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About This Quiz
There is something awesome about watching a major piece of equipment at work. Whether it is the fine-tuned operation of thousands of parts working as one, the roar of hard-working machinery or the end result, you will love to check out the equipment on this list. While heavy machinery has been around since the ancient world, it wasn't until the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries that real changes in machinery came around. From the cotton gin to coal-running trains and steam-powered vessels, they paved the way for the machinery on this list.ÂÂ
This quiz will bring you some of the heaviest equipment you'll find in construction, on the farm and of course protecting our country in the military. You may be a fan of the big stuff, but do you know the difference between a backhoe and a bulldozer? Would you be able to figure out a tractor from a combine or even know what the difference between the two of them are? Or, maybe you'll do better at figuring out which armored vehicle is which.ÂÂ
You'll be challenged with this quiz harder than an 18-wheeler struggling its way through the Rockies, so step back and throw on your hard-hat. This quiz isn't for the weak.ÂÂ
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Crane
Bulldozer
The first bulldozer model was developed in the 1920s, drawing on the tractor for inspiration in creating it. The bulldozer is typically used to move large amounts of material, like dirt or sand.
Steamroller
Tractor
n/a
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Fire engine
Tractor
When people think farm, one of the first machines they think of is a tractor. A tractor is generally a high-torque, slow-speed vehicle used to pull large pieces of equipment around the farm both for transport and for field operations.
Excavator
Compact Track Loader
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Pickup Truck
Crane
Plow
A plow is a tool, usually dragged behind a tractor, used to break up the soil into a furrow for planting. In fact, the tools used by colonists in early America were frequently not as good as those used by the Roman Empire 1000 years before for the same task. It wasn't until 1797 that a patent was submitted for what would eventually become the modern plow - something President Thomas Jefferson spent a substantial amount of time trying to improve.
Posthole digger
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Tow truck
Forklift
The forklift's roots can be traced to 1917 with the invention of the Tructractor, which was a simple truck used to move materials around. A few years later, the first hydraulic lift was added to select trucks. In 1923, the company, Yale, expanded upon the original designs by adding a fork-shaped lift capable of lifting heavy loads off the ground to above the height of the truck.
Cement truck
Auger
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Grain cart
A grain cart works alongside other equipment and is pulled by a tractor to hold harvested grain. The average size of a grain cart will hold over 15 tons of grain. However, they can be small enough to hold a few hundred pounds.
Cultivator
Cultipacker
Rubber boots
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Grader
Dumper
The Dumper is distinguishable by where its load skip is - on the front of the vehicle - and the cab (driver's area) is behind it. Whereas a dump truck has its cab up front and the load skip behind.
Paver
Jack Screw
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Rock Breaker
Rocks that are too big to be broken up by a smaller crusher machine are put through machines known as rock breakers. This piece of construction equipment is most often used by miners.
Tractor
Steamroller
Mule
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Back hoe
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a popular choice for many farmers' vehicles. The pickup is used both as a family vehicle as well as a hauling vehicle - both on the farm and long distances. The first pickup - or similar version - is attributed to the Gallon Allsteel Body Company in 1913.
Posthole digger
Leather work gloves
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Loader
Compactor
Excavator
With roots dating back to the 19th century, excavators can be used for everything from home landscaping to large scale construction. Its main use is to dig or scoop out material. The first hydraulic excavators were used in the 20th century.
Plower
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Posthole digger
ATV
An ATV - all-terrain vehicle - is considered by many as a leisure vehicle. However, on farms, an ATV is a means of transportation across fields and uneven grounds. An ATV is versatile with regard to how it is used, from transport to hauling and often in herding animals across large fields.
Pickup truck
Front-end plow
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Crawler Loader
Grade
Skid-Steer Loader
The skid-steer loader was invented in 1960 to answer a need for making physical labor both easier on laborers and more efficient. It gets its name from the way its wheels and steering system work. The loader turns by moving either the right side tires or left side tires while the wheels on the opposite side skid.
Backhoe
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Breaker
Dumper
Skid-Steer Loaders
Crawler Loaders
The first official Crawler Loader was invented in the '50s, but earlier, incomplete versions date back to 30 years earlier, in the '20s. The machine reached its peak popularity in the '60s, and has since been replaced by hydraulic excavators in most places.
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Flat-bed wagon
A flat-bed wagon can be hauled behind a tractor, truck and even an ATV. These wagons are a popular way to transport large pieces of equipment and machinery.
Seeds
Grain cart
Rubber boots
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Excavator
Hoist
Crane
The Ancient Greeks are credited with inventing the first model of the crane, which was operated by human and animal strength, rather than by engines, motors, or hydraulic systems. The crane differs from a hoist in that it can move heavy materials both vertically and horizontally , whereas the hoist can only lift materials vertically.
Aerial Work Platform (Cherry Picker)
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Concrete Mixer
The first patent for a motorized cement mixer was granted in 1916. It used wooden paddles to stir the cement mixture, but could only do so when the cart wheels were physically moving, and it was super slow. The modern model of concrete mixers was introduced following WWII, during an industrial boom.
Tanker Truck
Paver
Semi-truck
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Mower
Livestock tags
Front-end loader
A front-end loader can be built permanently onto a motorized piece of equipment or built as a removable attachment. A front-end loader is a machine with a scoop or bucket and on an articulated arm that can be used for digging or filling in holes.
Trough
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Post Hole Digger
Grader
The grader also goes by the names: road grader and motor grader. It is a vehicle equipped with a large blade, used to cut into the earth to grade or level the ground to a flat surface according to a certain degree.
Tractor
Trenching Shovel
n/a
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Tractor
Combine
The combine harvester, often simply called a combine, is a large piece of farm equipment that cuts, threshes and cleans a crop in one operation. The combine is often followed by a grain cart which will store the processed grains.
Plow
Manure spreader
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Cultivator
Where a tiller is used to break up the ground, a cultivator is used to blend the soil into the finer ground which can then be used to plant seeds and other plants. The finer breaking up of soil helps to provide plants with soil that is well aerated and can easily transport and store water around the plant.
Portable tool box
Jack
Transplanter
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Paver
The paver can also be called: paver finisher, asphalt finisher, and paving machine. There is a specific paver for laying concrete, called the slipform paver, which smooths out pre-laid concrete using a screed.
Dumper
Roller
Loader
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Posthole digger
Cultipacker
A cultipacker is usually hauled behind a tractor over a large field in preparation for planting. The cultipacker can crush packs of soil, remove air pockets and press down smaller stones. This helps create a smooth surface for farms which broadcast seeds across a field for shallow planting.
Fence
Milking machine
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Crane
Wrecking Ball
The wrecking ball was most commonly used in the '50s and '60s, but lost popularity with the rise of machinery like hydraulic excavators. Most recently, the machine made a comeback in Miley Cyrus's 2013 hit, "Wrecking Ball."
Hoist
Excavator
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Bulldozer
Snowplow
Crawler Loader
Backhoe Loader
Backhoe loaders are smaller and more precise than other machinery serving similar purposes, which makes them most suitable for urban areas, where there is limited space available for construction activities. The first backhoe was produced by Wain-Roy Corporation in 1947, and the first hydraulic backhoe was sold in 1948.
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Fence charger
A fence charger creates a pulsating and light charge of electricity that follows a wire along a fence. The fence charge is an additional security for farmers and provides a reminder to animals to not try to escape from a fence. The charge is enough to send a quick shock through an animal but not enough to permanently harm an animal.
Chainsaw
Portable tool box
Scythe
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Rakes
Shovel
Front-end plow
A front-end plow is used to knock down small piles of loose soil and even out the ground. In northern states, that plow is used for snow removal and displacement.
Chainsaw
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Backhoe
Bulldozer
Power Shovel
The very first model of the power shovel was made in 1955 and named Marion 5760. The machine is most commonly used in mining for excavation purposes.
ATV
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Rakes
Rakes are one of the most popular tools used in agriculture and everyday use at homes. Rakes are often used as a clean-up tool. Whether clearing leaf cover, remnants of hay in a barn, or other loose debris. Rakes come in several shapes and styles to be used with lighter loose material to dense gravel.
Pickax
Leather work gloves
Front-end plow
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Irrigation system
Mower
Mowers are commonly used to keep grasses low. A farmer may mow grass for easier vehicular use across the farm, to provide an easy-to-manage grazing field or to prepare land for plowing. While manual blade mowers and scythes still exist, most farmers use gas-powered mowers for speed and consistency.
Transplanter
Front-end plow
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Chain
Milking machine
Combine
Harrow
While a harrow may look like a simple tool, it is multi-purposed and essential on larger farms. A harrow is a heavy piece of metal with teeth that are dragged over an already plowed field. The harrow helps to break up larger blocks of soil, remove weeds and cover seeds with a thin layer of soil.
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Dumper
Dump Truck
The hydraulic dump truck, the only model in use today, was introduced in the early 1900s by Wood Hoist Co. Small dump truck manufacturing companies grew exponentially during WWI due to increased wartime demand.
Loader
Garbage Truck
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n/a
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Front-end loader
Portable tool box
Rakes
Baler
A hay baler is a piece of farm equipment that can cut and compress crops into bales that are easy to transport. Balers can be permanently located, although most farms use portable balers attached to equipment or as their own moving machinery. Balers are commonly used with hay, cotton and straw.
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Roadheader
Tunnel Boring Machine
The modern-day Tunnel Boring Machine can power through pretty much anything, including rock. The first TBM was built in 1845, commissioned to dig the Frejus Rail Tunnel in Europe.
Mega Digger
Tunnel Drill
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Rope
Sprayer
A sprayer is a piece of equipment used to spray a liquid over a large area. On a farm, a sprayer is often used to apply herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. Sprayers can be attached to large trucks with barrels of product, or handheld - the liquid following the farmer on a trailer or worn in a backpack-style pack.
Irrigation system
Beehives
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Skid-Steer Loader
Tractor
Dumper
Transplanter
A transplanter is used to transplant seedlings to the field. The process is more efficient than manually transplanting and primarily considered an efficient use of time and energy.
YouTube
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Rakes
Seed drill
Seed drills are used to individually sow seeds into the ground and cover them at a specific depth. This use of consistent planting helps to improve the yield more than other planting techniques.
Irrigation system
Steel-toed boots
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Broadcast seeder
Broadcast seeders can be used to evenly spread seed across a small garden to a large field. They range from easy-to-push manual equipment to motorized seeders which dispense seed evenly over large acreage. Broadcast seeders can be used for both seeds and fertilizer.
Front-end plow
Rope
Seed drill
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Kanonenjagdpanzer
ARL 44 Tank
M9 Armored Combat Earthmover
In service in the United States Army, the M9 Armored Combat Earthmover, or ACE, is a bulldozer, primarily used to dig trenches. These trenches are then filled with various artillery units, adding to their stability while in action. It can also be used to clear minefields and obstructions, filling trenches and trench crossing amongst other duties. It first entered service in 1986 and saw action during the first Persian Gulf War in 1991, playing a vital role in removing vehicle blockades.
IDF Nagmachon APC
Wiki Commons
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Alvis FV601 Saladin
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
More commonly known as the Humvee this tactical vehicle is used by over 50 countries. It can carry multiple configurations of weapons, including machine guns as well as anti-tank missiles, while it can also carry 2 or 4 crew depending on the configuration chosen. The Humvee is a true off-roader with the ability to handle 60-degree slopes as well as water as deep as 60 inches.
FV101 Scorpion
Rooikat
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
INKAS Huron APC
M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
More commonly known as the Humvee this tactical vehicle is used by over 50 countries. It can carry multiple configurations of weapons, including machine guns as well as anti-tank missiles, while it can also carry 2 or 4 crew depending on the configuration chosen. The Humvee is a true off-roader with the ability to handle 60-degree slopes as well as water as deep as 60 inches.
Dartz Prombron Black Shark
Alvis FV601 Saladin
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
SUV
Pickup
MPV
Semi Truck
Long distance trucking is one of the major ways goods are transported around countries.
Wiki Commons
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Attack Submarine - Virginia Class
The Virginia Class attack submarine is a nuclear-powered ship with the primary role of destroying enemy shipping and submarines. It can be used to gather intelligence and play a role in reconnaissance and support. It is armed with torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. This submarine is capable of 25 knots and is manned by 15 officers and 117 crew.
Hospital Ship - Mercy Class
Joint Command Ship - Blue Ridge Class
Fast Combat Replenishment Ship - Supply Class
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank
The premier battle tank of the United States military, The M1A2 Abrams is an upgrade of the M1A1. It is armed with a 120mm main gun (with 40 rounds), as well as 7.62mm and .50 cal machine guns. It has a crew of 4, including a driver, gunner, loader and commander. The M1A2 is capable of traveling at speeds of up to 42mph on good roads, incredible for a machine weighing 62.5 tons.
Bv 206 Articulated Tractor
Al-Khalid MBT 2000 Tank
AMX 40 Main Battle Tank
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Wiki Commons
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Cougar 4x4 MRAP
A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the Cougar carries 2 crew and 4 troops across a range of terrains. It is capable of surviving a blast from 30 pounds of TNT under the axles and a 15 pound TNT blast straight under the vehicle. It is totally protected against small arms fire, up to 7.62mm ammunition. The vehicle was specifically designed to counter terrorist tactics of using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
2S1 Gvozdika
A-531 Armored Personnel Carrier
BMD-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Crane
Irrigation system
Depending on the type of farm and location, different irrigation systems can be used. Flood irrigation uses furrows to divert water above the plants to be released uniformly when needed. Sprinkler irrigation, while expensive, has the ability to cover large groups of plants with an even spray of water as well as other liquids. Drip and micro-irrigation focus on individual plants and areas to supply a limited amount of water to plants or their roots.
Bulldozer
Forklift
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Pickup
Coupe
Monster Truck
Bigfoot is the first ever monster truck. It was built by Bob Chandler from 1975 and made its debut in 1979.
Sedan
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
River Patrol Boat
Buoy Tender - Class A Balsam
Aircraft Carrier - Nimitz Class
The Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier is the largest ship in the United States Navy, with a displacement of 102,000 tons and a flight deck 332.9 meters in length. Even with its massive size, the Nimitz Class can reach speeds of over 30 knots. There are over 3,000 personnel on board these ships, as well as more than 2,800 aircrew. Up to 82 aircraft can be on board at any time.
Inland Construction Tender - Anvil Class
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
R3 Capraia armored car
PLZ89 Self-Propelled 122mm Howitzer
M1 Abrams
Named after former Army Chief of Staff General Creighton W. Abrams, the M1 entered service in 1979 and is still in production today. It has seen extensive combat action, firstly in the 1991 Gulf War, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq. Over 8,000 have been produced for the United States and its allies. It has a maximum speed of 42 mph and a range of 265 miles. Armament comes in the form of a 105mm rifled main gun as well as three machine guns of varying calibers.
R3 Capraia armored car
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Casspir
M-ATV
Developed by Oshkosh, the M-ATV is an extremely mobile tactical vehicle that can transport 5 crew while providing excellent protection. It is also considered to be Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP), capable of withstanding road side improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The M-ATV is available in various configurations depending on the task at hand.
Dragoon 300
Ferret FV711
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n/a
Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Delivery Van
Fire Engine
Fire Engines are purpose-built to carry both firefighters as well as the equipment needed to fight fires. Some even store their own supply of water.
Coupe
Water Tanker
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Which major piece of machinery is shown here?
Fire engine
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
An undersea rescue vehicle with two crew, this ship has the ability to locate submarines in distress. It then latches onto the hatch and has the ability to transport 24 crew at a time back to the surface. It also includes a gripping arm, capable of lifting 1,000 pounds.
Irrigation system
Oceanographic research ship
You Got:
/50
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