Telehandlers are rapidly becoming one of the most popular and versatile materials handling equipment on the market. The simple reason why is the wide range of telehandler attachments that are available to suit telehandlers.
With the number of manufacturers now making telehandlers with a wide range of capacities and lift heights and reach available. It can get to be a little confusing with the sheer range of telehandler attachments that can be bought to suit most applications
Telehandler Manufactures
- MST SANKO Company (Turkey)
- Bobcat (USA)
- Case IH (Italy)
- Caterpillar (USA) – See JLG.
- Xtreme Manufacturing (USA)
- Claas (Germany)
- Dieci (Italy)
- Deutz (Germany)
- Faresin Industries (Italy)
- Gehl (USA)
- Haulotte (France)
- Loadstar (India)
- MCE (Spain)
- JCB (England) under the ‘Loadall’ brand.
- JLG SkyTrak and Lull (USA) is a global aerial access equipment company and market leader in the USA. JLG has announced that its Lull telescopic handlers will be discontinued for 2015
- Kramer (Germany)
- Load Lifter Mfg (Canada)
- Mustang (USA)
- Manitou (France) under the ‘Maniscopic’ brand.
- Merlo (Italy)
- NC Engineering (Northern Ireland)
- New Holland (Italy)
- Pettibone Traverse Lift, LLC (USA)
- AUSA (Spain)
- Skyjack (Canada)
- Terex under the Genie brand.
- TOBROCO-GIANT under the TENDO brand (Netherlands)
- Weidemann (Germany)
Telehandler Attachments that you can fit
- Grapple Bucket
- General Purpose Bucket
- Jib attachments
- 4 in-1 buckets
- Rotators
- Spreader bars
- Skid steer adapter
- Pallet forks
- Tow Hitch
- Pipe Grabs
- Work platforms
- Trash hoppers
- Auger Drives
- Cement mixer bowls
- Chain Trencher
- Grapple Forks
- Hay Forks
- Self Loading mixer bucket
- Bulk bag Lifter
- Bale Grab
- Sweepers
When looking to purchase your first telehandler or even you are upgrading your existing telehandler. You need to do some research on what attachments are available that suit your application.
What standards does a Telehandler comply with?
Firstly, people get very confused in thinking that a telehandler is the same as a forklift. So they wrongly think that the licencing requirement is the same as being a high-risk work ticket LF.
Telehandlers and Telehandler attachments come under the Australian Standard AS1418 and particularly AS1418.19
They are viewed as being very similar to a crane in design.
What licence do I need?
Well, this is another area where lots of people get confused. There is a great resource available online at tsha.com.au – Telescopic Handler Association of Australia. Where you can find the most up-to-date licencing information for your state or territory.
Click here to see training requirements for all types of telehandlers
The one common requirement is the minute you put a jib on a 3T Telehandler you need a non-mobile slewing crane ticket.
Buckets are all a duty of care requirement and if you are adding an EWP basket with a boom over 11 mts then a Work platform ticket is required.
Choosing the right brand for the right attachment
Just like cars, Telehandler design and manufacturing have greatly improved as technology. By current Australian law, all Telehandlers need to have a Load Management System fitted to them.
The load management system allows the operator to work with the rated capacity of the attachment and the machine itself.
While most manufacturers choose to use a 3rd party LMS system, Merlo has developed their in-house LMS
The M CDC is Merlo’s Dynamic Load Control System. Merlo presents their patented rated capacity limiter. It’s an integrated computer safety system that manages the load chart according to the attachment in use.
The parameters that it monitors include carried load, the boom angle, extension and speed. The computer can only sense Merlo manufactured attachments and it’s the quality the market has been demanding.
The Merlo CDC system is designed to deliver the highest level of safety for the operator, as well as the most convenience for simple operation.
While the level of sophistication is amazing, the problem starts when you are looking for specific telehandler attachments.
Where a Merlo-designed rotator to suit their ZM2 carriage can go for $18 000 RRP, a non-genuine aftermarket rotator attachment to suit a Faresin Telehander for a similar-sized machine can set you back $12 000 RRP.
That is a big difference in attachment pricing when you are looking for multiple attachments to suit your Telehandler.
Where can I buy Telehandler attachments?
If you are interested in adding some versatility to your Telehandler you have several options.
- Kerfab
- Himaic
- TVH
Just to give you a few examples, you obviously can also talk directly to your Telehandler provider.
Do I need to rate my Attachment on my Telehandler?
Just like a forklift, every single time you add attachments to a Telehandler you need to ensure that you have a clear rating visible on the machine.
This is certainly a benefit to a Merlo Telehandler, once you connect an attachment to Merlo’s MCDC. It will auto-register and re-rate the telehandler with the attachment.
If you are putting an aftermarket telehandler attachment on a telehandler you will need to talk directly to the manufacturer about the rating on the machine.
Does the quality of attachment matter?
Of course, it does. The old saying you get what you pay for, is no difference in the telehandler attachments you can currently buy.
Look for a reputable supplier and you will find quality products.
Will the attachment suit my Application?
There is a wide range of attachments available for Telehandlers (see the above list). Talk to your Telehandler dealer to find out what range of attachments they have available.
You will undoubtedly find the right attachment to suit your application.
With the range of telehandler attachments available, and with such vastly different cost points. Take you time to do your research first before making your purchasing decision.
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