Wanting to buy a newer telehandler.

We build pre engineered metal buildings and have two older Lull 1040c telehandlers, but they are getting rather costly to maintain and the parts are hard to find. We would like to upgrade but I'm not sure what's a good telehandler brand that it is rated for 10,000 pounds lift capacity. If there's anyone out there that can recommend a good make and model of Telehandler I would appreciate your input.
thanks

I'm checking into a 2014 Jlg g-1055A or a 2017 GENIE GTH1056. Does anyone have experience with these lifts?

Watching...

If you want to save some money, go to eBay and search "bidadoo". lot of former rental equipment gets auctioned weekly.

The JLG 1055 also have a Cat version that's the same machine. They are a lifting brute, but they have a pretty long wheel base can be kind of awkward in a tight spot. The Genie is based off the old square shooter/ terex forklift, I don't like how they run. A lot of them have the "transmission" disconnect- if you put your foot on the brake they go out of gear- makes it hard to creep around loaded on a uphill/ etc.

I like probably the skytrack 10054's the best, they are pretty simple and smooth running machines. (JLG also makes/ owns that line) Still have individual gauges that you can replace one at a time, and are pretty easy to figure out when something is wrong. The JLG 1055's are a newer design, and have a lot more electrical in them, and a one piece dash cluster, lots of plastic inside. Which is okay if you have the right peanut butter for employees- smooth rather than the "crunchy" sort. I find the skytrack to be more robust and survive the "crunchy" environment.

I also like the the lull style 10k's with the travelling carriage. But the travelling carriage is more moving parts, that if you don't need that option, adds cost and maintaince.

I keep looking at buying one, but I just don't use one often enough to justify the expense, so I always rent. If I'm doing something touchy like tandem picking and walking with a load, I request a 10054 skytrak.

If its not a critical deal, I don't care what they send, I can make it work, but I prefer the 10054.

So if I was buying tomorrow this would be 1st:



I would also do one of these if the price was the same- they are also a great machine- but you never get them from the rental yards because the traveling carriage makes them more expensive, and the rental houses can't charge for that. So you never get to rent them, but I've run several of them and really like them.



If I couldn't find either of those, and the price was right, I would live with a JLG 1055- they have a little more lift it seems like, but at the cost of more wheelbase and weight, and are harder to see out of also.

This picture shows the worst aspect of them, visibility stinks with the boom all the way down. So you end up driving around with the load higher in the air than you would like, just so you can see to the passenger side.



One of these would be way down my list, unless I ran the machine first. Very rarely do I get one that runs smooth. Either the controls are bad or the transmission lurches bad in and out of gear- or maybe they've all been abused rental machines

Every once in a while you'll get one that isn't rough, but its 1 time out of 10.

Well it's not newer and can't pick 10K but I would recommend one like my O'l Blue - Gradall 534D-6. The Gradall telehandlers were some of the best built IMO. Bought the one I still have new in '97 and the little 3.9 Cummins will fire off any time of the year. We use it mainly as a yard machine.

Gradall made larger machines as well and I wouldn't discredit them due to age if you found one in decent shape.

I have a couple of things that I'll never sell - that Gradall, a D5GXL and a 7.3 F250. Bought them all new and they've just become family over the years.

Ironplanet.com also auctions lots of telehandlers. You'll save a lot versus buying from a dealer.

Hey thanks a lot guys for the info!

Pettibone bar none would be my choice. Simple and tough. Second would be either a skytrak or an RS series gehl. An owner operator can maintain these machines, unless you posses a high level of mechanical aptitude I would avoid the jlg, cat, genie or like machines. Too complicated.

barklee said:

Pettibone bar none would be my choice. Simple and tough. Second would be either a skytrak or an RS series gehl. An owner operator can maintain these machines, unless you posses a high level of mechanical aptitude I would avoid the jlg, cat, genie or like machines. Too complicated.

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A few years back, I seen several Pettibones with cracks around the rear main boom pivot/pin. The lift cylinder is almost horizontal on these machines. That must put an awful amount of pressure at that pivot point.

Worked at a JLG/Skytrak dealer for a short while. JLG/CAT are more "refined" than the Skytrak but we saw fewer issues on the Skytrak for the most part. Like was mentioned above the Skytrak has a better interior suited for employees that just don't care.

If buying used equipment, I believe the 'try it, then consider it' to be safer than the auction process (more conservative). Accomplished as follows: I went to my favorite rental company and inquired and then selected a machine from the local area and tried it out on my job as well as doing the basic check out with oil analysis etc etc Machine is a 8k Square Shooter (without stabilizers) and has done quite a few erection jobs etc etc.
Have collected these accessories: lumber forks as well as the block forks, a personnel basket, a trash bucket, and a adjustable slip over the forks jib. Have all the OEM manuals and have been able to mechanic it.

Some of these machines seem to be aimed at yard materials movement whereas others seem to prioritize the control and movement of the forks while elevated.

One machine had fairly complex frame level and tilt system and all the components were located under the floor board, seemed a chore to work on ....thus I passed on that mfg.

I recall one machine invoked cables to extend/contract the boom while another utilize link chain.

Some machines allow short work to remove the forks and carriage to lighten the tare of the boom when adding a jib.

Aux hydraulics on the boom (example) for a carriage angle feature has been mentioned by many erectors as a strong preference option.