Buying·5 min read
Telehandler Buyer's Guide for AU Builders
Telehandlers are the swiss army knife of an Australian build site. Lift, place, fork, clean up. Here is what to focus on.
Lift height vs reach
Don't confuse the two. Reach matters when you are placing trusses or timber over a slab perimeter. Lift height matters for two storey work and shed construction. A 7 m, 3 t telehandler covers 80 percent of housing site work.
Hire vs own break even
If you use a telehandler more than 35 to 40 hours a week consistently, owning beats hire on a 5 year horizon. Below that, plant hire wins because of insurance, registration and downtime costs.
Attachments matter more than badge
JCB Loadall, Manitou, Merlo, Wacker Neuson all do the basics well. The difference is the attachment ecosystem available locally — buckets, jibs, crane hooks, man cages with the right AS 1418 certification.
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Used Plant Inspection Checklist (Australia)