Manitou telehandlers switch to Yanmar for muscle power
The largest was the MLT 160 V+L, a heavy duty machine for tillage farmers while at the lower end there was the ULM 412H, the company’s lightest telehandler yet.
Big Brother
The bigger of the two is considered the largest machine that is likely to be found in regular use on a tillage farm in either the UKor Ireland.
It has a maximum lift capacity of 6t, enabling it to fill a grain lorry in just four or five cycles, which is good news for truck drivers everywhere.
The maximum loading height is 9m and the outreach is 5.3m, and it has an empty weight of just under 12t.
Marine motors for Manitou
Power comes from a 156hp Yanmar engine, and while that particular manufacturer is not normally associated with bigger diesels it has been happily building marine engines of this power, and more, for many years.
It might also be noted that Yanmar acquired a 6% stake in Manitou in 2013, so the question might arise as to why it has taken so long.
One of the more notable features of this model is the seven degree frame levelling ability which acts on the front axle only and is powered by the same 200L/min pump as the rest of the hydraulics.
Baby brother
The smaller of the pair on display was the ULM 412H which has been designed to be towable behind a van while still retaining a useful performance.
Despite an unladen weight of 2,550kg it can still lift 1,250kg with a two-stage boom that loads to 4.3m and reaches to 2.62m. Yanmar once again provides the power with 35 horses nestling under the bonnet.
Overall weight has been saved in various ways, including the use of electronics to provide fork levelling rather than an extra ram. The bonnet is of GRP and the basic cab is a spartan affair.
However, it is not envisaged that it will have a full-time operator, rather, it is expected to be on site for occasional use when needed rather than working day-long shifts.
Weighing woes
One item that is still missing from all Manitou telehandlers, and many others, is on-board weighing which would seem a rather surprising omission in these days of data with everything.
The company points out that although there are third party systems out there which do work, the boom has to pause in a reference position to take the measurement, and that position will depend on how it was calibrated.
Manitou is still working on a system that will accurately register the weight dynamically, that is, whatever the position of the boom and while it is moving, this is not as simple a task as is often thought, but they hope to crack the problem sooner rather than later.
