The telehandlers are unlikely to compete with the company’s mobile cranes, said Hewden’s purchasing manager, Alan Huddart, but they are used for lifting applications particularly on housebuilding sites. “They are probably in different markets. The bulk of the work of telehandlers are in the housing end, to some degree they have replaced cranes lifting pallets of bricks and roof trusses.”
Telehandlers have primarily replaced backhoe loaders on homebuilding sites, Huddard says. Homebuilders tend to use telehandlers with miniexcavators now, Huddard says.
Hewden also supplies crane attachments for the telehandlers. “We have quite a few jibs for handling roofing material,” Huddart said, estimating perhaps 70, which are purchased as required. The company also keeps other lifting attachments for the telehandlers including block grabs and kerb lifters.
As site equipment, telehandlers tend to be hired for the duration of project, unlike mobile cranes. It rents a 4t capacity telehandlers for about £200 a day, with a “considerable” reduction in rental rate on long-term hires of six months or so. A 25t mobile crane would be more like £350 per day, according to Huddard.
Although Hewden still has 10t capacity mobile cranes in its fleet, it will phase these out to 25-tonners, Huddard said. He added that the company has no plans to integrate the crane business into the plant business. “Crane customers want more specialist advice.”
Customers are smart enough to get away with a telehandler for small jobs, he says. “Customers know what want.”
The company has a 2,600-strong telehandler fleet. The Caterpillar telehandler TH series, introduced by JLG as part of its strategic alliance with Caterpillar, has six models with a capacity ranging from 2,250kg and 5.5m reach to models with 4t capacity and 17m of reach.
