Hi Everyone, I have been looking around to buy my first used telehandler. I have no experience with these but am thinking that an 8000lb with around 54 foot reach is a good fit for me. Unknowns for me are certifications and the ndt testing. Costs of these and if I should worry if these are due to be done when I buy it. Any advice on brands and models with good reputations would also be greatly appreciated. I would love to avoid engine emissions issues as well so I am thinking slightly older machines. My top budget is 70K. I welcome any advice and recommendations.
Buy a late model rental off ironplanet.com. You'll skip the middle man and save. Go on there and browse to see what's available. And you can see how much items have sold for. Personally I'm biased towards jcb. Jlg and skytrak are also well known brands. Usually 10k lb machines are 56ft height, and those have outriggers in front. If you don't want outriggers, then get a 42ft height machine, and those usually pickup 8 to 9k lbs.
Got a 2011 531-70 JCB, so predates stuff like DPF etc... Only a baby, the smallest of their large series produced at the time. Not using it anywhere but my own place, so not copping scrutiny about stuff like crack testing of the boom. On average of course a late model should be less problematic. Without digging into your background experience/ ownership of equipment, one thing I can tell you is that these units arent a cheap ownership proposition. Down here in OZ, at least. But in saying that, a really versatile machine. Use mine almost every day. Everything from grading the drive to moving stuff around the yard, load/unload trucks, building another shed.... it goes on. Around here secondhand implements to suit are thin on the ground, so have been picking up stuff and modifying the mounts to suit. Good thing I found with the proprietary Q-Fit system JCB uses is I can simply use a piece of plate each side and weld that to the implement. Now that I have a digitised pattern of this plate - dead easy. Good luck with it.