Elevating Fleets

Deftly rolling over uneven terrain, the long-arm of a compact telehandler gives contractors increasingly high reach in aerial work environments. Like a stylish and maneuverable little roadster, with a two-stage telescoping arm (going over 20 ft), crews not only pick and place pallets of materials, but also wield various attachments (from brooms to buckets) in long-reach applications.

As the name implies, compact telehandlers are smaller in dimension than traditional telehandlers. When combined with a tight turning radius, these smaller dimensions increase the maneuverability of the machines in confined spaces, including crowded construction sites, and give them the ability to go where other larger machines cannot. Their compact footprint and low profile also make low-access buildings and parking garages less intimidating.

Despite their reduced size, compact telehandlers can offer lift heights up to 23 plus ft and outreach that ranges from 10 to 12 ft, creating a larger work envelope for accurately placing loads. Meanwhile, maximum carrying capacity of the machines ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 lbs to provide the strength and power for a productive work environment.

The weight of compact telehandlers offers another advantage over larger units. Weighing between 10,000 and 16,500 lbs, the machines can be towed by smaller trucks and trailers, which empowers customers to drive away with them, eliminating delivery costs. Customers also enjoy the comfort that characterizes compact telehandlers. Many feature an ergonomic design that makes it easy to enter and exit the cab.

Once inside the cab, operators will appreciate the spacious interior, which ultimately increases productivity, as operators can sit and work comfortably for longer periods of time in cabs that feature suspension seats and built-in armrests. In addition, tilt steering and cabs with a low profile hood and side-mounted engine provide a better view and boost productivity on the jobsite.

A variety of optional attachments make versatility another important benefit that compact telehandlers deliver. Typical attachments include material buckets that help load and unload loose materials quickly, grapple buckets which help expedite jobsite cleanup, standard and side-tilt carriages, universal skid steer adapters, work platforms and crane hooks. Equipped with these attachments, compact telehandlers improve efficiency by giving workers the ability to complete a variety of tasks, ranging from moving buckets of dirt and handling heavy materials to loading and unloading mulch, moving pallets in a crowded area and digging holes.

Machines that are equipped with three steering modes — front wheel, all-wheel and crab steer — further improve the efficiency of compact telehandlers, because they improve access on the jobsite. In addition, a machine with a single joystick ensures smoother, more precise boom movements.

The construction industry continues to evolve. The beauty of compact telehandlers is their agility, versatility and comfortable design. These attributes are important to customers, and for this reason, will encourage continued growth of the compact telehandler market.

Brian Boeckman is a product parent of telehandlers at  JLG Industries Inc., based in McConnellsburg, Pa.