New telehandlers under the IRN spotlight

The telehandler is one of the products most exposed to the house building market in Europe and North America, and in recent years has been severely depressed as a result. However, as IRN reports, manufacturers are preparing for the upturn in demand with new and improved machines in all sizes.

Manitou MLT 625 ‘not
just for lift-and-shift'

Manitou used the ConExpo show to introduce a new compact telehandler, the MLT 625, which has also been developed for the agriculture market.

The unit has a lift capacity of 2.5 t (5500 lb), a maximum lift height of 5.85 m (19 ft, 3 in) and is "designed to accommodate tools," says Serge Bosche, chief executive officer of Manitou North America, "This isn't just a lift and place machine."

Mr Bosche says the machine had been developed to carry a range of tools, including grapple work. "It fills a gap in the market today for a true tool holder".

The MLT 625 has an overall height of 1.92 m (6 ft, 4 in) and a width of 1.82 m (6 ft). Power is supplied by a 55 kW turbo-charged Kubota 3307 T diesel engine. The handler uses a 2-speed hydrostatic transmission and 4-wheel steering and 4-wheel drive are standard.

Meanwhile, Manitou has also made changes to its 14 m and 18 m models, the MT 1440 and MT 1840. They now use the same chain boom design found on the MRT rotating models, which Manitou says halves the time to extend the boom, provides simultaneous movement and shorter response times.

Both models have a new engine - the 74.5 kW Perkins 3A unit - as well as an improved cab layout with an LCD screen that make reading the dashboard easier.

Ausa fills out
Tauralift range

Ausa has added two new models to its compact Tauralift range. The 7.0 m reach T 307 H is the largest yet from the company and the 4.0 m T 144 H extends the reach of its mini T 133 H model.

The T 307 H offers 3000 kg capacity and 7.0 m reach. It features a Rexroth hydrostatic transmission and a 63 kW Kubota V-3600-T engine, and is the big brother to Ausa's T 306 H model.

The T 144 H, meanwhile, is a slightly larger version of the T 133 H, with a telescopic boom offering a 4.0 m maximum reach. Lifting capacity is 1350 kg compared to the 1300 k for the T 133.

"We now have the most compact telehandler in the world - the 144", says Josep Soler, Ausa's commercial director, "We have a lot of hopes that this will become a mass seller." Mr Soler says some customers were looking for a telescopic boom version of the H 133.

The sub-3 t range will be completed later this year with the launch of the final model, the T 235, in late summer. This will be a 2300 kg, 5.0 m reach model. The range was first introduced in 2008 with the unveiling of the H 204, followed by the T 276 (Intermat 2009) and T 133 (Bauma 2010).

The two new handlers share many of the distinctive design features of the other Tauralift machines, including a forward placed cab and side positioned boom. Ausa says this gives space for a large, comfortable cab and also provides good visibility for the user.

"We want to be a big player in the smaller range of machines", says Mr Soler, "The dynamics of the bigger ranges - and the logistics - are very different. You need a big volume. We want to focus on a part of the market that is fast growing - up to 6 m." He said the handlers will compete head to head with skid steers and compact articulated loaders up to around 2.5 t.

Ausa says it has sold around 500 Tauralift units in the past two and half years, mainly the T 204 model, and many into the agricultural sector, although Mr Soler says the new 7 m T 307 may well be better suited to the agriculture.

Big changes to 6/7m
Bobcat handlers

Bobcat's new 6 and 7 m telehandlers have an asymmetric cab design that the company says offers an unobstructed view across the back of the machine.

The right rear corner of the cab is free of structural components, which means better visibility to the rear. Bobcat says a lowered boom pivot point also improves visibility.

The new generation TL360 and TL470 (pictured) handlers replace the previous T2556, T2566 and T3571 models. The TL360 replaces both the T2556 and the T2566, while the TL470 replaces the T3571 and T3571HD units.

The new TLs are both powered by 74.5 kW Perkins 1104D-44T diesel engines and offer a standard hydraulic flow via a gear pump of 100 l/min. However, an optional 190l/min load sensing pump offers faster speeds when performing single and combined boom movements.

The TL360 and TL470 telehandlers have lift capacities of 3.0 and 3.5 t, respectively, and both offer a lift capacity at full height of 3.0 t. The maximum forward reach of the TL360 is 3365 mm, while that of the TL470 is 4002 mm. The lift capacity at full reach is 1300 and 1500 kg, respectively.

Both models have a parallel side-mounted engine that provides easy and safe access to the main engine maintenance points. The battery is located at the front of the engine basket for easy access, while the filters are placed for easy and quick replacement.

Meanwhile, Bobcat's parent company, Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment, has entered the high capacity telehandler market with the launch of four models for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The machines are produced for Doosan by Italian manufacturer Dieci and were previewed at last year's Bauma exhibition, but are only now available.

They offer maximum lift heights of 10 m and lifting capacities from 7 to 21 t. The smallest is the DT70 with a maximum lift capacity of 7 t and maximum lift height of 9.65 m, followed by the DT120 (12 t/9.4 m), the DT160 (16 t/10.2 m) and the DT210 (21 t/10.2 m).

Haulotte adds 10m
handlers to range

Haulotte has added three 10 m telehandlers to its existing range of four 14 and 17 m models.

The three are the 3.2 t capacity HTL 3210, the 3.5 t 3510 and the 4.0 t 4010. The three machines share chassis and many size characteristics, although the 3510 is a chassis levelling model while the other two both come equipped with front stabilisers.

All three use Perkins 1104 engines - rated 62 kW on the 3.2 t model and 70 kW on the others - where the larger machines used Deutz engines. All three share widths of 2.26 m and lengths of 5.17 m, with the 3210 being 4 cm lower than its two big brothers at 2.38 m.

Weights, including forks, vary between 7850 kg and 8500 kg and lifting capacities at full 7.2 m forward reach are 1200 kg (on the 4010), 800 kg (3210) and 500 kg (3510).

Haulotte says the three machines share the user friendliness and control characteristics of the 14 m and 17 m models. The machines use electro-hydraulic controls with a 4 in 1 joystick; there is an ‘inching' pedal and speeds are automatically lowered as the lifts reach their limit zones; and there is a graduated LED display that warns the driver when the load limit is being reached.

Gehl adds two
at the top end

Late last year Gehl expanded its RS range of telehandlers with two new models at the top end of the range.

The RS10-55 (pictured) is a 16.8 m (55 ft) lift height model with 4535 kg (10000 lb) lifting capacity, which extends the maximum lifting height in the range by 3.4 m from the previous largest unit, the 13.4 m (44 ft) reach RS8-44 model.

The other newcomer, the RS12-42, is a 5443 kg (12000 lb) capacity, 12.8 m (42 ft) reach handler that adds almost 100 kg to the range's previous heavy lifter, the 4535 kg (10000 lb) RS10-44.

Gehl says the booms have a welded box-section design - "which means it is stronger than the booms in comparable competitive models" - and maximum capacities are achieved with standard outriggers on the RS10-55 and without on the RS12-42. Outriggers are optional on the RS12-42.

Xtreme shows
two new XRs

Las Vegas-based Xtreme Manufacturing - sister company to Ahern Rentals - rolled out two new telehandlers at ConExpo: the XR1845 and the XR1255, the latter replacing the XR1254.

The XR1845 offers 8.1 t (18000 lb) of lifting capacity, a vertical reach of 13.7 m (45 ft) and a maximum forward reach of 8.3 m (27 ft, 4 in). The unit's total weight is 20 t (44750 lb) and it is powered by a Perkins 97 kW Tier 3 engine.

Foam-filled tires come standard with the XR1845, as does rear axle stabilization, full-time planetary 4-wheel drive and a suspension seat.

The XR1255, another roller boom telehandler from Xtreme, is a 5.4 t (12000 lb) capacity unit with a lift height of 16.7 m, (55 ft) and forward reach of 11.6 m (38 ft). The unit has frame leveling of 11 degrees and is powered by a Perkins 91 kW Tier 3 engine.

Randy Reeves, Xtreme's vice president of sales and marketing, tells IRN that the US construction market is starting to gain momentum, but that supply chain issues are hindering production. Even so, he says production will double this year.

CAPTION STORY
The latest addition to Dieci's telehandler range is the Pegasus 38.16 400°, the smallest of its nine-model rotating handler range and a new version of the existing 38.16. Unlike the earlier model, the new machine is 400° non-continuous rotation, although it has the same lifting and boom characteristics, that is, 3.8 t maximum lifting capacity and around 16 m boom reach. Power comes from a 74 kW Iveco TA engine. Dieci, based in Montecchio Emilia near Parma in northern Italy, makes a remarkably wide range of handlers, with over 110 models on 30 different chassis.

CAPTION STORY
Europe's telehandler manufacturers have recently had to start complying with the new European EN15000 standard on load control. In the case of Terex AWP's Genie GTH telehandlers, Gert de Boon, product manager, GTH for Europe, Middle East and Russia, tells IRN that "when a pre-alarm stage is reached the boom speed is reduced to a fixed lower boom speed. When this occurs on Genie Hi-Reach models, the speed is also reduced but in proportion to the residual stability of the machine." Pictured is the Genie GTH-2506 compact model.