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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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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…

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…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Manitou returns to pivot market with its MLA-T

It might have a chequered past in the world of pivot-steer loaders, but Manitou has returned for another crack at a market monopolised by its old enemy, JCB. The French…

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…

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…

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…

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

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…

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…

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…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: JCB's debut battery-electric Loadall - the 525-60E

JCB has boarded the battery-electric bandwagon, with the first production models of its 525-60E telehandler now whizzing around inner-city building sites, industrial warehouses and posh equine units. But while those…

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…

Telehandler buying advice

Telehandler guides

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TELEHANDLERS

Ultimate guide to buying a telehandler 2019

Expanded ranges and a focus on operator well-being through new cabs and control layouts characterise the Farmers Weekly Ultimate Guide to telescopic handlers for 2019. For example, despite losing the…

TELEHANDLERS

Driver's View: John Cartledge's Kramer KT407 Ecospeed

Kramer’s handler range came to prominence following the conclusion of its manufacturing agreement with Claas in 2017, and its subsequent integration with John Deere’s dealer network. A year later, it…

Maids of all work

For sheer versatility the farm tele-handler is hard to beat. Interest in acquiring these day-to-day workhorses that can multi-task has steadily increased and the market is awash with options to…

TELEHANDLERS

173hp JCB 542-100 Agri Pro joins Loadall range

Straw contractors have access to some handy extra reach and lift capacity with the launch of JCB’s 542-100 telehandler. The new model can lift 4.2t and is capable of pushing…

TELEHANDLERS

Cat launches new M-series handler range

American giant Cat has launched three new handlers, designed specifically for the agricultural sector. The new M-series models feature a Cat 3.4-litre engine which develops 68hp and runs through a…

New products at Grassland and Muck 2008

There's nothing like a tour of the Grassland & Muck 2008 stands and working areas to get up to date with the latest in forage and waste machinery. Here Peter…

TELEHANDLERS

Bobcat's TL25.60e electric telehandler to rival JCB

Bobcat is the latest telehandler maker to add a compact electric model to its fleet. The TL25.60e is still officially a concept and has yet to enter full production but,…

Contractors have a tough time on the road

Moving tractors, trailers and implements around the countryside can be fraught with difficulties. Andy Collings visited a Kent contractor who has the unenviable task of keeping five combines on the…

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…

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

Manitou unveils clutch of MLA mini pivot-steer loaders

Manitou has launched six new compact articulated loaders that are designed to work in tight spaces. Smaller MLA series 2 and 3 machines sit at just 1.1m wide and offer…

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…

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Video: Telehandler action from the Farm Handling Experience

There are lots of static machinery shows around the country, but it’s not often that you get a chance to see tractors, handlers and other kit actually being used. However…

MACHINERY

Video: Loader test: Schaeffer v Weidemann

Power Farming Verdict Two well-built and closely matched rivals. If shed space is a tad tight then the Weidemann is the obvious choice. If you value your cab space then…

Video: Ropa cleaner loader gives customer benefits

Suffolk sugar beet contractor Ken Rush has cut labour, compaction and fuel use with a clever German-made self-loading and self-propelled beet cleaner-loader. Called the Ropa EuroMaus, it is one of…

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…