Telehandlers are quickly becoming one of the most popular profit generators for equipment rental houses around the world.
Paying special attention to preventive maintenance can increase rentable hours and customer satisfaction, greatly improving profitability for equipment owners and their telehandler customers. Mustang Manufacturing Company product specialist Mark Hennessey offers advice for preventive maintenance in this Forkliftaction.com News special feature.
Since several new, compact models have arrived on the scene, interest has surged among business owners trying to increase the return on their equipment investments.
Compact telehandlers' size, low weight, manoeuvrability, attachment versatility and low rental rates make them an attractive alternative to rough-terrain forklifts.
Many materials handling tasks are achievable with telehandlers of all sizes, but compact units are currently stealing the spotlight. Contractors realise compact telehandlers can work in areas inaccessible to rough-terrain forklifts, and that they are easier to transport, as most can be hauled behind a one-tonne truck.
Compact telehandlers provide a tremendous return on investment (ROI) because rental rates are a much higher percentage of the acquisition cost than most other machines. However, to take advantage of the high potential ROI, equipment owners must keep them in top shape, ready to rent at a moment's notice.
The life expectancy of a telehandler, like any other piece of construction equipment, is heavily dependent on operator care and owner maintenance.
Owners who rent telehandler units have a unique challenge. Once the equipment leaves the rental house, care of the unit is out of the owner's hands.
Aside from providing introductory training and informing the renter of proper maintenance procedures, owners can do little to assure proper care of the unit. This makes preventive maintenance important for telehandler owners, who eventually sell units in the used equipment market.
With proper preventive maintenance, a telehandler will require less replacement parts, such as hydraulic systems, engines and transmissions. Keeping on top of maintenance will also prevent costly downtime for rental customers. Used equipment buyers will pay premium price for well-serviced units.
While it is tempting to apply the same maintenance schedule to all brands, sticking closely to the manufacturer's recommendations is a must for proper maintenance.
Whenever possible, filters should be serviced with quality OEM replacements to minimise internal wear. Fine particles of debris can wear away parts as they rotate and slide internally at high pressures. Fluids should be checked and replaced on a schedule that complies with the manufacturer's direction to decrease downtime.
Hydraulic systems and engines are extremely vulnerable to contamination. Dirt usually enters the components through failing breathers or cylinder seals. However, contamination can also occur from improper handling of components when changing filters and checking fluids.
Equipment owners should ensure all maintenance staff know the proper procedures before they work on telehandlers. The best way is to establish training sessions run by the same trainer each time, thereby guaranteeing all mechanics operate under the same instruction.
Oil analysis is an extremely important, but often overlooked, preventive maintenance procedure. It involves periodically submitting oil samples from telehandler engines, hydraulic systems, axles and transmissions to a lab for analysis. Because internal wear generates contaminants that can be measured in material type, quantity and size, labs are able to determine when higher-than-normal levels of contaminants are present. These early warnings can have a significant effect on owners' ability to anticipate and avoid costly component failures.
Higher up on the machine, separate procedures exist for maintaining telehandler boom sections. Boom slide wear pads and chain guide assemblies must be well maintained to keep telehandlers operating smoothly. A consistent, reliable boom maintenance program, compliant with the manufacturer's recommendations, will greatly enhance machines' life spans.
Encouraging telehandler renters to also rent OEM-approved attachments can prevent operator misuse, as non-genuine attachments can accelerate wear on the boom structure.
The decision to replace an older telehandler unit is easier if the owner has kept a record of maintenance cycles and repair costs. Analysing this record can reveal that the annual cost to repair the unit has surpassed the cost of a new machine.
An important thing to remember when tracking maintenance costs is to maintain separate records for reactive and preventive maintenance, because preventive costs will apply to old and new machines.
While equipment owners may not be able to control what happens to their machines outside their care, they can still have a significant impact on their units' life spans.