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Productivity Guide: Telescopic handlers (6,000 pounds lift capacity/40-foot reach height)

June 12, 2007 |

Telescopic handlers are among the most specialized types of construction equipment working on jobsites today, but contractors who use these machines solely in logistical roles are robbing themselves of productivity in other areas. Telehandlers in this class can use buckets for limited site prep or cleanup work in addition to other attachments such as augers or hydraulic breakers.

These attachments have led many contractors to use telehandlers as support machines on jobsites. They can supplement, or even do away with, the need to employ skid steers, compact wheel loaders or backhoe loaders if employed properly. Yet, because of their specialized design, telehandlers must be used correctly in support roles. “Machines in this class are not designed for digging,” cautions Beau Anderson, telehandler product manager, Terex. “Bucket use should be limited to lighter duty use such as moving loose material or cleaning up debris. Always bear in mind aggressive digging may cause premature boom wear or damage.”

Other popular attachments help these machines excel in their original role as vertical-load delivery systems. “Masonry contractors have a pretty straightforward telehandler application,” explains Jay Barth, product manager, JCB. “They typically have pallet-sized material that’s always going to be a certain size and cubed. The telescopic handler will pick it up and place it where it needs to go. In those situations, special carriages or booms aren’t necessary, although you might want to spec fork carriages or block tines, depending on the application.”

Roofing contractors employ telehandlers in the same basic role. But instead of lifting compact loads, they often have to elevate roof trusses and other large, awkwardly shaped materials. In these cases, standard forks can do the job, but not as efficiently as specialized telehandler attachments like truss booms, jibs and wider width carriages.

Other optional telehandler systems can fine-tune the machine for load-specific applications. “You might want to consider adding side-tilt- or swing-carriage systems to your base machine specs,” Barth adds. “That way you can ensure telehandler productivity regardless of your jobsite conditions.”

According to Mark Eckert, telehandler product specialist, JLG Industries, work platforms round out the listing of top telehandler attachments. “There are two types of work platforms,” Eckert says. “There are over-the-fork styles, which are cheaper to purchase, or those that attach to the machine via a quick coupler.” Regardless of the type of work platform selected, these attachments are designed to let workers reach elevated work areas safely. The telehandler cannot be moved once the work platform is in the air. Never lift workers on fork tines, in buckets or other unsuitable attachments.

Take advantage of all a telehandler’s assets
Properly spec’ing a telehandler for construction applications is a straightforward affair. Consider the machine’s rated lift capacity as well as its lift height and forward reach. While your natural inclination may be to simply opt for as much capacity and reach as your checkbook can handle, paying for extra capacity that never gets used is rarely helpful to your company’s bottom line. At the same time, larger machines will be harder to maneuver on crowded and restricted jobsites, so overall productivity could suffer if you select a telehandler too large for your application.

Telehandlers come equipped with many standard features that help them perform effectively in their capacity/lift height window. One of the most important, according to Ryan Ford, construction telescopic specialist with Manitou North America, is turbocharged engines. “I don’t think you’ll find a machine in this class that is not turbocharged,” Ford says. “Turbocharged engines give the telehandler a big boost in performance, most notably in the machine’s low-end torque. And that’s where you need the power in telehandler operations to move across a jobsite and extend and retract the machine’s boom quickly.”