need advice on buying a telehandler - Page 3

EdB · 11-16-2009, 06:35 PM

Hey Speedpup. Thanks for your help. Read the manuals that you linked to and when the lift showed up today, I had my trial by fire as the trucker didn't know how to drive a Lull and all I knew about it was what I'd read in the manuals. Anyways, I drove it down my makeshift ramp and got it on the ground in one piece.

The eBay listing did say the lift had Aux hydraulics to the boom and even though they didn't show up in any of the pics, there are indeed two hoses that are capped with plugs way out at the end of the boom. Should make it a lot easier to have a tilt carriage if I ever decide it's something I can't live without.

Speedpup · 11-23-2009, 05:14 PM

Looks good any more pic's? Rotating carriage is good . How did it run?

EdB · 11-23-2009, 10:53 PM

Engine sounds really good. Being a hi-tech junkie, this thing seems like a throw-back to the old times though. Naturally aspirated 6 cylinder diesel, not many electronics and a lot of hydraulics and mechanical stuff. That's all right though. I can do the old stuff too.
All the cylinders on the machine are dry, as are the hoses. Plenty of fresh grease on all the working parts and joints and the chains are nice and oily too. I'm pretty well convinced I got a bargain here. Tires are nearly new and foam filled to boot. For being a rental machine, I'm fairly impressed with the service that Coast Crane gives their machines. The engine has what looks to be a recently installed rebuild fuel pump. Looks like a clone of the venerable Roosa-Master. They don't like the dry ULSD fuel and there is also a big fiber washer on the inside of them that disintegrates, plugs up the fuel return, and causes the engine to go to low idle. Not a big deal to fix, but if a guy didn't know what was happening, he might just get a rebuilt pump and install it. One or the other or possibly a combination of both may have gotten this one.
Here are a couple more pics of my machine.

Speedpup · 11-24-2009, 05:45 PM

I here Coast Crane is decent stuff. Their machines look like they have been serviced. I look at other stuff and see rusted pins, bound up chains and new paint.

I would rather have a machine with the OEM paint to really see how it was treated. Good luck it looks great. I don't want a computer machine either.

EdB · 11-25-2009, 10:29 AM

I'm with you on the new paint. Makes me nervous too.
Noticed what looks to be an update of some sort. Looks like they may have added or reinforced a cross-member inside the frame behind the front tire. I'll have to take a couple pics and see what your opinion of it is.
If you don't like electronics, you'd really hate my tracked Challenger MT tractor. That thing is completely 'fly-by-wire'. Put auto-steer on it last spring and that was easy. No hydraulic valves or extra wiring needed. Plug the auto-steer into the 4 wire Can-Bus connector and away we went.

Impact · 12-12-2009, 05:26 AM

I've got a Gehl 663, Gehl 883, Lull 944, and just about to buy a Pettibone 8044. I don't generally buy new, but this machine is priced at 66% of new. Although older machines, I LOVE the Gehls. Compared to the heavier Lull, they seem to tiptoe across the job site like a ballerina dancer. I'm hoping the Pettibone is like that.

quihultwi · 12-26-2009, 01:04 PM

I accept with information:I also see where some have remotes for a man platform. You set up the machine, then can step in the man platform and can run the boom up and down. I really also like the machines that have one control for all the functions (joystick and buttons), instead of this three different stick nonsense. I've run too many with hand, mid arm nudges, and elbows, or hooking you're left arm in the wheel and reaching across. Outriggers are a mixed blessing, they really help in stability and give you much more capacity when reaching way out. When reaching out on rubber, you can feel the machine getting light, with the outriggers set, you have no idea until you are really in trouble

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Speedpup · 12-26-2009, 02:27 PM

With the reach of some of these machines and with outriggers better use your load charts as the booms can fail when extended to far before tipping.

EdB · 12-26-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quihultwi

I accept with information:I also see where some have remotes for a man platform. You set up the machine, then can step in the man platform and can run the boom up and down. I really also like the machines that have one control for all the functions (joystick and buttons), instead of this three different stick nonsense. I've run too many with hand, mid arm nudges, and elbows, or hooking you're left arm in the wheel and reaching across.

When I was looking and researching what I'd like in a telehandler, I talked with a bunch of used dealer/salesmen. When I mentioned SkyTrak or Gradall, most would point out the positives of the non-electric controls. The buttons and joysticks didn't get a great deal of positive responses. Most of the guys would point out that when electrical gremlins showed up, the usual response from guys that didn't enjoy electrical troubleshooting would be to buy a new wiring harness at $650+, replace that, and repeat the procedure when the gremlin re-appeared. Really wouldn't have been a big problem for me, because I have a fair understanding of electronics and electrical logic circuitry. Watching the travails of fellow farmers and their battles with electronics laden machines, I've come to the conclusion that even among the dealership techs, the solution is not to troubleshoot, as much as it is to replace until the problem goes away -- for a while.
Aggravation and expense that no one really needs.