Telehandlers

A telehandler combines the lifting of a forklift with the reach of a boom. The telescopic arm extends forwards and upwards, so it can place a load over an obstacle, onto a first floor slab or into the middle of a stack, which a conventional forklift cannot do from a standing position.

It earns its place on sites where the ground is rough and the placement is awkward at the same time. Construction, agriculture and yard work are the usual settings. Remember that rated capacity falls as the boom extends, so specify against the load you need at full reach rather than the maximum figure. If you only need straight vertical lifting on rough ground, a rough terrain forklift will cost less.

The model listed here is high voltage lithium, giving diesel style output without the exhaust or the fuel bill. KJ is Australian owned, an authorised Hangcha partner, and handles sales, hire, service and genuine parts in-house.

Site practicalities decide as much as the load chart does. A telehandler needs room to position and room to swing, and its stability depends on level ground and, where they are fitted, on the stabilisers being deployed properly. Transport to and from the job, access through the site, and where the machine is parked and charged are all worth settling early. If the machine is only needed for one stage of a project, hire is usually the better commercial answer than buying.