried-and-true L180H” by swapping in larger 875/65 R29 tires and a long boom, added a rehandling counterweight and created a new truck-loading variation called the L180 3-Pass Rehandler.

The equipment maker says the machine now is smartly designed for rehandling applications, with a higher tipping load, better fuel efficiency and longer reach to fill a truck in three passes.

“We’ve had this concept in mind for several years, driven from conversations with our quarry and aggregate customers,” says Eric Yeomans, product manager at Volvo CE. “The new L180 3-Pass Rehandler will take operators to the next level of loading efficiency. It’s exciting to introduce this game changer to the market and see the response.”

According to Volvo, the larger tires provide lateral traction and flotation, durability and resistance to cuts and impacts, a stable and comfortable ride and good fuel economy. The long boom brings an additional 675 pound-force of breakout force and an additional two feet of dump clearance. The longer reach also allows the operator to stay farther from the truck while still dumping material into the center of it.

“The worst thing you can have is the load sitting toward one side of the truck because when you drive around a corner you run the risk of the material spilling out,” Yeomans says.

The machine’s configuration also decreases the risk of wheel spin and better protects the tires because operators can stay farther from the pile where the ground is less stable and away from rocks that can damage the tires, according to Volvo CE.

“These tires are what we typically spec for our larger L220 and L260 wheel loaders, so the added traction and rim pull are really noticeable in the L180 size,” Yeomans says.

The rehandling counterweight allows for a bucket that is one-quarter cubic yard larger than that on a standard L180H. Customers can choose between four different buckets ranging from 6.3 cubic yards to 7.6 cubic yards in size.

“The goal is to make three full bucket passes to maximize productivity and fuel efficiency,” Yeomans says. “No more wasting time on two full buckets and a partial bucket with a larger machine or several passes with a smaller one.”

Cycle times are also improved by the higher reach because the operator doesn’t have to roll the bucket back to move away from the truck, especially when dumping the last bucket, Volvo CE says.

“Ultimately, every second shaved off a cycle saves fuel and time, which can add up quickly,” the company adds.

Volvo's L180 3-Pass Rehandler adaptation supports a variety of Volvo services, including Load Assist with On-Board Weighing, Connected Map and ActiveCare Direct advanced telematics, and the model is covered by the company's Lifetime Frame and Structure Warranty.