Offset Boom vs Central Loader Boom: Which is Better?

Every loader operator has faced that moment of frustration when trying to work alongside a fence line or working in a confined space and struggling to see the loaders attachment working area. You're clearing debris or digging a shallow trench, but your centre-mounted boom obstructs your view and forces you to reach out from the operator's work area in order to see what is happening. After a lot of discomfort and frustration,  you're wondering if there's a better way.

While most compact and large loaders have traditionally used centrally mounted booms — especially in quarries and yard work where the tasks involve scooping or lifting straightforward loads — off-centre and telescopic boom configurations have emerged as a powerful alternative in space-restricted, visibility-critical environments.

Avant, once using centre-mounted designs like many others, led innovation in the compact loader space by developing an off-centre, telescopic boom system, modelled after telehandler technology, to improve safety, visibility, and reach.

Why Off-Centre Booms Work Better

An off-centre boom positions the lifting mechanism to one side of the loader, creating several practical benefits that become apparent in day-to-day operations.

Clearer Line of Sight

With an off-centre boom, you get unrestricted visibility of your attachment and working area. The boom assembly doesn't obstruct your view during trenching work or close-quarters operations, particularly valuable when digging trenches or working close to obstacles.

For operators tackling detailed work like plant nursery operations or careful excavation around building foundations, this improved visibility translates directly into better work quality and fewer costly mistakes. You can see exactly what's happening at the attachment point without craning your neck or repositioning the machine.

Side Reach Capability

The off-centre configuration excels when working alongside buildings, fences, or ditches. Instead of positioning your entire machine perpendicular to the work area, you can approach at an angle and still reach your target effectively. This improved side reach reduces constant repositioning, particularly valuable on sites where space is limited.

Many New Zealand operators find this especially useful for maintenance work around rural properties, where fence lines, water features, and existing structures create natural obstacles. The telescopic boom capability becomes particularly valuable when you need both reach and precision in these situations.

For even greater flexibility, Avant also offers a telescopic jib boom as an attachment. This gives operators even more reach without compromising manoeuvrability, making it ideal for hard-to-access sites.

Better Manoeuvrability

In confined areas, an off-centre boom means less repositioning of the machine. The ability to work at angles that would require multiple moves with a straight boom arrangement gives operators more flexibility in how they approach tasks. This advantage is similar to what makes a wheel loader jib boom effective in construction applications.

The manoeuvrability benefits become obvious in tight spaces where every move counts for productivity.

Simplified Maintenance

Modern off-centre boom systems are designed with serviceability in mind. Maintenance is very minimal, with all pins and bushes easily replaceable when required. The boom's internal wear pads are also designed for straightforward replacement, keeping downtime to a minimum.

Similar technology to larger telehandlers brings industrial-grade reliability to compact loaders. Industry-leading engineering ensures no sideways strain to the loader boom, addressing concerns about mechanical stress that affected earlier designs.

Download our 2025 Catalogue to explore our full range of loaders, attachments, and accessories.

What You Should Know About Off-Centre Downsides

Off-centre booms aren't perfect. While the advantages usually outweigh these issues, it's worth knowing what you're getting into.

Off-centre designs may feel less stable when lifting heavy loads at maximum capacity. However, similar to larger Telehandlers, this does not reduce stability or operator safety at all. Most work doesn't push loaders to their absolute limits, but if you're regularly maxing out capacity, you may feel this way.

While it’s natural to question whether an offset boom introduces sideways stress or imbalance, Avant mitigates this by applying the same structural principles found in industrial-grade telehandlers. The weight and force distribution is carefully engineered to eliminate undue strain on the loader or operator.

 

Limitations of Centre-Mounted Systems

While centre-mounted booms were once the industry standard, they represent outdated technology. The traditional loader boom design is still quite ok for many open-area or heavy-load applications. Large loaders in quarries, yards, and bulk handling operations, however, continue to use centrally mounted booms effectively. When the job is simply scooping gravel, loading pallets, or bulk handling materials in open space, there’s no clear disadvantage to this setup. 

The symmetric boom design provides excellent balance, lifting stability, and simplicity, which is ideal for repetitive, heavy-load applications. However, these systems come with inherent limitations that off-centre designs have addressed.

Restricted Visibility

Centre-mounted booms place the boom structure directly in your line of sight to the working area. This creates blind spots during critical operations and forces you to work around visibility limitations rather than having clear sight lines to your work.

Positioning Constraints

The design requires you to position the entire machine directly in front of the work area. This becomes problematic in confined spaces or when working around obstacles, often requiring multiple repositioning moves that kill productivity.

Yesterday's Technology

Centre-mounted boom systems represent the technology that forward-thinking manufacturers moved away from as engineering capabilities advanced. While functional, they don’t offer the same visibility or flexibility benefits that newer off-centre systems provide in confined environments.

Making the Right Choice

Off-centre boom design offers superior visibility, enhanced working capability, and reduced maintenance requirements compared to centre-mounted approaches. While off-centre systems could feel like they have slightly reduced lifting capacity in some situations, the operational advantages typically outweigh this perceived limitation for most applications.

If your work involves operation in confined spaces, working alongside existing structures, or tasks requiring excellent visibility, off-centre boom design provides significant advantages. Even for heavy lifting applications, the improved positioning capabilities often result in better overall productivity.

At Avant Equipment NZ, we've seen how off-centre boom technology performs across diverse applications over our 20 years in the market. This design delivers the performance, reliability, and versatility for operators working in visibility-critical or space-constrained environments.

Whether you're upgrading from older equipment or purchasing your first loader, choosing off-centre boom technology positions you for better operational efficiency and reduced maintenance compared to outdated centre-mounted systems.

Find a service agent near you to discuss which boom configuration best suits your operational requirements.