A mini telehandler - or telescopic handler, is a lifting machine equipped with a telescopic boom and a lifting attachments, allowing it to function as a forklift and a crane. This dual ability, combined with the fact many telehandlers can accommodate a variety of attachments, make it one of the most versatile machines on a site.
Everything you need to know about mini telehandlers
If you’ve got limited space in your work environment, you may think you don’t have room for a forklift or a crane. That’s where a mini telehandler comes in. It’s a great, compact machine that handles all your lifting needs in a size suitable for smaller spaces. Here’s everything you need to know about them before you rent or buy one.
What is a mini telehandler?
A telehandler - or telescopic handler, is a lifting machine equipped with a telescopic boom and a lifting attachment, allowing it to function as a forklift and a crane. This dual ability, combined with the fact many telehandlers can accommodate a variety of attachments, make it one of the most versatile machines on a site. A mini, compact or small telehandler is simply a smaller version of this.
Why get a mini telehandler?
There are plenty of reasons why a mini telehandler might be useful for you at work. Here are a few common reasons people like them:
These machines are purpose-built for environments where larger ones are impractical. This means they’re small enough for work environments with limited space or height restrictions, without losing the lifting capacity. Most have dimensions less than 2m in height and width.
They’re compact and lightweight, giving you excellent manoeuvrability. The four-wheel drive, swing axle, and high ground clearance gives you stable operation on rough, soft and unpaved surfaces.
Compact telehandlers have a turning radius of less than 4 meters, giving you greater flexibility in confined spaces - for example while indoors. While you will sacrifice some maximum lifting capacity of standard forklifts, mini telehandlers are far more adaptable across job sites. They also make great feeder machines due to their lifting capabilities.
Standard forklifts use a mast-type vertical lift with limited operating range. Small telehandlers have a telescopic boom for high vertical lifting and long horizontal reach, meaning they can operate across obstacles. So, compared to skid-steers or small loaders, they have the capability to reach up and out clearing obstacles with ease.
Which jobs benefit from a mini telehandler?
Our customers use mini telehandlers in all sorts of ways. Some of the most common are for indoor material handling, events and landscaping, as they’re great for lifting things like plasterboard, bags of soil and tools.
They’re also good for environments like food and agricultural production operations and urban construction. This is because they easily access small spaces like greenhouses, shopping centres and confined areas in towns and cities. As well as having the capacity to lift livestock and other heavy objects.
Another setting could be industrial equipment maintenance - compact telehandlers are great for places with low ceilings like factories and car parks.
How to choose a small telehandler
If you’re going to invest in a mini telehandler, it’s important to get the right one for your needs. Before you buy, or rent, ask yourself:
- What does the machine need to lift?
- How high should it place the load?
- Will it travel by trailer between sites?
- What kind of terrain will it face?
- What turning radius does it need?
- How much ground clearance do you need?
- How far apart will service intervals be?
- Is it compatible with the attachments you need - like forks, buckets and lifting hooks?
Once you have your answers to the above questions, check them against the spec. Here are three of our most popular machines:
Buy or rent?
This will depend on the frequency of use, work cycle, your budget and maintenance capabilities.
- When to rent – for short term or one off projects and versatile operating scenarios.
- When to buy – long-term, high-frequency applications, business expansion, customised operations and 24/7 flexible deployment.
And that’s everything you need to know about mini telehandlers. We have plenty of small telehandlers for sale online.
Compact Telehandler FAQs
How to choose the right telehandler for your job
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