The front-loader operating near Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s gas pipeline that exploded Friday had been spreading soil and not excavating before the blast, Fresno County officials said Monday.

Mastering the backhoe-loader is a big job because it is really two machines in one. A good operator can improve productivity by employing many of the same principles that make excavators and wheel ...

Labor saving devices are nothing new, but they rarely inspire the kind of dedicated stewardship that antique engines do. This week in Fort Meade, Florida, the 1500 members of the Florida Flywheelers ...