Test: Giant G5000 wheel loader

By: Mark Fouhy, Photography by: Lisa Potter

Date: 24.05.2021

Giant’s powerful compact loader is versatile enough to cater for agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, and construction needs

Versatility is one of the largest drawcards of the Giant G5000, along with performance obviously, and these two key features saw a Waikato dairy farm quickly snap up one of the first units in the country for its hard-working machinery fleet on a Waikato goat farm.
Although the five-tonne machine is firmly at the top of the Giant wheel loader range in terms of size, horsepower, reach, and lift capabilities, it’s still incredibly nimble and versatile – and best of all, these features are packed into a machine that manages to avoid being unnecessarily large.

It’s a powerful package, with the telescopic boom on the machine we tested capable of reaching 4.35 metres, ensuring the machines are well-suited to busy farm life in New Zealand as well as construction and a host of other projects.

With such an expressive reach, loading both silage wagons and mixer wagons presents no problems, all handled with ease and well within the G5000’s reach and lift capabilities.

Operation

The Giant G5000

As a dedicated wheel loader, everything is designed for easy accessibility and to make loading tasks as easy as possible. The joystick takes care of all the boom controls: to raise and lower the boom and also dumping.

Third service function is controlled by a side-to-side toggle switch on the back of the joystick. The boom extension/retraction is controlled by another toggle switch on top of the joystick on the right. All key functions are close to the joystick.

When in neutral, the park brake is automatically engaged. This is a handy feature but also explained why I couldn’t find any handbrake to release when I initially hopped in and started up the Giant G5000.

Driving is nice and simple, thanks to the two-speed hydrostatic transmission. The central dash indicates which gear you’re in with a green turtle or red rabbit. I found the turtle gear good for around the yard and heavy loading metal we had available, working comfortably from 0 to 7km/hour. Max speed in this turtle range is 10km/hour.

The second range is ideal for getting from point A to B efficiently, with max speed of 25km/hour. You can also spec a 35km/hour speed gearbox.

Giant has chosen to go with an articulated pendulum joint, which helps take care of the bumps and keep all four wheels on the ground 100% of the time. Other specifications to smooth out the ride include the patented Stabilo system as well as boom suspension, both increasing the ability to operate safely.

Cab and operator environment

Cab comforts include a comfortable seat with a reach and tilt adjustable steering column

Although the G5000 is one of the larger models in the range of Giant loaders, it still definitely fits into the compact loader market. However, I found the fully enclosed cab plenty spacious enough with a comfortable driving position, thanks to the fully adjustable steering column and convenient central display.

The display has been updated from previous models I’ve driven, with digital display for revs, hours, and fuel, etc. Coloured LEDs illuminate for transmission functions, rabbit and turtle, and park lock, as well as direction and diff lock.

For safety reasons, there’s a hydraulic lock over on the right-hand side behind the joystick to stop accidental bumping. Another nice feature is the hydraulic implement lock on the Euro hitch carrier. Again, for safety reasons, this requires two hands: one to hold the unlock button on the central display and the other to work the third service function, which controls the in and out of the locking pins.

This machine has been spec’d with a closed in-cab, which was just as well, as we encountered everything from high winds, rain, and sleet on the day we visited. You can also choose from just ROPs and roof if you prefer, but the luxury of the cab with air conditioning and radio is something I’m sure operators appreciate.

This tele version of the G5000 is remarkably well suited to agricultural work and more than proving its worth with a wide range of tasks on this goat farm. It’s also available in two other variants: Z-Bar and X-Tra, with more traditional loader arms and slightly higher lifting capacity. This would be beneficial for more industrial tasks such as roading or municipal jobs such as landscaping, demonstrating the depth and wide variety of potential uses these Giant wheel loaders have.

Build quality

Boasting a Giant reach of 4.35m with the tele boom

It’s hard to fault the Giant loader in terms of build quality. There’s a reason the brand has such a solid reputation and aligns with other leaders in the field for specialist components.

When producing a new model like the G5000, clearly a lot of thought goes into ensuring the right parts for the machine and its target market. For example, the axles from Comer are rated for 16 tonnes on a five-tonne machine, and it also features Bosch Rexroth hydraulics – the best you can buy – and Kubota engines, which are well known for their reliability in these types of applications. Even after choosing the right components, Giant still carries out its own extensive testing before releasing the final machine to market.

Engine

The rear hood with gas struts provides easy access for cleaning, fueling, and servicing

For this Giant model, the engine produces 75hp and 55kW – the second-largest fitted to the Giant brand of wheel loaders. Despite building a larger machine, Giant has stuck with its quality-tested and proven brands.

The reliability of the small Kubota industrial engines has served Giant loaders incredibly well in the past (as well as a host of other brands and machines).

New features of the Kubota V3307 four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel are the catalytic converter (DOC) and soot filter (DPF), both of which allow this machine to comply with the latest EU Tier V clean air engine standards.

A key feature for me is the fact they have been able to achieve this without the need for an additional AdBlue SCR exhaust treatment system. Power-wise, the 75hp Kubota engine seems ample for all the tasks we threw at it, including loading and carting metal and feeding out animals.

The large hydraulic pump ensures movement of the boom is neither laboured or slow, even when hydraulic power is required for multiple tasks, such as driving and steering the machine while loading. This makes it something of a joy to operate.

The only time you may like a little extra horsepower is if you were utilising the rear tow hitch to bring a trailer load of bales back from the paddock for stacking.

For daily checks, the one-piece lift-up rear cover makes things simple. The diesel filler is situated on the door side of the machine, with a 77-litre tank and hydraulic oil with an 80-litre capacity on the far side. The radiator is positioned at the back of the machine, which allows easy access to blow out any build-up of material, dust, grass, or wood chip. The cartridge type cyclonic air filter is on top of the engine for easy cleaning and up behind the cab to try and get the cleanest air to the engine as possible.

Hydraulics

Hydraulic locking pins on a Euro hitch headstock are a key feature

When you’re running hydrostatic transmission as well as other high demand hydraulic circuits of a loader, hydraulic flow is a key factor in overall performance. Giant uses an 80-litre oil reservoir to cope with these demands on the G5000 models. As standard, this model has 145 litres per minute hydraulic flow available for driving along 78 litres per minute for working hydraulics.

Quality German Bosch componentry is used in the hydraulic department. Like the rest of the machine, you can up-spec things with 122 litres per minute available for working should you have an attachment that requires higher flow rates.

Summary

Pivot steer offers great manoeuvrability for a range of on farm tasks

Giant has hit the mark with this G5000 model. The power offered in such a compact size is backed up with incredible manoeuvrability, perfect for those working in tight confines of sheds (like goat farms). Giant has once again proved it knows how to produce a powerful compact loader, versatile enough to cater for agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, and construction. 

Giant G5000 wheel loader specifications

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