Compact Loaders Shetland

Compact loaders for sale in Shetland

MultiOne articulated loaders

We sell new MultiOne loaders across the range, with used machines available when stock allows.

For a Shetland croft, the choice might come down to yard space and the weight of feed or fencing materials. A contractor handling aggregate or heavier pallets may need a larger model.

MultiOne’s articulated chassis pivots at the centre, helping reduce scuffing when turning on grass. That’s useful when the route between your yard and field means crossing ground you want to keep in good condition.

A telescopic boom adds reach when loading a trailer or placing materials beyond its sides. Changing attachments lets you move from shifting muck with a bucket to carrying fencing supplies on forks.

The range includes diesel machines for outdoor work and electric options for indoor jobs. On exposed Shetland sites, an enclosed cab is also worth considering for winter work. We can confirm which models offer one.

Sherpa mini loaders

Sherpa’s stand-on mini loaders suit jobs where access through existing croft buildings limits the choice of machine. A narrow loader can help with mucking out, moving feed and carrying materials through gaps that leave little room for larger equipment.

The range includes petrol, diesel and electric machines. An electric model is worth considering if much of your work is inside a byre or shed, where exhaust fumes are a concern.

The Small and Eco models are 760mm wide, while the 100 Diesel is 1,140mm wide.

Send us the narrowest gateway or doorway measurement, along with any tight turns on the route.

We’ll check the loader and attachment together before it makes the journey to Shetland.

Compact loader hire in Shetland

Our hire fleet covers Scotland, and Shetland bookings need freight space arranged in both directions, so the dates are set around the ferry as much as around the job.

Hire makes sense for a project with an end date, such as a shed base, a track repair or a season of stock fencing. On a short hire the freight each way takes a bigger share of the total, so a longer booking often works out better.

If the loader would be in use through the year, buying is worth a look, and our team can guide you through which suits your workload.

Hire machines go out with attachments matched to the job, and phone support runs for the whole hire.

Bought machines can be serviced at our Cumbernauld workshop which stocks genuine parts.

Attachments for croft, shore and civils work

With over 170 attachments in the MultiOne range and over 50 from Sherpa, your loader can cover daily work and occasional projects.

We help you choose a combination suited to your Shetland site, checking which attachments fit the machine you’re buying or hiring.

On a croft, that could mean a bucket for mucking out and forks for moving feed, with an auger added when it’s time to replace stock fencing.

For shoreside yards, forks handle incoming pallets and a sweeper clears the hardstanding afterwards.

Groundworks may call for a bucket to shift aggregate and spoil, then a trencher for drainage or cable runs.

Tell us what the whole job involves so we can include the attachments you need in the quote and freight arrangements.

Getting a compact loader to Shetland by ferry

We arrange delivery from Cumbernauld via Aberdeen to Lerwick, with the ferry crossing factored into your quote. Delivery is shown separately from the machine, so you can see the transport cost before committing.

Once you’ve chosen the loader and attachments, we confirm the dimensions and weight needed to book freight space.

If you’re working on Yell or Unst, let us know at the outset so the onward ferry journey and access to your site can be included in the arrangements.

Servicing and parts for island operators

Our Cumbernauld workshop services MultiOne and Sherpa machine, alongside many others that we don’t hire or sell.

ILH Groundcare cover routine servicing, hydraulic repairs, electrical diagnostics and full engine and drive rebuilds.

Genuine spares dispatch across the United Kingdom, including hydraulic fittings, filters and common wear parts. Courier times to Shetland are longer than to the mainland, so it is sensible to hold spare filters and hoses on site.

A major repair means the loader travelling back by ferry, so ask us what is realistic before you need it.

What Shetland ground requires of a compact loader

Crofts, peat and common grazings

Crofting is the main form of farming in Shetland, with each croft holding a few acres of arable land and a share of the common grazings. A yard, a byre and a field gate are the working space, and the loader has to be small enough for all three.

Much of the ground is peaty moorland, and peat covers around two-thirds of Yell. Soft peat marks easily, so how a loader turns matters as much as what it can lift.

Day to day, the work on agricultural holdings is muck, bales, feed and fencing, all of which a loader with the right attachment handles from one seat.

Shoreside and construction work

Fishing and aquaculture are major industries on islands like Yell, and any pier or yard serving them has pallets and gear to shift.

On the construction side, the wind farm on central Mainland Shetland has hundreds of turbines, much of it on ground under crofting tenure.

Smaller energy and utilities groundwork on the islands brings loader work too, mainly moving stone, cable drums and materials along access tracks.

Choosing between a loader, a skid steer and a digger

Skid steers are often cheaper to hire, but the saving disappears if you’re repairing the ground afterwards.

If the job is mainly digging, a compact excavator or backhoe is the right machine, and a loader works beside it taking the spoil away.

We will always tell you honestly if our machines are right for your workload, so you don’t end up waiting on the wrong one.

How buying or hiring for Shetland works

1. Call us and describe the job, the island and the access, including the narrowest gateway on the route in.
2. We recommend a model and the attachments, and quote the machine and the delivery as separate figures.
3. We confirm dimensions and weight so the freight space can be booked on the Aberdeen to Lerwick sailing.
4. The loader leaves Cumbernauld, crosses to Shetland, and is handed over with the attachments fitted.
5. Phone support and workshop backup stay with the machine for as long as you own or hire it.

FAQs on compact loaders in Shetland

What is a compact loader?

A compact loader is a small wheeled machine with loader arms and a quick-hitch for attachments. MultiOne makes articulated versions with telescopic booms, and Sherpa makes narrower stand-on mini loaders.

Does ILH have a depot in Shetland?

No. We’re based in Cumbernauld, and sales and parts go out across the United Kingdom. Hire covers Scotland, with the ferry crossing planned into the booking.

Which loader will fit my croft gateway?

Measure the narrowest point on the route in first, since a loader’s width tends to rule it out before its weight does. Send us the measurement and we’ll tell you which models fit, from the smallest MultiOne to the Sherpa range.

Can I buy a used compact loader for Shetland?

We carry used loaders when stock allows. If you are buying privately, we can carry out a pre-purchase inspection of the machine before you commit.

How long will delivery to Shetland take?

We check stock first, and give a realistic timeline from there. Should anything change during delivery, we will let you know straightaway.

Discuss your Shetland loader requirements with ILH Groundcare today

Tell us the job, the island and what the access looks like, and we’ll match you to a loader and attachments that suit all three.

If hiring would suit you better than buying, we’ll say so.

Call 0141 775 9288 or get in touch through the website. One call to Cumbernauld sorts the machine, the attachments and the freight dates.