What Are the Implements That Will Attach to Front Loaders?

Tree Cutter

• Front-end loaders with at least 50 horsepower and lift arms installed on the vehicle can use small tree-cutting attachments. These implements, according to the Catalog of Machines and Specialized Attachments, can cut small hardwood trees and medium-size softwood trees with a sharp blade. The front loader must provide at least one main hydraulic function for the implement to attach to and two hydraulic outlets. Larger front end loaders with higher horsepower and more hydraulic power can utilize tree cutters that can cut through larger trunks.

Grapple Forks

• One of the many agricultural uses of a front loader is lifting large, heavy round hay bales. While farm workers may use a variety of tools to accomplish this job, a grapple fork attached to a powerful front loader is the best choice for the job, say the experts at the North Dakota State University Agricultural Extension. Other front end attachments are not safe for lifting heavy objects like a hay bale because they lack the top tines of the grapple fork that prevent the object from falling while it is lifted.

Buckets

• Buckets are front-end implements that come in a number of different sizes and carrying capacities. Some buckets are designed with a flat, angled front edge to scoop up fine materials like gravel or dirt. According to the EverythingAttachments.com website, other buckets, known as rake or rock buckets, have short or long teeth along the front of the device to scoop up larger objects without scraping the ground as much. A number of specialized buckets are also used, such as the stump bucket that is angled and equipped with sharp tines to rip stumps out of the ground.

Hay Spears

• Hay spears are front loader attachments featuring a number of large spikes mounted on a square frame, according to the North Dakota State University Agricultural Extension. These spikes are thrust into any size and shape of hay or straw bale for safe lifting and carrying. The spike secures the bale enough that it won't roll off of the front loader or unbalance the machine. Hay spears come in both front and rear attaching configurations to best fit each individual front loader model.

Plow Blades

• The Westendorf website notes that plow blades are available that make a powerful front loader a replacement for a plow or tractor. Some plow blades are mounted on front end loaders with no lift arms or hydraulic power because these devices are usually just driven before the vehicle to break up compacted ground.