Which telehandler is the RIGHT one?

[eqdepot]

Lull 644E-42 Telehandler (Quick Specs
6,000 lb (2,722 kg) carrying capacity
42 ft (12.8 m) maximum lift height) OR, SkyTrak Telehandler 6036 (Quick Specs
6,000 lb (2,722 kg) carrying capacity
36 ft 1 in (11 m) maximum lift height) OR JLG G6-42A Telehandler (6,600 lb (2,994 kg) carrying capacity
42 ft (12.8 m) maximum lift height) are the Best for you...

 

[old-iron-habit]

Yes, im almost positive the forks self level as the boom raises and lowers. I have never seen one that didnt. I would agree with ISZ that the low boom machines do not have as good visibility. Either the boom is too low and the mast blocks your front right view or you have the boom so high to see 180 degrees that you are worried about hitting lines, trees, etc. I wouldnt personally be interested in a low boom but thats personal preference.
As for the traversing machines, such as a lull. They inherently have more moving parts I.e rollers, pads, all the boom hoses bending back and forth, an extra hydraulic circuit and cylinders. They are notorious for destroying the rear wear pads, rollers, the whip hoses in the back of the boom. I just was saying that if you dont need the traverse feature i wouldnt focus on it. We have two Lull 1044c's and they are very well built and reliable. Again the 644C model Lull is a good machine, they are just hard to find a nice one. I would personally hold that machine in the same regard as the Skytrak.
I guess my most important comment would be that if you think you can get away with a say 30' machine, buy a 36' machine. If you think you can get away with a 36' machine buy a 42'. You will never ever regret the extra reach. I would take the manuveribility trade off for the reach any day of the week. Also, i dont think a Skytrak 6042 has a whole lot bigger foot print than a JCB 506 or a Gehl 553. I also dont think theres a big price diffence between a 6036 to a 6042 or a JCB 506 to a JCB 506HL (high lift 42').
I believe we have spicer axles on our lulls and clarks on the other machines. I think they are related somehow though. Never had any problems besides our guys tore the spider drives out of a lull machine from turning full speed on blacktop with a heavy load. I also think the Lulls have ZF trans and the others have clarks. Never had any issues with either besides some basic wiring problems. I know spicer has a metal tag on their axles and ZF has a stamp on their shifters and a metal tag on the trans.

Most of the devices that keep the forks in the same position as set as the boom is lowered or raises consists of a cylinder mounted vertical at the back of the boom. The boom going up or down pulls or pushed this cylinder displacing oil to the fork lift cylinder. One thing to watch on these is that in cold winter weather they do not work reliably until the boom has made a number of up and downs warming the oil that is captured in the leveling system. I witnessed this first hand last winter when a good operator new to the lift backed away from a three story building with a raptor tie off system on the forks and as he was lowering the boom for the first time that day they gradually tilted a bit forward and the raptor slid off doing major damage to it. Another operator seen it happening and could not catch him in time.