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Read articles →An owner-operator's hands-on take focused on one specific question: does rated lift capacity actually tell you what a loader can do in real work? Using large logs as test material, he demonstrates the LA525's real-world capability and limited curl-back travel, then argues why higher-rated competing loaders aren't necessarily better choices for a small tractor. Useful for shoppers trying to decode loader specs.
An owner-operator sharing practical impressions from their own property, with no apparent commercial affiliation.
The owner lifted 9-foot logs between 18 and 22 inches in diameter at idle without any problems, even though the LA525 is rated around 1100 to 1200 pounds.
No, the owner says curl-back is limited, with cylinders pulled all the way in, making it hard to get forks underneath large logs and slide them back.
Not necessarily. Competing loaders rated 1600 to 1800 pounds had less curl-back than the LA525, and the owner questions whether more lift capacity is actually better.
The owner warns it can be risky, noting a heavy log in a small dip lifted a rear tire and leaned the tractor sideways, suggesting long-term risk to the front axle.
