Telehandlers: second to none

Despite the fact that this type of specialized equipment—forklift trucks equipped with telescopic booms, or simply telehandlers—has been used worldwide for a very long time, in Russia they are still regarded as something of an exotic curiosity, only now beginning to take their rightful place in their market segment. In Russia today, perhaps only Moscow, St. Petersburg, and no more than a dozen other large cities can fully appreciate what such loaders are all about.

Meanwhile, the functional capabilities of a telehandler are more diverse than those of its forklift counterparts. Thanks to its design features, the telescopic boom of such a loader can perform the tasks of classic "forklifts" as well as various kinds of lifting equipment: cranes, work platforms, winches, etc.

Equipped with a set of additional interchangeable attachments, a telehandler on a small construction site can successfully replace almost all types of construction machinery, performing the unloading of building materials delivered on pallets or in containers, lifting structural elements or entire assemblies during installation, loading and unloading of bulk materials, and so on. By greatly optimizing a variety of technological operations, the telehandler becomes an indispensable assistant on a modern construction site also because its economic efficiency is very high.

Telehandlers are highly maneuverable, especially when equipped with the so-called crab steering mode, which allows all wheels to turn in the same direction. Some models also offer a counter-steer mode, i.e., if the front wheels turn right, the rear wheels turn left, and vice versa, enabling tight turns with the rear wheels following the tracks of the front wheels.

Most telehandler models have large-diameter pneumatic tires, allowing them to travel easily over uneven surfaces. Better stability when operating with a large boom outreach is provided by electronically controlled, extendable stabilizing outriggers with vertical lift.

In addition to conventional telehandlers, there are multifunctional machines built on their platform that feature a two-section boom and, when needed, can be equipped with various interchangeable attachments: buckets, concrete mixers, dozer blades, grapples, etc.

Of course, any telehandler—whose price significantly exceeds that of its forklift counterparts—is not a cheap machine. However, its return on investment is outstanding.