[Machinery] Front Loaders, Attachments & Tools

Welcome to your next basic lesson in the Farming Simulator Academy! Today, we will focus on the different front loader attachments. We'll explain what front loaders are, what types are available and how to use them.

First Things First

Front Loaders, Wheel Loaders, Skid Steer Loaders & Telehandlers

Front Loaders are all-rounders for loading/unloading
Wheel Loaders are used for heavy stuff - like logs and containers in forestry
Skid Steer Loaders are agile and perfect if you're loading in narrow spaces
Telehandlers are used if you need to get in high places - like a high-rack storage

Find more information on loader types in our overview article. For the most common tasks, like picking up bales or loading and unloading big bags and similar goods, a front loader will do the job just fine. But, there's more to it, with basically two kinds of front loaders that are used with tools. Continue to learn more.

Front Loader Types

First, we have to differ as there are different kinds of front loaders. At first glance, it might be confusing if you're not familiar with them.

Front Loader (Vehicles) are stand-alone vehicles in the vehicles-category
Front Loader (Attachments*) - extensions for tractors to use tools, found in the tools-category
Front Loader Tools (attachments for the stand-alone or tractor attachment)

First, you decide if you want to use a separate vehicle that's specifically designed for using front-loading tools. Or, if you want to equip your tractor with an extension and use the tools with your tractor instead of a stand-alone vehicle.

* Please note: In order to use the front loader attachment + tool on the tractor, you must first purchase the necessary attachment configuration at the dealership. You can either add this to the tractor when purchasing the machine, or you drive an already owned tractor to the dealership, park the machine in the vehicle options field and add the attachment on the configuration screen.

Areas of Application

Front loaders can help you with various tasks on your farm. Especially if you run a greenland operation and keep animals. With front loaders you can load, transport and unload:

Crops
Bales
Pallets
Manure
Bigbags
Logs

Whether you want to put bales into your barn, cops into a silage bunker, stack up pallets and bigbags of fertilizer, fill up the forage mixer wagon to produce animal food, or transport light-weight logs: a front-loader is the right choice of a tool.

Front Loader Tools

There's a whole set of tools you can attach to your front loader. With some tools, you have a choice of several manufacturers, but in most cases they are compatible either way - so, usually you don't have to mind which manufacturer to pick.*

Bale Spike
Bale Handler
Bale King
Universal Bucket
Manure Fork
Round Bale Fork
Pallet Fork
Log Fork
Fork With Grapple
Silage Cutter
Beet Cutter
Bigbag Lifter (Single/Dual)

* Please note: In Farming Simulator 22 is just one exception to the rule: Tractors of the 7R Series by John Deere are only compatible with the front loader 700M.

Finally: Using Front Loaders

Using front loader tools with a tractor

Configure your tractor to allow front loader attachments at the dealership
Buy and attach a front loader attachment for your tractor in the tools-category of the shop
Buy and attach a front loader tool
You're ready to use it!

Using front loader tools with a front loader vehicle

Buy a front loader vehicle in the vehicle-category of the shop
Buy and attach a front loader tool
You're ready to use it

Tip: Always keep the power requirements and weight of attachments and tools in mind!

Tip: Click on the combinations button on the overview screen when selecting an attachment/tool to make sure you can combine it with the attachment/tool you need.

Well done!

Congratulations, you have successfully finished another lesson and now know about front loaders! Keep at it, and you'll be a top-notch virtual farmer in no time with Farming Simulator Academy!