Farmer tested: Five telehandlers on trial
Earlier this year a Dorset dairy farmer in the market for a new loader undertook a thorough evaluation of five telehandlers before settling on a surprising choice. Nick Fone got the lowdown on the decision-making process.
With more than 600 hungry mouths to feed, the telehandler at Vortex Holsteins is kept pretty busy, clocking up a minimum of six hours every day loading the farm’s Trioliet mixer wagon. With cows yielding an average of 12,000 litres, reliance on the handler isn’t underestimated – other than the milking parlour it’s viewed as the most critical piece of kit.
See also: Driver’s view – Manitou MLT 731 telehandler
On that basis, reliability is essential and generally after 6,000 hours loaders move down the food chain to the Dorset business’ youngstock rearing unit where they get an easier life. This year it was the turn of a two-and-a-half-year-old JCB 526-56.
Farm facts
Vortex Holsteins, Martinstown, Dorchester, Dorset
Farmed area 93ha (230 acres)
Livestock 530 Holsteins plus 450 followers
Tractors Case MXM 190
Loader Dieci 40.7 AgriPlus
Skid-steer JCB Robot
Feeder wagon 24cu m Trioliet
Staff Tom and Alan King plus another eight full-timers and three part-timers
“We’ve run JCB Loadalls for years and generally had very little trouble but our last one was a bit of a Friday afternoon job and, after 6,000 hours, was beginning to show its age – it wasn’t even reliable enough for the rearing unit,” explains Mr King.
“So this spring we decided to have a good look at our alternative options. Our cow numbers have gone up from 200 to 500 in the past four years so we had moved up from an 18cu m feeder wagon to a 24cu m machine.
“To make everything work together meant we needed a bigger loader, so we set out to look at 3.5t-4t, 7m-reach machines, although not all of the demo models matched that spec.”
Having done a fair bit of research, Mr King slimmed the list of potential candidates down to just five makes based on the proximity to and backup from local dealers.
Over the course of a couple of months those five different machines each did a week’s demo stint at the dairy. Their various strengths and weaknesses were recorded and compared before a final day of reckoning with all the deals on the table.
Here are Mr King’s thoughts on each machine.
Claas 7044 Scorpion
Max lift 4.3t
Max height 7m
Engine 3.6-litre Deutz
Transmission Hydrostatic, 40kph
Max power 122hp
The deal £39,000 with 2,000-hour warranty
Comments “The Scorpion was by far the best machine to drive. The cab was well finished and comfortable, and having lots of different driving modes would make it a contractor’s machine where one technically minded driver is going to fiddle about to get the most out of it.”
BEST FOR
Sheer lifting power. Lifted more than the rivals
Likes
✔4.4t loader so could lift much more than anything else tested
✔Different transmission and hydraulic modes – can set to automatically draw boom in while lowering, which is ideal for repetitive tasks
✔Programmable third service
✔Visibility good to all corners except offside rear
Gripes
✘Awkward handbrake rocker switch
✘Large bulky machine
✘Most expensive
Dieci 40.7 Agri Plus
Max lift 4t
Max height 7m
Engine 4.5-litre Iveco
Transmission Hydrostatic, 40kph
Max power 127hp
The deal £30,000 with 2,000-hour warranty, £32,226 with 4,000-hour warranty
Comments “The Dieci was a complete unknown but performed well in the demo, although it’s a big machine. We weren’t sure about a hydrostatic transmission but it seemed very progressive and the various modes were easy to select for different jobs. Ultimately it seemed cheap in comparison to the competition and we’ve got a dealer here in the village that we know and trust.”
BEST FOR
All-round package for the money
Likes
✔Simple boom suspension activation and auto-disengage when joystick is used
✔Different transmission modes for different jobs
✔Shuttle on joystick and steering column
✔Big lift capacity in manoeuvrable chassis
Gripes
✘Poor rear visibility – camera a must
✘Huge door, acts as a sail in the wind
✘Annoying joystick trigger to activate hydraulics (not as bad as Merlo)
Merlo 40.7 Turbo Farmer
Max lift 4t
Max height 7m
Engine Deutz
Transmission Hydrostatic, 40kph
Max power 140hp
The deal £33,250 with 2,500-hour warranty, £35,150 with 3,500-hour warranty
Comments “The Merlo seemed a robust, compact package on paper but slovenly transmission, poorly thought-out controls and hydraulics that needed lots of revs let it down.”
BEST FOR
Manoeuvrability and visibility
Likes
✔Small frame for 4t, 7m-lift machine – very manoeuvrable
✔Excellent visibility – sitting high in suspended cab
✔Merlo’s protective metalwork protects everything, no flappy plastic mudguards
✔Depressurisation system for auxiliary hydraulics
Gripes
✘Cab too high – had to let suspension down to get into low sheds
✘Sluggish transmission – felt like the oil would boil if pushed too hard
✘Poor ergonomics – awkward joystick trigger to activate hydraulics
✘Awkward-to-engage transmission neutral button. Needed to rev engine to get enough oil flow for aux hydraulics on sand dispenser.
Manitou MLT634
Max lift 3.4t
Max height 6m
Engine 3.6-litre Deutz
Transmission 4F x 4R torque converter, 35kph
Max power 122hp
The deal £34,000 with 2,000-hour warranty, £36,000 with 3,000-hour warranty
Comments “We liked the Manitou for its visibility and well thought-out joystick but it had some really annoying features, too. More importantly our local dealer was in the process of packing up so that knocked any deal on the head.”
BEST FOR
Agile performer with good joystick
Likes
✔Good visibility all round – no blind spots
✔Incredibly agile but only a 3.4t, 6m-reach machine
✔Mushroom-top joystick the best of the lot
✔Side window wiper
Gripes
✘Annoying hydraulic modes – have to select every time you start up to get max lift capacity
✘Awkward to activate boom suspension
✘Expensive
Caterpillar TH406
Max lift 3.7t
Max height 6.1m
Engine 4.4-litre Perkins
Transmission 5F x 3R torque converter, 40kph
Max power 126hp
The deal £35,300 with 3,000-hour warranty, £36,930 with 6,000-hour warranty
Comments “Having a dealer that could react fast and get us an alternative demo machine quickly was a definite plus-point.”
BEST FOR
Hydraulics and pushing power
Likes
✔Fast hydraulics that don’t require high engine revs
✔Strong pushing power through proper mechanical transmission
✔Open boom tray avoids debris accumulating
✔Standard 3,000-hour warranty or 6,000-hour version for only £1,500 extra
Gripes
✘Big, bulky machine with poor visibility and manoeuvrability
✘Poor cab heater and fan
Dieci wins
After quite a bit of head-scratching, it was decided that the Dieci offered the best value for money. “But without any history of second-hand values, we were concerned about depreciation,” explains Tom.
“Recognising that, our dealer Mike Fry put together a package that gives us a guaranteed buy-back price. I know that it won’t cost me any more than £2/hour in depreciation.”
Since making the decision in March, the yellow-liveried Italian handler has clocked up more than 1,300 faultless hours and handled every job that has been thrown at it.
“The door is massive, which makes getting in and out easy but because the cab is so well sealed you have to have the window down to get it to shut properly.
“Having an electric drop-down window is a big plus point because it can’t be smashed like an old-school stable door.
“Overall, it’s a big lump that’ll lift plenty and you don’t need an instruction book to operate.”
Follow Tom’s testing on Twitter
As each of the demo machines came and went Tom King posted his thoughts – and photos – on Twitter. To see the whole lot follow
@VortexHolsteins and search THdemo1