Rent Manitou: powerful telehandlers and forklifts for your project

Anyone moving loads up and over obstacles on a construction site soon reaches the limits of a standard forklift. As soon as lifting height, horizontal outreach and off-road capability are all required at the same time, there's no way round a telehandler. When you hire a Manitou, you get exactly this combination in a single machine: high load capacity, long reach and a chassis that also copes with unpaved ground. At Luibl in Pocking you get the right machine for your specific load, access height and ground conditions – available at short notice, with our own delivery logistics.

This overview shows you which Manitou series suits which application, what to look out for regarding the load chart and reach, and how hiring from Luibl works.

Manitou divides its telehandlers into two basic designs that are clearly distinguished from a technical point of view. Knowing the difference helps you choose the right machine more quickly and avoid costly mis-hires.

Manitou MT (fixed): On the MT series, the telescopic arm extends straight out to the front. The upper carriage does not rotate. This design is the first choice for classic materials handling: picking up pallets, stacking building materials, feeding scaffolding and floors, loading and unloading lorries. For a given size, fixed telehandlers usually offer higher payload and work quickly through repeated transport cycles. As rough-terrain forklifts, they easily replace a front-loading forklift on uneven ground.

Manitou MRT (rotating): The MRT series has an upper carriage that rotates continuously through 360 degrees. The rotating telehandler can pick up a load and set it down elsewhere without having to reposition the machine itself. This is the decisive advantage on confined construction sites, at fixed working positions, or when work needs to be carried out all around the machine – for example using a work basket for installation work at height. Combined with outriggers, an MRT telehandler achieves great lifting heights and reach with controlled stability.

Two criteria almost always decide the choice: the required lifting height and the horizontal reach at the site. A fixed telehandler scores on speed, payload and lower hire costs. A rotating telehandler scores on precision and flexibility when the machine stays in one position and the working radius needs to be covered all round.

As a rough guide: for pure materials transport on an open area, an MT is usually sufficient. As soon as you're working from a fixed position and serving several drop-off points or height positions, the MRT shows its strengths.

Not sure about the right load capacity? Our experts in Pocking will help you work out your requirements.

The most important technical figure for any telehandler is not a single maximum value, but the load chart. It describes what load can safely be lifted at what reach and lifting angle. The relationship is clear: the stated maximum load capacity only applies at minimum reach, i.e. with the arm retracted close to the vehicle. The further the arm extends and the flatter the lifting angle, the more the permissible load falls. Anyone who only looks at the rated load and ignores the reach risks overloading the machine – and, in the worst case, tipping it over.

For planning purposes, this means you need to know the actual load at the furthest position required, not just the absolute weight. This is exactly where it pays to check in advance with the hire company.

The hydrostatic drive fitted to many Manitou telehandlers provides sensitive manoeuvring, stepless power transmission and high tractive force at low speed. Combined with all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and coarse-tread off-road tyres, the telehandler becomes a fully-fledged heavy-duty forklift for unpaved ground, mud or gravel.

When is a Manitou telehandler preferable to a standard forklift? Whenever at least one of these conditions applies:

• Height: you need to lift loads several metres up – higher than a front-loading forklift can reach.
• Ground conditions: the ground is uneven, soft or unpaved.
• Reach: you need to set a load down beyond an obstacle (e.g. over a pit, scaffolding or onto a floor).
• Flexibility: changing tasks require different attachments (forks, work basket, winch, bucket).

This means a Manitou covers applications that would otherwise require several separate machines – from cherry-picker-style access at height with a work basket to heavy materials handling. For pure work-at-height tasks, also see our aerial work platforms for hire; for pure earth and materials handling, our wheel loaders for hire are also worth considering.

Before requesting a telehandler, clarify these three points – it saves time and cost and prevents mis-hires:

1. Check the ground: Is the ground load-bearing, level or sloped? This determines the tyres, axle load and whether outriggers are needed.
2. Calculate the load: Determine the actual load weight and the position (height + reach) at which it will be set down. Only this combination, according to the load chart, determines the right model.
3. Measure access heights and widths: Gateways, thoroughfares, ceiling heights and turning circles limit the size of machine that can be used. Measure critical tight spots in advance.

The difference between a construction site that runs to plan and one that grinds to a halt often comes down to machine logistics. Luibl operates its own hire fleet and its own transport fleet. That brings three concrete advantages:

• Short standstill times: because delivery and collection are coordinated in-house, you're not waiting on external haulage firms. The machine is there when it's needed.
• Direct availability of the latest Manitou generations: you hire modern equipment rather than ageing machines – with corresponding operational reliability and efficiency.
• Reliable delivery from Passau: our location in Lower Bavaria reliably covers the region and its surrounding area.

Rather than booking an off-the-shelf machine, clarify load capacity, reach and attachments with the Luibl team beforehand – so exactly the right machine arrives on site.

Request a tailored machine quote for your project now.

Telehandlers are powered industrial trucks with a high level of kinetic energy. Their operation is subject to clear rules in Germany. The relevant DGUV Regulation (which evolved from the former BGV D27 "Industrial trucks") governs the safe operation of power-driven industrial trucks and forms the basis for the requirement that operators be trained, instructed and appointed in writing. ISO 3691-1 sets out the international safety requirements for self-propelled industrial trucks and their verification. Taking these standards seriously protects personnel and machine alike – and avoids liability risks.

In practice, this means only instructed, competent personnel may operate the telehandler. Luibl offers operator briefings so that your staff can safely handle the hired machine.

Check availability and hire terms – or go straight ahead and request a tailored machine quote for your project. The team in Pocking will advise you on the right Manitou series, the load capacity at your required reach, and your site logistics.