Wacker Neuson
Wacker Neuson ST45
The Wacker Neuson ST45 is a large-frame vertical-lift compact track loader built in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, delivering a 4,500 lb rated operating capacity and a 134.8-inch hinge pin height from a 74.3 hp Kohler diesel with no DPF. It's the proven Series-II platform positioned just below the 100 hp ST50 flagship.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓A 4,500 lb rated operating capacity and 9,000 lb tipping load put it in genuine large-frame territory - it forklifts pallets of sod and block that mid-frames refuse.
- ✓The 134.8-inch hinge pin height is one of the taller lift heights in the class, clearing high-sided dump trucks and hoppers with ease.
- ✓The 74.3 hp Kohler KDI needs no DPF and no DEF, so a big machine stays refreshingly simple to run and maintain.
- ✓Kohler's 4-year/4,000-hour engine warranty on top of 2-year/2,000-hour machine coverage means the expensive bits are covered longest.
- ✓This platform has been in production longer than the uni-body models, so it has more accumulated field hours and known reliability.
- ✓The cab is roomy with good sightlines to the bucket edge, and controls are available in H-pattern or ISO joystick.
- ✓Self-leveling and ride-control features are available to protect palletized loads over rough ground.
- ✓It typically prices well below 100 hp flagship rivals while lifting just as much.
Cons
- ✗With only 74.3 hp moving a 10,267 lb machine, it's tuned for lifting rather than aggressive dozing - operators who push hard wish for the ST50's extra power.
- ✗Standard 22.1 gpm auxiliary flow is modest for a large frame, and even the 31.4 gpm high-flow option is midpack.
- ✗The Series-II design predates the uni-body machines, so service access and cab refinement feel a generation older.
- ✗Wacker Neuson's sparse dealer network is riskiest on a large frame that working crews depend on daily.
- ✗Resale values trail the big four brands by a wider dollar margin at this price point.
- ✗At over 10,000 lbs it needs heavy trailer capacity, a cost some step-up buyers underestimate.
- ✗Limited factory tech - no grade control and basic displays - for contractors accustomed to flagship-level electronics.
- ✗Brand-name attachment packages and dealer-installed options are fewer than what Bobcat or Cat dealers can spec.
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