IRN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
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T
hey may not be the ‘bread and butter‘ rental
machines, but compact telehandlers are
now an established niche within the
handler market.
Defining ‘compact’ isn’t an exact science,
but broadly we are looking at machines
with carrying capacities of under 2.5 or
3.0 t and with maximum boom reaches
of less than 7 or 8 m, although there
are models going down to 4 m
or less.
Some manufacturers have
made a definite feature of
their super-compact models
– including JLG, Ausa, JCB,
Terex AWP and Wacker Neuson
– while all the mainstream suppliers
have standard machines that are a little
larger but nevertheless fit into the compact
segment. Manitou’s smallest construction handler, for
example, is the MLT 625, a 2.5 t, 6.0 m reach model,
Merlo’s P25.6 is almost the same size, and Bobcat’s
TL2250 is a very compact 2.2 t, 5 m unit.
But let’s start with the latest super-compacts on
the market, including new machines from Wacker
Neuson, JLG and Terex AWP.
Wacker Neuson’s new TH412 and TH625 machines
– which are based on Wacker’s Kramer Allrad models
– are good examples of the genre. Made available in
the Wacker Neuson brand for the first time this year,
the smaller of the two,
the TH412, is just
2.92 m long
and 1.56 m
wide and can carry up
to 1.2 t up to a reach of 2.3 m, although its
maximum stacking height is 4.31 m. The larger
TH625 has a maximum stacking height of
5.73 ms and is 1.96 m wide, while the
maximum load capacity rises to 2.5 t.
The German manufacturer highlights
its ‘vertical lift system’ (vls), which
it says avoids longituidinal tipping
without any loss of productivity or speed.
“Where other systems interrupt the working cycle
by switching off the hydraulic function, vls allows
for safe and smooth sequences of operations even
under high payloads through a partial automation
of the telescopic movement”, says Wacker Neuson.
The operator can choose between two modes of
operation: bucket mode and stacking mode.
Also operating in the super compact segment is JLG
Industries, which earlier this year updated its range
of small machines by renewing the 2505H, one of four
compact machines in the range, the others being the
L2906H, 2906H and 3507H models, all three of which
were launched in 2009.
The 2505H has a lift capacity of 2.5 t and a maximum
reach of 5 m and now comes equipped with a Deutz
Tier IV engine and, says JLG, “offers customers
significant improvements over the previous
generation in visibility and cooling capability.” The
unit is extremely compact, with 2.28 m wheelbase and
width of 1.80 m.
Super compact models
Spain’s Ausa takes compact to its logical extreme,
with a range of super compact telehandlers. The
latest development here is the new ‘Plus’ version of
the T 144 H model, a 1.35 t, 4 m lift height model. It
weighs just 2.4 t, unloaded, and, claims the company,
is 200 mm narrower than competing machines from
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TELEHANDLERS
IRN looks at some of the latest super-compact telehandlers to arrive on the market, and
rounds-up some other new launches, including one of the first Western-style handlers
from a Chinese manufacturer.
Compact enough?
Wacker Neuson’s TH412
compact handler.
The 2505H is JLG’s smallest handler.
Terex AWP’s new Genie GTH-5519 is fitted with a
Deutz TD 2.9 L4 Tier 4 Final engine.
