Masonry Magazine September 2001 Page. 19
MAKING YOUR DECISION
Always consult the manufacturer's load chart. If in doubt, consult your telehandler dealer. Know your load!
LIFTING HEIGHT OR LANDING HEIGHT?
Advertised lift heights, just as basic capacities, can sometimes be misleading. Most manufacturers, in today's market, define lift height as the distance from the top surface of the forks to the ground with the boom raised to maximum angle and fully extended. The variable in this measurement is the maximum boom angle. Among the different manufacturers this angle varies from 62 degrees on some machines to 78 degrees on others, thus creating a great difference in the position of the load at a given lift height and its relationship to the front of the machine.
What, might you ask, could this possibly mean to me? Do not be misled by lift heights. Be sure the machine you choose can land your loads in the work area, while allowing the operator to operate the machine within the parameters of the operator's manual. Never allow your operator to drive the machine with the forks above eye level. Make sure your machine has the landing height capability to prevent an unsafe act. Just like the capacity retention issue we talked about earlier, your operator must be able to not only lift, but also land the load at the desired height safely.
DOES THE MACHINE FIT THE JOBSITE?
Most telehandlers, on the market today, have a collapsed height of eight feet or less and a turn radius of under thirteen feet, allowing them to maneuver around jobsites much more efficiently than their predecessors of ten years ago. In the early 90's and before, collapsed heights of nine to ten feet with a turn radius of fifteen feet or more were commonplace. When purchasing or renting new or used equipment, make sure it can work safely and efficiently within the confines of your jobsite.
UNDERSTANDING THE TELESCOPIC FORKLIFT
It is important from a safety standpoint, to understand how a telehandler can lift and place loads weighing thousands of pounds and remain stable and, more importantly, what can make it unstable.
All telehandlers are counterbalanced machines by design. The load chart, which you use to determine what loads you can lift and where you can place them, is calculated and drawn with the machine on a firm surface and a load center of 24 inches from the front face of the carriage. A term that will assist us in thinking of this machine as counterbalanced in design is a "teeter-totter" or "see-saw". Unlike the toys we played on in our youth, that incorporated a fulcrum that was fixed to the ground and located in the middle of the device, our telehandler fulcrum is located under the center of the front axle. Everything from the center of the front axle back to, and including the counterweight, acts as counterbalance to the load placed on the forks in front of our fulcrum, the front axle.
Many factors affect the balance (stability) of a telehandler and can cause accidents and serious injury, not only to the operator but to others present on the jobsite. Driving the machine with the boom raised and extended is one of the most common. Never drive the machine with the forks elevated above eye level. When choosing your telehandler, always make sure it will land the load without forcing the operator to drive the machine into the point of off-loading. If your application dictates that you must work on the sixth tier of scaffold, make sure that the telehandler you select will land the load (roughly forty feet-six inches) without forcing the operator to drive the machine with the load elevated above eye level. The ability of the machine to accomplish this can be determined from the manufacturers load chart. If you are unsure or cannot obtain a load chart contact your local dealer or the manufacturer.
SAFETY FEATURES
Almost all manufacturers in today's market offer some type of frame leveling or sway control system. This is extremely important when raising and extending the boom to heights above twenty-two feet, loaded or unloaded. A telehandler with the boom raised and extended, which is leaning, and not truly vertical, is subject to "rollover", depending on other variables that might affect the machine's stability. This feature is a must when operating on uneven surfaces. When selecting your telehandler, be certain that it has some form of frame leveling system that allows for at least ten degrees leveling capability left or right of a true horizontal position. The frame level control lever should never be used with the boom in the elevated position. Position the machine, then raise the load. The safety of the operators and those around them is our most important job.
In the past five years rear axle stabilization systems have become standard on almost all telehandlers with lifting
DONKEY TRUCK CARRIED FORKLIFTS
* 5000 pound lift capacity
* 3800 pound operating weight
* Suitable for use on single axle trucks
* Diesel engine, automatic transmission, automotive style disc brakes make operation easy
* Accommodates two cubes wide
* Three-wheel drive
* 4 cylinder Kubota engine
* Suspension seat
Call 800-383-3018 for the name of your nearest dealer and a demonstration of capabilities. Quality Corporation, Denver, Colorado