oomph
Plenty of handler
oomph
A DESPERATELY wet silage season has emphasised the value of having plenty of power beneath the bonnet of your telescopic handler.
"It has been tough work shifting heavy, wet grass into silage clamps this year," notes Chris Morley of Manitou. "And in those conditions, there is no substitute for power."
So Manitou is now offering a 120hp engine in its best-selling model, the Manireach MLT 629. Normally powered by a 106hp Perkins turbo motor, £2000 buys extra power and load-sensing hydraulics enabling two or three hydraulic control functions to be used simultaneously.
But while the bigger 3t and 3.3t machines on which the 120hp power package was introduced last year have powershift gearboxes, the MLT 629 keeps its "Slickshift" manual transmission.
"With 2.9t lift to 6.05m, this is an ideal machine for stock and mixed stock-arable farms," says Mr Morley. "The extra power will make a big difference to silage climbing performance and driving flexibility."
Claas is following the "more power for more performance" trend with 120hp engines in its Targo K-series telehandlers launched at the show, while JCB is following suit with the same Perkins engine coupled to a five-speed powershift transmission.
"The Super specification package for the 3t/7m 530-70 and 4t/7m 540-70 Loadall models also includes 40kph gearing and our unique Smooth Ride telescopic boom suspension," says JCB Landpowers marketing manager James Hollingsworth.
Like Claas Targo and Manitou Manireach telehandlers, JCB Loadalls can now be had with 120hp Perkins engines to boost performance and improve driving flexibility.