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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: Kubota brings big SVL 75-3 skid-steer to the UK

National plans to increase solar capacity was a major motivator behind Kubota’s decision to bring its SVL 75-3 skid-steer handler to the UK. Its 1.7m width allows contractors to slink…

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

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

Telehandlers on test: Claas Scorpion 741

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: 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

On test: JCB's new TM420S pivot-steer telehandler

Launched a couple of years ago, JCB’s TM420 was the biggest pivot-steer telehandler the company had ever built, offering a 4t lift capacity and more than 5.4m vertical reach. But…

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…

Driver's view: Manitou MLT 731 telehandler

Considering buying a used sub-£30,000 telehandler? James Andrews visits a seasoned punter to see if Manitou should make your shortlist. If you are shopping around for a used, mid-sized telehandler…

First Drive: Dieci 40.7 telehandler

About the Dieci 40.7 Cab Engine Driving it Likes & Gripes Gallery Dieci isn’t a well-known name on British farms and many people might reasonably assume it was the name…

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…

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.…

TELEHANDLERS

Telehandler test: Dieci Agri Plus 40.7 VS Evo2

Dieci offers a massive range of agricultural telehandlers covering almost every combination of lift capacity and reach you can think of. At the bottom end there’s the diminutive Agrovector 25.5,…

TELEHANDLERS

Lightweight JCB 403 proves a hit for Pembrokeshire farm

Harold, David and Berwyn Warlow run a brace of compact JCB 403 wheel loaders on their 300-cow dairy farm and beef unit near Narberth, Pembrokeshire. Duties for the pint-sized machines…

TELEHANDLERS

First drive: Manitou MLA-T 516 pivot-steer

Manitou has owned the Gehl and Mustang compact loader brands for more than a decade, but has only recently made the decision to start selling these machines in its own…

Telehandler buying advice

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TELEHANDLERS

Telehandlers on test: Kramer KT407

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…

TELEHANDLERS

Bobcat launches super-compact TL25.60 telehandler

A new model now props up Bobcat’s latest R-Series telehandler range, with the modestly proportioned TL25.60 measuring just 1.84m wide and 1.93m high – despite having a full-size cab. It…

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…

MACHINERY

Tips for farmers buying a second-hand JCB telehandler

Love a pivot-steer but reluctant to splash the cash on a spanking new one? We get the lowdown on potential trouble spots on JCB’s bend-in-the-middle TM310S from Dai Thomas at…

Cereals 2009: New kit preview

The Cereals Event always provides a launching pad for new arable equipment to tackle cultivations, drilling, harvesting and post-harvest management and offers a chance for many growers to see in…

What to look for when buying a used telehandler

Whether a livestock farm, an arable unit or a contracting business, a materials handler of some kind is the core of many farming fleets, and for most the telescopic handler…

TELEHANDLERS

The ultimate guide to buying a telehandler in 2018

The Farmers Weekly ultimate guide to telescopic farm handling and loading machines has been published online for 2018, with many changes from last year’s edition. The guide provides a quick-reference summary…

TELEHANDLERS

Telehandler test: JCB 541-70 AgriPro

JCB unveiled the new-look hybrid transmission back in spring 2016 to sit alongside its cheaper powershifting versions. There is a growing list of models equipped with the fancy gearbox and…

LAMMA

Lamma 2019: Tractors and telehandlers steal the show

This year marked the first of the Lamma show's new era at Birmingham's indoor National Exhibition Centre.  The event is showcasing not just large machinery manufacturers, but also smaller agricultural…

MACHINERY

2017 tractor and telehandler prices updated

Farmers Weekly has updated its buyer’s guides for tractors and telehandlers in the UK. The guides have been refreshed on the back of some cheering statistics from the Agricultural Engineers Association…

TELEHANDLERS

Tips for buying a used Matbro telehandler

JCB might be top dog in the telehandler world these days, but in the 1990s it couldn’t get a look in. Back then rival UK firm Matbro was king, and…

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…

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TELEHANDLERS

Video: On test – Kramer's KT357 telehandler

Since Claas introduced its Kramer-built telehandlers in 2005, the Scorpion range has established itself as a genuine contender to the might of JCB and Manitou. However, back in 2015 both…

MACHINERY

Video: Telehandler test: Manitou MLT 625-75H

Hydraulics Engine Joystick Cab Maintenance Gallery Video Though the smallest loader in the test, the MLT 625-75H achieved very respectable lift results. Manitou uses a 90 litres/min Bosch Rexroth pump…

MACHINERY

Telehandler test: JCB

Hydraulics Engine Joystick Cab Maintenance Gallery Video JCB fits the 572-58 with a Walterscheid pump sporting a maximum 122litres/min of oil throughput. Its 2.7t lift at our special measuring point…

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…