Compact telehandlers

[mike69440]

CTL especially a JCB with extended boom might be better in the woods, but expensive. My neighbor can go places with his SV95-2 my L39 never could. You need a separate tractor, so keep that 45 hp machine.

Full size TLB could be trouble on soft ground. Fine on relatively flat firm ground.
Nothing wrong with good used machines, especially in the woods, as new gets used fast.

 

[ArmyDoc]

CTL especially a JCB with extended boom might be better in the woods, but expensive. My neighbor can go places with his SV95-2 my L39 never could. You need a separate tractor, so keep that 45 hp machine.

Full size TLB could be trouble on soft ground. Fine on relatively flat firm ground.
Nothing wrong with good used machines, especially in the woods, as new gets used fast.

Yes, I actually looked at the JCB 3TS-8T first. Great machine, but very pricey... Also slow ground speed. I think like 7 or 8 mph max. Other than that a great machine.

 

[rScotty]

First, I want to thank you for taking the time to write this. Thoughtful, constructive input is really helpful, as this is not an easy decision process.

There are two sides to what I need to do. The first would be best filled by a tractor, of that I have no doubt. For managing pastures, tractors seem ideal. But I only have 12-15 acres of pasture at present. The other ~175 acres is planted pine forest.
I'm not sure a back hoe would work very well for that part. Some areas of the forested land are fairly open (12-15ft spacing)and level, and I suppose a back hoe would work in those areas. But, others are fairly tight (8ft spacing) and on a slope.

It was suggested that I get a CTL for managing the forest. (though I'm not sure how the the CTL would do on the slopes... Skids steers are tippy, but maybe a CTL is less so?) Xfaxman's numerous posts on what he does with his telehandler are what got me looking at these. They are small, maneuverable, have better FEL capablites than even the CTL, and seem to be well suited for the forestry portion. I'm sure they aren't as good as a tractor for pulling, but they do have hitch capabilities, out weigh my 45hp tractor and though they don't have a pto (in this size range) they do have rear hydraulics.

So, I don't know. I might be better served with a used CAB tractor and a CTL/skid steer. But my mechanical abilities are poor, and I worry about buying used equipment, both from a maintenance standpoint and from the standpoint of recognizing a lemon...

You are certainly welcome. As in many things, education is the answer. And I know of no way to speed up that process. Others have pointed out that the key is in your land as much as it is in the machine itself. For example, our land is sloping, but the soil is sand, gravel, and rocks without any slippery clay or loam at all. So I know next to nothing about muddy ground. Also, our trees here tend to be pine & fir rather than deciduous - and that makes a huge difference as well. In our mountains what we need is the stability to manipulate heavy loads on rocky slopes. Small tires or skidloader type machines would be out of place on our land. That is why European machines evolved differently - because their land is different. Even with a rural background, I went through several types of machine before I found what worked best for us. The good news is that each one did useful work while learning. So the time was enjoyable and certainly not wasted.

I wish I could be more definite. One takeaway that you might consider would be to concentrate on the land that is already cleared, and not to try to do everything with one machine. Do that for a year and you'll be surprised at what you learn. Get a good one; and don't be surprised if you end up keeping it.

As for used versus new, the key is in the hours....and in finding a sympathetic dealer. My own preference is for low hour or demo popular brand machines used lightly. I can understand how that would be scary for the non-mechanic. However, doing weekend and evening work it will take you years to put a thousand hours on any machine, and when used properly any of the major brands tend to age slowly and gracefully. That is especially true for commercial rather than homeowner type machines. Whether new or used, my own expectation is that any good machine on which everything works will go a decade with nothing more than routine oiling, greasing, and filters. Maybe I've just been lucky.....

Tractor work is inherently hazardous - especially when dealing with trees. Safety is the main reason that us old timers recommend you go a little larger rather than smaller. What you will give up for the safety that comes with size is maneuverablity - and that's another reason you may end up with two rather than one.

But start with one good one. Don't expect it to do everything well, and here's hoping you continue posting as you learn.

Good luck beats good planning most everytime....
Good luck then,
rScotty

 

[DieselBound]

rScotty, that was an excellent post! It totally describes my findings/adventures. Took me a while to fully get to the point where I felt I understood the lay of my land: it's been buried in brush and debris.

I'd say that planning creates the awareness by which one can spot and take advantage of good luck.

 

[Xfaxman]

Yep, I agree. I am 77 years old, have had more tractors than I can remember, but 8 years ago I finally found a better machine for my situation. I don't see any reason for me to have a backhoe or a CTL now.

I use the V417 in the woods a lot. At 6.5' tall with 4 wheel steer and crab steer it will go places a backhoe can't:

 

[Piston]

This is an excellent thread ArmyDoc! Kudos to you for doing such a great job with the research and comparisons. I’m learning a lot following along.

What is the ground clearance of these machines? Xfaxman, the V417 seems to be the smallest/most compact in this segment? Do you ever have an issue with ground clearance? I’m thinking about hilly terrain with a lot of large rocks and stumps to navigate around.

 

[ArmyDoc]

Merlo 27.6 is lowest, at 9"

Bobcat v519 is middle at 10.4" - surprised this isn't higher because it has larger wheels than JCB

JCB 25-60 is next at 13"

V723 (larger version of bobcat) is highest at 16.9"

Haven't really researced the manitau yet - not sure who sells them around here, but it's ~15"

 

[Xfaxman]

Mine is 11.6 inches. Smooth bottom, so no clearance problems but have drug it over some large logs. Guess I need to take some pictures, because tractor drivers wouldn't know how to do it. Drive up against the log, extend the boom, lower the boom, raising the tires. Drive forward while retracting the boom. Raise and extent the boom until there is enough weight on the front tires to pull you on across the log.

For motion impaired situations, retract and lower the boom, raising the front. Backup while extending the boom, pushing you out:

I carry chains and a tow strap in case I need to use a tree for the boom to pull me out or off a high center condition:

It wasn't high centered, the left front and right rear were spinning because it was on three wheels, setting on the axle to frame stop. It needs locking differentials. :thumbsup:

 

[kevinwak]

We have a genie compact telehandler at work. It is used 99.9% of the time as a forklift, but we also have a bucket and a jib boom for it. Every time I drive it all I can do is think about how amazing it would be at home around the acreage. It is so small and nimble.

 

[ArmyDoc]

Mine is 11.6 inches. Smooth bottom, so no clearance problems but have drug it over some large logs. Guess I need to take some pictures, because tractor drivers wouldn't know how to do it. Drive up against the log, extend the boom, lower the boom, raising the tires. Drive forward while retracting the boom. Raise and extent the boom until there is enough weight on the front tires to pull you on across the log.:

Sorry, I was wrong on the v519 clearance. I pulled it from the brochure, but was looking at the v723 page. I edited my post with the correct numbers from the manual.