DIFFERENCE TO TELEPORTER
PLUSMAKESALLTHE
DIFFERENCE TO TELEPORTER
Claas recently announced
major changes to its
Teleporter range and badged
the improved telehandlers as
Plus models. Geoff Ashcroft
took a closer look at a
Teleporter 975 Solo Plus
AT first glance, the revised Claas Teleporter range looks much like the old one. It even keeps the same model numbers as the previous range, but theres a small, and notable addition to each model designation – Plus.
While exterior styling of the Teleporter Plus models can be described as conservative, it is that which has taken place under the skin which gives the range its most significant lift in performance terms.
Across the eight-model range theres now more lift capacity (with the exception of Quattro versions), improved boom performance, power braking through a direct acting rather than servo-based braking system and a revised engine cooling system.
The biggest feature of the new range is the use of a Z-bar linkage at the end of the loaders boom, which gives an increase in carriage rotation from 143 to 165 degrees. And when the boom is lowered, crowdback has been increased by 12 degrees to reach almost 18 degrees back from vertical, for safer carrying of palletised loads.
Switching to the Z-bar linkage means the crowd ram is now pushed out to rotate the carriage, which sees an increase in tearout force of 27%, giving the Teleporter Plus range a more powerful loader linkage.
Revised geometry
To coincide with the revised loader geometry and greater front end performance, the carriage pivot pins now use wider bushes. Hydraulic system pressure has been raised from 225 to 250 bar, and restrictors in the hydraulic circuits are said to have been removed to permit faster cycle times. Engine and transmission combinations remain unchanged in the new range.
farmers weekly caught up with a 975 Solo Plus – a 106hp machine equipped with powershift and electro-hydraulic joystick control – at Claas Bury St Edmunds base.
The 975 Plus has gained 300kg lift capacity over its predecessor, to offer a 3300kg lift capacity to a height of 5m, while lift capacity to its 7m full height remains unchanged at 3000kg. And while many will rarely find the need to use all the 975 Plus available lift capacity, theres safety in the knowledge that Claas has added an extra 200kg to the handlers weight. Climbing into the cab, the Teleporter Plus driver is greeted by an ignition key now located in the steering column and not in the right-hand side console, and a larger, more comfortable foot brake pedal. The rest of the cab layout remains unchanged, so there are no nasty surprises and familiarity remains the order of the day.
Power braking now fitted to the Teleporter Plus range gives a reassuringly safe feel to the brake pedal, and stopping the 7600kg 975 Plus is progressive and quick – a sharp leap on the pedal for those occasional emergency manoeuvres can put the unwary operator quite close to the windscreen.
At a more sedate pace, handling big square straw bales, palletised loads and rehandling bulk cattle feed gave the opportunity to try out the Teleporters revised loader performance.
Maintaining a generously filled bucket and carrying a load safely on the pallet forks are surprisingly easy to achieve with the Teleporter Plus. And dumping the buckets contents serves to confirm the increased carriage rotation now available on the range.
Combining the improved hydraulic performance of the 975 with Claas Solo electro-hydraulic joystick control will allow the most inefficient of operators to use the boom as progressively, delicately or as fast, as is required. In addition, a shock cushioning device now prevents the telescopic boom from slamming home with a bump as the boom is retracted at full throttle.
In the Plus models, it appears that Claas has addressed many of the previous Teleporters shortcomings, to offer a level of performance and productivity that many growers should appreciate. *
TELEPORTER DATA
Model: 975 Solo Plus.
Maximum lift capacity: 3300kg at 5m.
Lift capacity at full height: 3000kg at 7m.
Lift capacity at full horizontal outreach: 1500kg at 3.8m.
Engine: 106hp Perkins 1004.40T.
Transmission: Four-speed powershift.