What lifts, loads, carries and scoops? No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. The answer is the telescopic handler, a very popular heavy machinery and one of our most hired-out bits of plant. This incredibly versatile machine is used across industries and applications, with its long list of attachments making it well-suited for just about anything.
Interested in learning more? In this guide, we’ll talk all things telehandlers, including answering your frequently asked questions about this brilliant machinery.
What is a telescopic handler?
Also known as a telehandler, which is a bit less of a mouthful, a telescopic handler is a type of heavy machinery most often seen in construction and agricultural settings. The telehandler is a hydraulic lifting machine that can be used across an impressive range of applications thanks to the different attachments you can use with it.
The ‘telescopic’ in the name comes from the machine’s arm, which extends to various lengths depending on the model of telescopic handler you need. We’re here to source the right telehandler for you, from a compact machine with a reach of 4 metres to a large bit of kit that reaches a staggering 20 metres.
What is a telehandler used for?
The versatile telehandler has many uses, making it a popular machine for construction sites, agricultural applications, and industrial settings. As we mentioned before, telescopic handlers come in many different sizes to suit the scale of the job, but the amount of attachments you can use is what sets this machine apart.
Let’s have a look at its most common uses.
Lifting, transporting and handling
With fork, hook, clamp, and grab attachments, a telehandler can move just about anything to just about anywhere. Telehandlers are most commonly used to carry heavy materials around sites, be they steel beams or bales of hay. Lifting heavy loads, manoeuvring them up, down, left and right, and then placing them with precision are all in the telescopic handler’s roster.
Loading and unloading
The perfect machine for the job, telehandlers are a quick and efficient way to load and unload materials, like pallets from trucks, when forklifts don’t offer the motility or strength required.
Navigating difficult areas
Telehandlers are typically fairly compact machines, making them ideal for getting around and over tricky terrain or tight spaces. The extending arm and its manoeuvrability add an extra layer to this expert navigation by allowing the telehandler to lift and carry loads over obstructions. This flexibility makes it ideal for pretty much any site that needs a little more finesse from its machinery.
Cleaning up
Job sites are messy business, whether broken bricks, dirt and clay, or even a whole lot of manure. Using various bucket attachments on a telehandler, waste materials can be scooped up with ease and deposited into piles, skips, or loading trucks, leaving behind a (relatively) spick and span site.
Snow removal
That bucket attachment also works wonders on the fluffy white stuff in winter. Clearing your site of annoying or hazardous snow is easy when you have a telehandler and a scooping bucket fixed to it. Sorry, no snow days with this heavy machinery.
Can a telehandler dig?
A telescopic handler can indeed dig, but it’s not designed for it. We’d suggest opting for an actual digger, also called an excavator, for proper digging jobs. For smaller or quicker digs, however, with toothed bucket attachments, a telehandler can dig and scoop out soil, sand, and other materials.
Is a telehandler the same as a forklift?
No, these are two different bits of kit. Although both do a great job of lifting, transporting, loading and unloading, they’re each better suited to specific jobs. The main difference between the two, after size, is that telehandlers can lift, carry and place loads up and over obstacles, whereas a forklift is limited. A forklift can reach that high and can’t extend far forward, setting the two machines apart.
A forklift is better suited for post-construction transporting and material handling or for simple vehicle loading and unloading in unobstructed areas. Choose a telehandler when you need an extended height, reach, and an advanced level of manoeuvrability, plus the ability to place loads accurately.
Do I need qualifications to operate a telehandler?
Yes, you need to be certified to drive a telehandler. This is heavy machinery and can be dangerous when used improperly, so it’s essential to have the right qualifications to operate it.
What qualifications do I need to drive a telehandler?
If the telescopic handler is going to be on the road, the operator will need a UK driving licence. Typically they are transported on the back of trucks, but sometimes it might be easier to drive it from one site to another. If the handler is hitting the roadways, the driver will need a valid category B driving licence, which is the standard for anyone driving a normal car. If the telehandler is staying solely on-site, then there’s no need for a driving licence.
It’s worth noting that age also applies here. If your telehandler model weighs over 7.5 tonnes, only those aged 21 and over can legally drive it on the road.
The qualification you need to operate this plant on-site is an accredited telescopic handler training course. You’ll find that the most recommended across the web for the UK is the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) Telescopic Handler A17 training course. It takes five days to complete and will leave you with the know-how and practical skills needed to operate a telehandler and the confidence to do it well. You’ll get the CPCS red card at the end, certifying you as legally qualified to operate a handler.
If your next question is, ‘Do I have to?’, then the answer is no – you don’t have to operate a telehandler yourself. If you’d rather leave it to someone else, then consider hiring an operator when you hire your plant from us. This is a great way to save time instead of getting yourself or your staff trained. Plus, if you’re hiring the plant, it stands to reason that you only need it temporarily – why spend the money and time on a permanent certification for a temporary hire?
The operators we source are fully qualified experts, ready to jump straight in and get the job done properly.
Hire your telescopic handler from Rockthorn
Why should you hire your plant from us? Because it’s what we do, and we’re bloody good at it. We understand these machines and what they can do, placing us in the perfect position to assist and advise you on what your project needs.
Our knowledgeable team have decades of plant experience under their belts, ready to match you with the right telehandler and attachments for the job. We’re also a friendly bunch, putting in the effort to ensure a strong relationship you can trust.
Ready to go? Call us on 0330 118 5030 and let’s talk telehandlers, or use our quote form for a quick quote and callback.