Manitou is a mainstay of the farm machinery market, with its telehandlers proving popular in the UK thanks to their reliability and competitive pricing. The company has eight cutting-edge models, each of which plays host to a range of design updates.
Read More (Manitou Telehandlers Review)The newcomers to the MLT range are all powered by engines from Deutz which are Stage 4 compliant and develop between 101hp and 136hp, depending on the model chosen.
Service intervals have been extended thanks to improved air and oil filtration systems, meaning that both need to be addressed after 2000 hours. This is twice the duration seen on the past generation of Manitou telehandlers.
The hydraulics system used on these machines is adaptive and intelligent, allowing for precise control and a degree of automation so that stability and safety are ensured even when lifting heavy loads to great heights.
Buyers will have the option of adding a regenerative hydraulics system which recycles energy and lowers fuel consumption, improving the eco-credentials of these telehandlers.
Both hydrostatic and CVT transmissions can be specified for the MLT range, with a top speed of 40kmph achievable on all models. Operators will be able to switch between driving modes to alter the responsiveness of the machine depending on the requirements of the task at hand.
Operator comfort has been improved, with the sealed cab benefiting from improved damping to reduce interior noise levels. Getting in and out is also easier, while the amount of storage on board has been increased so that small items and other pieces of equipment can be stowed safely without getting in the way.
Manitou has even added electrically operated windows to the doors, making it possible to increase the amount of ventilation in the cab on hot days. Meanwhile, up front the windscreen is built from a single piece of glass and, together with the glazed roof, provides ample visibility when driving or using the loader arm.
The controls are set out intuitively within the cab, including the seat-mounted joystick and a range of colour-coded buttons which can be configured in whatever arrangement best suits the operator. The optional Vision display gives additional feedback on the machine’s performance.
Other extras which can be added include comprehensive LED work lights for the boom, headlights and mirrors, along with a choice of tyre types and multiple colour options for the exterior.
The smallest of the new MLT telehandlers has a lift height of six metres and a maximum load capacity of three tonnes. At the upper limits of the range is the flagship model, which has a lift height of nine metres and a capacity of four tonnes, with the higher oil flow rate of its hydraulics helping to further improve productivity.
These new arrivals to Manitou’s range of agriculture-friendly telehandlers are a natural progression for the firm, complementing the used farm machinery which is available from its past product lines in the UK at the moment.