Shortlists, each ranked on one number

Sorted on rated capacity recomputed on one basis — 35% of tipping load for track loaders, 50% for wheeled machines

Ranking this list by the advertised figure would sort it by which convention each maker chose rather than by what the machines lift. Case, New Holland and Wacker Neuson quote track-loader capacity at half of tipping load; everyone else quotes 35 per cent. So every machine here is recomputed on the convention normal for its type, and the order changes: the machine with the largest number on its brochure is not the one at the top.

Sorted on rated capacity per $1,000 of list price, highest first

Every machine here lists under $50,000 before options. They are ordered by rated capacity per thousand dollars, which is a blunt measure — it rewards a bare machine over a well-equipped one — but it is computed from two published numbers rather than from anyone's opinion.

Sorted on gross engine horsepower, highest first

Horsepower matters when you are running a demanding attachment or grading for hours rather than lifting. These are ranked on gross engine power, with rated capacity breaking ties — a high-output engine in a small frame is a different machine from a big frame with the same figure.

Sorted on standard auxiliary hydraulic flow, highest first

Cold planers, mulching heads and large brush cutters will bolt onto a standard-flow machine and then run badly or not at all, which is the most expensive surprise in this category because the attachment often costs as much as a down payment. Every machine here offers or includes a high-flow circuit, ranked on the standard circuit's rated flow.

Sorted on rated capacity recomputed at 35% of tipping load for every machine

Rubber tracks give flotation and traction that wheels cannot match on soft, muddy or sloped ground, at the cost of undercarriage wear and road speed. Track loaders are also where makers disagree about which fraction of tipping load to advertise, so this list recomputes every machine at 35 per cent — the convention nine of the twelve brands already use — rather than ranking three brands to the top on wording.

Sorted on operating weight, lightest first

Machine weight decides what you can move between jobs without a second truck. Everything here has an operating weight under 7,000 lb before attachments, ranked lightest first. Add the trailer and the bucket before you compare it against your truck's rating, and note that the lightest machines are also the least capable.