Perhaps the less prolific cousin of the forklift, telehandlers are extremely versatile pieces of equipment with a range of applications from container yards to farms to construction sites and everything in between. They hold plenty of advantages over forklifts too, and even cranes in some situations. These advantages range include increased safety and stability, off-road use, and generally greater flexibility. Power Plant Hire has been hiring out telehandlers for years in areas such as Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, and Tipperary. We’ve seen customers reap these benefits firsthand, so we thought we’d put this article together to go through some of them. Let’s explore them in detail.
An example of a telehandler in agricultural use, lifting bales on a farm.
Telehandlers have Great Stability
Telehandlers have a much lower centre of gravity compared to cranes and forklifts. They also have a wide base. These two attributes combined gives operators one of the safest types of lifting equipment around, even when they’re being used for reaching far or carrying heavy loads.
Telehandlers have Fantastic Height and Reach Capabilities
Telehandlers generally have greater reach and height capabilities than traditional forklift trucks. This means that they are ideal for use in moving containers and other large items that would be beyond the lift and carrying capabilities of smaller vehicles.
Telehandlers can Be Used on Rough Terrain
Unlike most mobile cranes and forklifts, telehandlers are suitable for on-road and off-road use. Whether it’s a perfectly smooth container yard, an uneven construction site, or a lumpy agricultural field, telehandlers can be deployed. And, as mentioned earlier, the low centre of gravity of a telehandler reduces the risk of it toppling over when operating on an uneven surface, making it a much safer option than a crane or forklift in such circumstances.
Telehandlers are Capable of Lifting Larger Loads than Forklifts (and Even Some Cranes)
Not only is the reach capability of a telehandler usually better than that of a forklift, but they are also capable of lifting heavier loads too. Examples would include metal beams on a construction site and heavy farm machinery. They can even outperform some small cranes when it comes to lifting operations. As mentioned earlier, they also do so with far more stability than either a crane or forklift, thus making for a safe, versatile piece of lifting equipment.
Telehandlers Can Be Customised With Different Attachments
An example of a telehandler with a pallet fork attachment in use on a construction site.
As with forklifts, telehandlers can be customised with different attachments to suit the job they’re tasked with. Examples of such attachments include pallet forks, lifting jibs, tipping skips, and even platform cages for those working at heights.
What are the Advantages of Hiring a Telehandler over Buying a Telehandler?
For businesses that only require the use of a Telehandler for a fixed period of time, the Hire option gives plenty of advantages over buying the equipment outright. Obviously, you only pay for the time you actually need the telehandler, so there’s no large upfront cost nor do you need to worry about ongoing maintenance and compliance costs. Hiring a telehandler also means that you don’t have to pay for storage costs when not in use, you won’t be affected by depreciation either.
We hope this article has given you some insight into the wide range of advantages that choosing a telehandler can bring. If you’re interested in hiring one or are struggling to work out what type of lifting equipment is suitable for your project, give our team a call today at 053 923 5003 or email sales@powerplant.ie. Power Plant Hire has decades of experience in hiring plant equipment across Ireland, and would only be too happy to consult you on your requirements.
You can explore some of our telehandler models here.
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