The main wheel loader attachments are buckets, pallet forks, grapples, farm tools such as hay spears and bale grabs, rakes, augers and sweepers, plus the quick hitch that connects them. Most small and mid-size wheel loaders in Australia run a general purpose bucket and one or two extra tools, usually forks, a 4-in-1 bucket or a grapple. Whether an attachment suits your loader comes down to three things: the hitch, the rated load and the hydraulics.
Wheel loader buckets
Wheel loader buckets come in several types, each built for a different material or job. The table compares the common ones.
| Bucket | Best for |
|---|---|
| General purpose bucket | Soil, sand, gravel and road base: loading trucks, stockpiling and backfilling |
| 4-in-1 (multipurpose) bucket | A hinged bucket that opens like a jaw, so it works as a bucket, a grab, a dozer blade and a scraper |
| Light material bucket | Bigger capacity for mulch, woodchips, compost and grain, which weigh far less per cubic metre than soil |
| High-tip bucket | Tips from the front edge to dump higher, for tall trucks, hoppers and silos |
| Rock bucket | Heavy plate and teeth for rock and abrasive material, usually on larger loaders |
| Side dump bucket | Tips sideways for tunnels, trenches and tight sites where the loader can't turn to the truck |
Bucket size has to suit the material, not just the machine. A light material bucket full of mulch may weigh less than a smaller bucket full of wet soil, so never move a big light material bucket into heavy gravel. Cutting edges and teeth wear first, and most bolt on so you replace them without replacing the bucket.
Pallet forks
Pallet forks turn a wheel loader into a yard forklift for pallets of pavers, bagged products, fencing materials, pipe and timber. They're often the second attachment owners buy after the bucket.
A loader's rated load with forks differs from its rated load with a bucket. With a bucket, the rated operating capacity is 50% of the full-turn tipping load under ISO 14397-1, and some manufacturers allow up to 80% with forks on firm, level ground. Check the fork rating for your machine and the load centre printed on the forks. The guide to what a wheel loader is and how its rated load works explains tipping load in more detail.
Linkage matters too. A parallel lift linkage keeps the forks level as the arms rise, while a Z-bar linkage tilts them back, so the operator has to correct the angle by hand on every lift.
Grapples and log grabs
A grapple adds a hydraulic top jaw that clamps the load against the bucket or tines, so the loader can carry logs, branches, rocks, scrap and loose waste without dropping it. Grapple buckets dig and grab, while log grabs and scrap grapples are open tines built for bulky, uneven loads.
Several DJJ Equipment customers in Perth mention grapples in their reviews, mostly on farms and rural blocks. Zhishuai uses one to handle logs on a 5-acre property, TaiRong calls the grapple so handy, and Yuqing runs a loader and grapple on the farm.
The loader performs exceptionally well on the farm, and the grapple is highly efficient and works flawlessly.
Yuqing C., Perth branch customer
These stories come from public Google reviews, where you can read the full Google reviews of DJJ Equipment Perth. A grapple needs a third hydraulic function on the loader to open and close its jaw.
Farm attachments: hay spears, bale grabs and rakes
Farm attachments let a wheel loader handle hay, silage and land clearing as well as earthmoving:
- Hay spears: one or more tines that spear round or square bales for carting and stacking
- Bale grabs: arms that squeeze wrapped bales without piercing the wrap
- Stick rakes and root rakes: long tines that push and gather scrub, roots, branches and rocks while letting the soil fall through
Check bale weights against the loader's rated load, because wet or large bales are heavier than they look, and carry them low when travelling. For the bigger picture of farm work, our guide to wheel loader uses on farms, yards and building sites covers how owners combine these tools through the year.
Other wheel loader attachments
A few other wheel loader attachments are worth knowing about:
- Augers: a hydraulic drive and bit for post holes and tree planting. Loader augers suit occasional use, because an excavator or skid steer places the bit more precisely
- Sweepers and brooms: clean yards, roads and hardstand, with or without a collector bin
- Blades: push and spread material, and level pads and tracks
Hydraulic hammers and tree shears are sold for loaders too, but they're mostly built for skid steers and excavators. Our guide to types of excavator attachments covers those tools.
Quick hitches for wheel loaders
A quick hitch lets the operator swap a bucket for forks or a grapple in a minute or two instead of driving pins in and out. The main setups are:
- Pin-on: the attachment pins straight to the loader arms. It keeps the load close to the machine but makes every change slow
- Mechanical quick hitch: the hitch picks up the attachment and the operator locks it with a lever or pins
- Hydraulic quick hitch: locks and releases from the cab
Hitch patterns are not universal. Smaller loaders often use a maker-specific hitch, a skid steer style plate or a Euro hitch, while the ISO 23727 coupler standard covers loaders from 8,000 kg to 17,500 kg. Adapter plates can bridge two patterns, but every hitch or adapter moves the attachment further forward and reduces the load the loader can safely lift.
Quick couplers built to ISO 13031 have a secondary lock that holds the attachment if the main lock loses pressure. They also have a clear lock indicator and a release that needs a deliberate action. Check the indicator every time you change tools, and never release an attachment while it's raised.
Do wheel loader attachments need extra hydraulics?
Buckets, forks, spears and rakes need no extra hydraulics. Grapples, 4-in-1 buckets, high-tip buckets, augers and sweepers do, through a third hydraulic function with lines run to the front of the arms.
There are two ways to get it. A diverter valve borrows oil from the bucket tilt circuit, which is cheaper but means you can't tilt the bucket and close the grapple at the same time. A dedicated third-function valve gives the attachment its own circuit, so both work together.
Powered attachments with motors, such as augers and sweepers, also need the right flow. Too little and they run slowly, too much and the motor and seals wear out, so match the loader's auxiliary flow to the attachment's rated range.
How to choose wheel loader attachments
Choose wheel loader attachments by checking the machine first and the attachment second. DJJ reviews four details before supplying wheel loader attachments:
- Brand and model: identifies the loader, its linkage and its configuration
- Rated capacity: confirms what the loader can lift with that attachment fitted
- Mounting: matches the hitch or pin pattern
- Hydraulic requirements: confirms the functions, flow and connections the attachment needs
Here's how rated capacity plays out. The LGMA LM938 has a 2.0 t rated load and a 1.0 m³ standard bucket. Loose gravel weighs roughly 1.6 t per cubic metre, so a full bucket carries about 1.6 t, within the rating. Swap to a 1.5 m³ light material bucket and fill it with gravel, and the load climbs to about 2.4 t, over the machine's rating.
If you're not sure an attachment will fit or what your loader can carry with it, our team can check those four details for you before you order.
Attachments for the LGMA LM range
DJJ sells the LGMA LM range of wheel loaders, from 3.8 t to 8.2 t operating weight. The table pairs each model with attachments that suit its size.
| Model | Operating weight | Rated load | Standard bucket | Dump height | Attachments that suit it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LM920 and LM930 | 3.8 t | 1.6 t | 0.8 m³ | 3,200 mm | 4-in-1 bucket, pallet forks, hay spear, grapple for small farms and blocks |
| LM938 | 5.2 t | 2.0 t | 1.0 m³ | 3,600 mm | General purpose or light material bucket, forks, grapple, bale grab, stick rake |
| LM940 | 6.5 t | 2.5 t | 1.3 m³ | 3,800 mm | Larger buckets for truck loading, forks, grapple, bale grab |
| LM946 | 8.2 t | 2.8 t | 1.5 m³ | 3,800 mm | Light material or high-tip bucket for mulch and grain, forks, log grab, sweeper |
Each pairing still depends on the hitch and hydraulics on the machine, so confirm both before ordering powered attachments. You can compare the full specifications in our range of wheel loaders for sale.
The right wheel loader attachment is the one that matches your loader's hitch, rated load and hydraulics, and the work it does most days. Start with a general purpose bucket, add forks or a grapple for handling, and choose a 4-in-1 bucket if you want one tool that digs, grabs and levels. To match attachments to your loader, call DJJ on 1800 355 388 with the model, the jobs you have in mind and the attachments you're considering.
