Know How / Telehandlers

Often the most-used machine on the farms – especially with pigs, sheep, beef or dairy cattle – so we cover new machines, first drives, user views and group tests of telescopic handlers (or telehandlers) for efficient materials handling, cleaning stock buildings, loading bales and shifting grain.

Latest telehandler articles

TELEHANDLERS

Lamma 2026: Compact JCB 526-60 gets swankier cab

JCB has lavished its compact Loadall telehandlers with some attention, fitting higher-spec cabs, improved brakes and twin-line trailer braking. The 526-60 is the smaller of the two models, benefiting from…

TELEHANDLERS

Lamma 2026: Stronger boom for Stoll TracLift loader

Farmers torn between Stoll’s budget Solid front loader and top-spec ProfiLine FZ need agonise no more, following the introduction of three mid-range TracLift models. Smallest of the trio is the…

TELEHANDLERS

Agritechnica 2025: Hybrid drive for prototype NH telehandler

Wacky styling isn’t the only novelty to be found on New Holland’s latest prototype 7m/4.2t telehandler. Rather than a traditional diesel engine, the TH Hybrid Power harnesses both electricity and…

TELEHANDLERS

Agritechnica 2025: More lift capacity for JCB’s 7m Loadalls

A brace of 7m machines has been added to JCB’s telehandler line-up, offering up to 24% more lift capacity than the current 542-70. The 546-70 is the lesser of the…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Merlo TF30.7 - small frame, pokey hydraulics

A surge of farmers pining for more lifting and loading capacity without compromising on size has spawned a slew of pint-sized telehandlers. Merlo’s TF30.7 is one of the latest to…

Telehandler reviews and tests

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TELEHANDLERS

New developments to telehandlers offer improved efficiency

Telehandlers are one of the hardest-worked machines on arable farms and a host of new developments promise to streamline operations such as handling bags of fertiliser and seed. With their latest…

First Drive: JCB Loadall 541-70

JCB's latest Loadall promises impressive performance and frugal fuel use. James Andrews tried it out. Intro Engine Transmission Cab/controls Verdict Specs Pivot-steer Late last year JCB gave its telehandlers greener…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Stacks of power in diddy JCB 530-60

JCB’s engineers have successfully completed telehandler themed Tetris by cramming almost all the components from the largest Loadalls into a package condensed in all dimensions. That makes the diminutive 530-60…

MACHINERY

On test: JCB's 419S loading shovel brings extra muscle

Officially launched at Paris’ Sima show in February, JCB’s 419S loading shovel is now rolling down the firm’s Staffordshire production lines. As the main middleweight model in the company’s ag-spec…

TELEHANDLERS

First impressions: Powershift cut for JCB's TM280S telehandler

Short of a pivot-steer telehandler to sit between its compact TM220 and heavier-duty TM320 Telemaster, JCB decided to build one. Well, two, actually. The fruits of this endeavour are the…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Bobcat’s revamped TL43.80HF telehandler

While JCB may continue to occupy the long-coveted throne in the competitive telehandler market, Bobcat is becoming an increasingly viable challenger thanks to a drastic interior upgrade for its new…

TELEHANDLERS

Driver's View: Harry Whiteman's Claas Scorpion 741 Gen 2

As the name suggests, the Scorpion 741 Generation 2 is the second iteration of Claas’ Liebherr-built 7m/4t telehandler. The standout upgrade from the original is a power hike from 136hp…

TELEHANDLERS

Driver’s view: JD 3200 telehandler still going strong

John Deere’s brief foray into the telehandler market lasted just six years and left a lot of customers scratching their heads, wondering why it pulled the plug on such a…

TELEHANDLERS

Telehandler test: Bobcat TL 38.70 HF Agri

Our test machine was the biggest in Bobcat’s line-up of ag-spec TL telehandlers, offering a lift capacity of 3.8t and a 7m reach. Those looking for a more compact machine…

TELEHANDLERS

Telehandlers on test: Massey Ferguson TH 7038

In an extension of our telehandler test in the 4t lift and 7m reach category, we have taken a look at the best-selling rigid-frame machines from Kramer, Claas, Cat and Bobcat.…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Fendt broadens Cargo range with T740 telehandler

The world is littered with gizmos that no one ever asked for, yet somehow became integral to our lives. Lightbulbs, vaccines, airplanes and personal computers were all dismissed before they…

MACHINERY

Driven: JCB v Claas compact telehandlers

While the JCB beats the Claas on engine power, it suffers on hydraulic output and performance, lifts 400kg less and has a reach that extends 400mm less high. Watch the…

Telehandler guides

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TELEHANDLERS

New-look Claas Scorpion telehandlers set for revamped cab

A refreshed line-up of “small platform” Claas Scorpion telescopic handlers is on its way, featuring a new powertrain for selected models, more automated control features and added comfort and convenience…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Stacks of power in diddy JCB 530-60

JCB’s engineers have successfully completed telehandler themed Tetris by cramming almost all the components from the largest Loadalls into a package condensed in all dimensions. That makes the diminutive 530-60…

TELEHANDLERS

Bobcat upgrades cab for new R-series telehandlers

Bobcat has tarted up its telehandler range, as it bids to double production by 2025. The new seven-model R-series includes three relatively compact models – the TL26.60 (the only one…

Contractor charges: Our guide for 2010

This year's contractor price guide reflects lower fuel costs but higher machinery purchase costs. It was compiled by the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, which used the figures sent in…

TELEHANDLERS

Tech start-up ManuRob debuts autonomous handler

In the pipeline for a little over three years, tech start-up ManuRob unveiled its Loadix autonomous handler for the first time after recently beginning farm trials.   Able to move…

TELEHANDLERS

Ultimate guide to buying a telehandler 2025

Anyone intending to invest in a new telescopic materials handler this year will find a wider choice of makes and models than ever. Most manufacturers and importers have responded to…

TELEHANDLERS

Video: Fendt's debut Cargo T955 telehandler on test

Not since the launch of JCB’s mid-engined, four-wheel steering Loadalls over 30 years ago has a telehandler defied convention quite like Fendt’s debut Cargo T955. Its hulking frame, high boom…

TELEHANDLERS

Revolutionary steering slashes turning circle

In what must be one of the first loaders in the world to be steered by two separate methods, German maker Thaler has released its 3248T-5A loader, which has both…

Merlo telehandler lends a hand in Channel 4’s Scrapheap Challe...

Channel 4’s ever-popular TV engineering game show - Scrapheap Challenge - will hit UK screens in 2007 for its ninth series, this time with help from a Merlo telehandler.  The programme’s format…

TELEHANDLERS

Compact 130hp 530-60 Agri Super joins JCB Loadall range

JCB’s vast Loadall range has grown again, this time with the addition of the new 530-60 Agri Super.  It offers a 3t lift capacity and 6m reach, but with relatively compact…

TELEHANDLERS

Dieci adds big, 153hp T80 to pivot-steer telehandler range

Dieci’s bend-in-the-middle Agri Pivot range has been bolstered with the introduction of a new flagship model, the T80. Power is the headline improvement, with the switch to a 4.5-litre FPT…

TELEHANDLERS

Exvo enters skid-steer market with battery-electric handler

Farmers who like the nippiness of a skid-steer loader and the near-silence of electric drive can enjoy those characteristics in the same machine thanks to Exvo Electric, a new Irish…

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MACHINERY

Telehandler test: Deici Agrifarmer

Hydraulics Engine Joystick Cab Maintenance Gallery Video Italian loader specialist Dieci produces around 1,800 machines per year and its Agri Farmer 26.6 model uses a 110 litres/min Bosch Rexroth pump.…

Farm Handling Experience comes to the South West

After the success of the national Farm Handling Experience in April, Farmers Weekly is running another machinery handling event, this time in the South West. The new event is on…

TELEHANDLERS

Video: On test – JCB 541-70 v Dieci 40.7 telehandlers

Earlier this year, JCB launched a new hybrid transmission that promised to bridge the gap between the structured steps of a torque convertor gearbox and the seamless ratios offered by…

MACHINERY

Driven: JCB v Claas compact telehandlers

While the JCB beats the Claas on engine power, it suffers on hydraulic output and performance, lifts 400kg less and has a reach that extends 400mm less high. Watch the…