Yanmar Further Refines Good Loader Design

A heavier mainframe and thicker loader arms allow the new Yanmar V4-6 and V3-6 compact loaders to lift heavier loads.

Construction Equipment's in-the-dirt introduction to Yanmar's compact machines occurred a couple years ago when we borrowed a new CBL40 compact backhoe loader from the company for a Hands-On-Earthmoving evaluation. The professional operator who evaluated the machine for us, a training instructor for Local 150 (International Union of Operating Engineers) was, overall, quite impressed with the machine's power, hydraulic refinement, easy maneuverability and overall sturdy design. Although we haven't had the opportunity to evaluate Yanmar's new V3-6 and V4-6 compact wheel loaders in the same hands-on fashion, we'd guess that these new tractors reflect many of the same qualities as their backhoe-loader counterparts.

According to Yanmar, the major areas of design refinement for the two new models center on "ease of operation, versatility and durable on-site performance." In addition, the new models also feature reduced overall height, a design element, says Yanmar, which not only lowers the center of gravity of the machines for enhanced stability, but also allows easier transport in enclosed carriers.

The two new loaders weigh in at 6,750 and 7,651 pounds (in their base, canopy configuration) and both feature a water-cooled, diesel TNV-Series Yanmar engine. The V3-6 uses Yanmar's three-cylinder 3TNV-BNKAH, and the V4-6 uses the four-cylinder 4TNV-BNKAH. According to Yanmar, these new engines, which are rated at 30.3 and 40.4 horsepower, respectively, are certified to meet Tier-4-Intermediate emissions standards.

Both of these new articulated, four-wheel-drive loaders use an automatic hydrostatic drive system that incorporates an oscillating axle at the rear and provides a maximum travel speed of 11.8 mph. Brakes are the fully enclosed, multiple-wet-disc type. Says Yanmar, forward/reverse movement is initiated by a column-mounted shift lever that incorporates a safety lock to prevent inadvertent travel.

At the heart of these new loaders are a reinforced frame and thicker loader arms, which result in increased lift capacity. The two units have rated operating loads of 1,962 and 2,579 pounds, respectively, and their full-turn tipping loads are 3,924 and 5,158 pounds, respectively. An auxiliary hydraulic system is rated at 3,000 psi operating pressure and 10.7 gpm (V3-6) and 14.8 gpm (V4-6).

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