Amrep, a Wastequip brand, is debuting a new ultra-heavy-duty front-end loader made from Hardox steel and featuring a corrosion- and rust-resistant undercarriage to ensure extreme durability in handling heavier loads and standing up to the rigors of the eastern market. The new FEL, which offers greater lifting capacity and greater wear capacity, will help round out Amrep’s offerings in the East Coast market, where heavier loads are commonplace.

Amrep is the first refuse truck manufacturer using Hardox 450 wear plate 175,000 psi high tensile steel in the entire body shell, including rear door, hopper, and body floor and packer wear plate, and currently the only manufacturer offering ¼-inch Hardox in the hopper floor, according to the company.

In addition to durability, the new FEL was designed with easy serviceability and increased productivity in mind. Its heavy-duty bolt-on 10,000-lb. arms, forks, cross shafts, and bearing assemblies allow for easier replacement than welded-on styles, while its standard body service hoist allows the chassis frame/underside of the body to be serviced without the need for additional equipment. The unit’s externally-mounted valving, pneumatics, and electronics offer easy repair access. Its multiplex electrical system reduces excessive wiring harnesses, and onboard diagnostics ensure quicker diagnostic times.

The new FEL’s safety features include rear door safety props for servicing, a PTO overspeed cut-out, and an Amrep standard fork-over-height seven miles per hour throttle cut-out that will not allow operators to go over seven miles per hour with the forks over legal height.

The FEL features an 11-yard hopper with a hydraulic cover and three-stage cross mounted packing cylinders and full push out ejection. Street and curbside sump clean outs help to channel and drain liquid, keeping it away from chassis and body components, reducing deterioration and wear.

While the FEL is primarily intended for commercial use, it can easily be converted for residential applications. It integrates with compressed natural gas and other alternative fuel chassis with no body changes required.