I'm looking into a 1999 lull 39' 6k# telehandler with about 4600 hours on it, the machine is very descent looking and a lot of seals and hoses recently replaced. The other is a 1997 JCB 36' 6k# telehandler with 4900 hours on it. Very clean 1 owner machine. My question is what would high hours be for these machines, and how many more hours may I expect out of them, provided maintenance is done regularly etc? Theyre about $2k difference in price, lull being higher. Also anything I need to check on the machines or watch out for? Thanks! I've rented a lot of them but first purchase.
Just my experience but it seems like tele handlers really start going downhill at about 8k hours. Seems like a lot of little issues start showing up about then. With good maintenance 4-5k hours wouldn't bother me at all. I'm always gonna go for the lull in this case. Lull builds one tough machine and you can get parts for it. Also all the manuals are online.
Thanks for the input, I'm really leaning towards the lull, just found out the boom slides forward almost 8' and it has a hydraulic tilt on the forks themselves. It's a very clean well kept machine....maybe tires in the next year. I'm gonna look at it this week it's advertised at $21,500. Anything I should look at or pay attention to when I go see the machine?
The sliding carriage is nice but with carriage all the way back and the boom fully extended its not that hard to bend the boom. The main thing I'd look for is to much bow in the boom or cracks in the back of the boom section that extends. There's a small plastic cover on the back of the boom. Pop that off and make sure nothing is damaged. Bent or cracked booms are really the only problems you see with lull's it seems like. They're pretty bullet proof. Also when you get tires makes sure your tires get filled with either liquid or foam filled again. Those tires are part of the counterweight. They'll go over pretty quickly if they've got air tires.
Awesome thanks for the advice I appreciate it. My thought on the tires was to transport little easier as far as weight goes is to liquid fill only the rear, and air the fronts. That way they still act as counterweight on the rear, unless I should in the front too for a reason?
I can vouch for that post Knepptune. I had a Lull, with foam filled tires. Had to replace tires, and I had a set of air filled new tires. It doesn't work. Flipped the machine, totaled it.
Should I liquid fill all 4? Or just the rear? I can't see how the fronts would matter? The foam is pretty expensive and for my work I really don't need the foam.
I guess you could just fill the back with liquid. I wouldn't tho. Keep all the tires the same.
Foam fill all 4! You'll get a lot more hours out of them, I've had a 10" cut in one of mine since 2008 that I'm still running. By the way both of my lulls have over 5k hours with no problems except for the occasional hose.
I also vote the Lull out of the two machines. I echo what's been said about inspecting the machine. Look at the boom carefully for cracks, wear and if it's bowed or bent. Normal items for the engine and drive train. Keep all the tires the same as well. I have foam filled tires on my Gradall 534C6, the tires are slick but it keeps rolling. I don't know what the price are but the rental tele handlers I see now on the job have solid tires with the holes in them and they seem to work well. Filling just 2 of the 4 tires may effect the stability triangle. http://www.forconstructionpros.com/article/10117664/understand-the-basics Respect the stability triangle, don't ask me how I know...