Common Applications of Telehandlers in Various Industries

Common Applications of Telehandlers in Various Industries

Meta Description: Telehandlers are versatile lifting machines used widely across industries and job sites. This article discusses their uses in construction, agriculture, landscaping, and more.

Telehandlers are versatile lifting machines widely used in various industries for material handling applications. This article overviews telehandlers and their uses in construction, agriculture, warehousing, etc.

It discusses factors to consider when selecting a suitable model for the job. The article also explores rental and buying options and standard attachments used on telehandlers. The goal is to help readers understand telehandler capabilities and how they can maximize productivity through correct equipment choices.

Key Takeaways

• Telehandlers are versatile machines that combine forklifts’ lifting capabilities with cranes’ overhead reach.
• They are used widely across construction, agriculture, landscaping, infrastructure development, and warehousing for efficient material handling and lifting applications.
• Properly selecting a telehandler model matching capacity, boom length, and attachments is essential for safe and productive operations.
• Renting is a flexible option for short-term needs, while buying is suitable for long-term usage and ownership of the asset.
• Different attachments include pallet forks, grabs, buckets, and aerial work platforms, allowing telehandlers to handle various load types productively.

What Are Telehandlers?

Telehandlers are self-propelled vehicles with an extendable telescopic boom and lift capability. They combine the lifting power of forklifts with the overhead reach of cranes. This allows them to lift and lift heavy loads and position materials precisely at different heights, even in tight spaces. Telehandlers are highly maneuverable and can traverse various terrains using their wheels.

Key Components and Features of Telehandlers

Some key components include a telescopic boom, which extends and retracts hydraulically to provide overhead reach. An integrated lift mechanism enables precise load positioning. Stabilizers are used for stability when lifting loads.

Telehandlers offer steering modes like front/crab steering for graceful movement. Pallet forks, buckets, or aerial work platforms provide application-specific functionality. Features like load sensors, outriggers, and safety locks ensure safe and efficient operation. Advanced models offer 360-degree rotation, scale integration, and remote controls.

Construction Applications

Telehandlers are extensively used in various construction applications due to their lifting capabilities and maneuverability. They can efficiently handle heavy loads on construction sites in tight spaces that other equipment may be unable to access.

Material Handling

Material handling is one of the most common applications of telehandlers in the construction industry. They are adept at lifting and transporting construction materials like bricks, lumber, steel beams, pipes, and other equipment to different worksite areas. Telehandlers with suitable attachments like pallet forks or grabs can efficiently load and unload these heavy materials from trucks, place them on high shelves, or stack them properly.

Whether carrying loads weighing several tons or lifting materials to elevated floors, telehandlers perform all such tasks seamlessly due to their adjustable lifting capacity and extendable boom, providing overhead reach. The front wheel and crab steering options allow them to maneuver precisely in tight spaces between buildings while transporting loads.

Lifting Workers for Elevated Work

Telehandlers equipped with aerial work platforms or man baskets are extensively used on construction sites to lift workers to elevated heights for tasks like installing fixtures, repairing, painting, and other maintenance activities. Using insulated buckets or platforms, telehandlers can safely lift workers and position them near power lines for the maintenance and construction of utilities.

This eliminates the need for unsafe practices like ladders or scaffolds to lift materials and ensures better safety at heights. The stability of telehandlers, even on unstable surfaces, and their ability to remain level is crucial for such applications involving the lifting of workers.

Agriculture and Farming Uses

Telehandlers have become essential to modern farming operations due to their versatility and load-handling capabilities. Their maneuverability allows navigating rough terrain quickly while transporting and carrying heavy loads.

Hay and Crop Handling

On farms, telehandlers are extensively used to handle hay bales, straw, and other crops efficiently. Equipped with suitable grapple or fork attachments, they can quickly load and unload bales from fields, transport them to storage areas, and stack them easily with minimal effort. This helps save a significant amount of time and labor during harvesting periods. Telehandlers are fuel-efficient machines and can work long hours daily without issues, an essential consideration for farming applications.

Equipment Operation

Besides crop handling, telehandlers help farmers operate and move other farm equipment efficiently. Using telehandlers, tasks like positioning seeders, feeders, and sprayers become simpler. They can lift and place implements precisely as per requirements.

The attachment of front loaders and buckets allows easy scooping and transporting of feed, fertilizers, and manure. Telehandlers are also used for lifting and placing water tanks, feeding troughs, and temporary fencing for livestock. Their high lift capacity and maneuverability in tight spaces and confined areas of barns prove beneficial for such applications.

Warehousing and Inventory Uses

Due to their lifting capabilities and maneuverability, telehandlers prove extremely useful for various material handling applications in warehouses and distribution centers. Their versatility allows efficient management of inventory and load movement.

Load Movement and Storage

In warehouses, telehandlers efficiently load and unload trucks bringing in raw materials or transporting finished goods. They can swiftly load and unload pallets with different materials onto trucks in loading docks. Equipped with pallet forks or clamps, telehandlers precisely pick up pallets and transport them for storage in racks or to other facility areas.

Navigating narrow aisles, they can easily place loads on pallets in racks many meters high. Some advanced models with 360-degree rotation and side-shifting capabilities optimize space utilization for load storage. Telehandlers prevent loading/unloading delays and ensure smooth daily operations.

Inventory Management

Telehandlers are critical in inventory management tasks like tracking stock levels, reorganizing stored materials, and order picking. They help identify materials on high shelves or in remote racks using attachments like cameras. Telehandlers efficiently retrieve and relocate pallets and loads during physical counting or rearranging.

Their ability to lift loads overhead allows order pickers to collect multiple items for orders quickly in one go. Some models offer scale integration and barcode scanners for improved accuracy. Telehandler models and fleets optimize resource usage, reduce labor costs, and ensure the availability of just-in-time inventory.

Infrastructure Development Roles

Telehandlers play a vital role in infrastructure development projects due to their lifting abilities and maneuverability in tight spaces. Their versatility supports various maintenance and landscaping applications.

Maintenance of Utilities

Telehandlers are commonly used for the maintenance of power lines and utility networks. Equipped with insulated booms and buckets, they can safely lift linemen and technicians to the required heights for repairs, installations, and upgrades. Their stability enables working near energized lines.

Telehandlers are also used to place new utility poles in desired locations strategically. Local governments and municipalities employ telehandlers for street light maintenance activities like changing bulbs, cleaning light fixtures, and repairing brackets.

Landscaping Applications

In landscaping and greenery projects, telehandlers play essential roles. They can efficiently transport plants, trees, sod rolls, and other materials. Using grapples or clamps; telehandlers handle loads of various sizes and weights with ease. They are beneficial for digging holes and placing trees, installing irrigation systems precisely, and temporarily setting up fences and hoardings.

Advanced models with extendable booms can reach long distances to run high tree branches. Telehandlers help landscape contractors complete projects productively while ensuring workers’ safety.

Choosing the Right Telehandler

Selecting the appropriate telehandler model for your specific application is essential. Lift capacity, boom length, and attachments must match your workload.

Matching Specifications to Work

Key specifications include the lift capacity and rated load required for maximum payloads. The boom length and extension are needed for overhead reach in your work area. Terrain suitability for rough or soft ground applications. Attachments are required, such as forks, grabs, or buckets.

Optional features like four-wheel steering help maneuver in tight spaces. Fuel efficiency is a factor if the machine will log long daily hours. Custom configurations with specialized attachments are available.

Buying vs Renting Options

Buying a telehandler is a long-term investment but provides asset ownership. Renting is a flexible option that eliminates enormous upfront costs. Consider rental for short-term projects or seasonal peak workloads.

Rental companies offer various models to test different capabilities before finalizing requirements. Maintenance, repairs, and eventual replacement costs are not factors of renting. Telehandlers are versatile machines, so renting provides an opportunity to use different configurations cost-effectively as application needs change.