Telehandler Hire – Fixed, Roto and Heavy-Duty Telescopic Handlers

Telehandlers — depending on the sector also called telescopic handlers, telescopic loaders or telelifts — are among the most versatile machines on modern construction sites: they lift pallets to great heights, pass material into confined openings and move loads laterally far beyond the chassis. A distinction is made between fixed machines and rotating roto telehandlers, whose upper carriage turns through 360°. Which telehandler is the right choice for your project depends on three factors: lift height, capacity and the required slewing radius.

The first step in choosing a machine is distinguishing between the three main design types. Each configuration is optimised for specific tasks — the wrong choice costs time and money.

Fixed telehandlers — compact and site-proven

Fixed telehandlers are the most widely used machines in building and civil engineering. The boom extends straight ahead; loads are moved in line with the vehicle axis. Typical capacities: 2.5 t to 10 t. Lift heights: 6 m to 18 m.

Typical deployment scenarios:

• Lifting pallets and building material to intermediate floors (shell construction, building construction)
• Supply and removal on roof and facade areas
• Material transport on confined industrial and commercial premises
• Hall deployment with limited ceiling height

Luibl Rental carries fixed telehandlers from Manitou (MT series, ULM series), Merlo (P series) and Genie (GTH series) — from 2.5 t capacity and 6 m lift height upwards.

Roto telehandlers — 360° rotation for confined conditions

The roto telehandler rotates its upper carriage fully through 360°. This enables working positions that cannot be reached with fixed models: setting material down behind obstacles, operating in several directions from a standing position, reducing the set-up area to a minimum.

Typical deployment scenarios:

• Steel construction: lifting beams and trusses into place
• Roof work and facade installation with lateral reach
• Assembly work in halls with several transfer points
• Special applications requiring 360° rotation in confined areas

Luibl Rental offers roto telehandlers from Manitou (MRT series), Merlo (Roto series) and Magni (RTH series) with lift heights from 16 m to 35 m and capacities from 4 t to 7 t.

Heavy-duty telehandlers — up to 33 t for industry and manufacturing

Heavy-duty telehandlers are designed for capacities that overwhelm conventional models. With capacities from 10 t to 33 t they are used in plant engineering, the manufacturing industry and the energy sector — wherever crane deployment is not possible or not economically sensible.

Luibl Rental carries heavy-duty telehandlers from Manitou (MHT series) and Merlo (P series heavy-duty) with a maximum capacity of 33 t (Manitou MHT 12330).

The design types differ less in appearance than in deployment profile. These four questions reliably narrow down the selection:

1. Are you lifting straight ahead in the vehicle direction? Then the fixed telehandler is the simpler and more economical machine — the most widely used design type in building and civil engineering.

2. Do you have to work in several directions from a fixed position? The roto telehandler rotates its upper carriage through a full 360 degrees. That pays off when material is set down behind obstacles or the set-up area is tight.

3. How heavy is the load? Above the usual construction site classes, the heavy-duty telehandler takes over — plant and industrial construction, ports and handling, wherever a mobile crane would technically work but would be uneconomical.

4. Are you working in enclosed halls? Then the electric telehandler is the choice: locally emission-free and quiet, with no exhaust routing inside the building.

Regardless of the design type, the attachment determines the actual benefit — pallet forks, bucket, work platform, load hook or winch change the load chart and the reach. So tell us the purpose of use and not just the desired model.

The following overview summarises the four design types in our fleet. Decisive for the selection are always lift height, capacity at the required outreach and the available set-up space.

The three decision questions:

1. How high does the load have to go? Up to 18 m a fixed telehandler is enough. Above that there is no way around the roto.
2. How heavy is the load — and at what outreach? The rated capacity applies only with the boom retracted. At full reach, only a fraction of it remains depending on the model; what always counts is the load chart of the specific machine.
3. How much space is available for setting up? If the machine has to be repositioned for every transfer point, the 360° upper carriage of the roto saves more time than the surcharge costs.

If you cannot decide between two classes, tell us lift height, weight, outreach and ground conditions — we will propose the right machine.

Construction industry: building and turnkey construction, civil engineering, road construction — the telehandler handles supply, assembly and horizontal transport in one.

Industry and manufacturing: plant engineering, machine assembly, repositioning heavy tools — heavy-duty models with up to 33 t where no crane space is available.

Event technology: stage structures, tent structures, temporary hall constructions — roto telehandlers for confined event areas with several set-down points.

Agriculture: silage work, harvest campaigns, barn construction — fixed telehandlers as seasonal reinforcement without tying up capital.

Energy sector: maintenance and assembly work on wind turbines, photovoltaic systems and substations.

A telehandler only becomes a universal machine with the right attachment. All attachments are delivered together with the machine on request and are already matched to the respective machine type — the coupling and the load charts must suit the machine, otherwise the deployment is not permissible.

Pallet forks — the standard for material handling: pallets, big bags with a spreader beam, formwork elements, insulation packs. Usually already on the machine unless agreed otherwise.

Work platform (personnel basket) — turns the telehandler into a mobile elevating work platform for assembly, maintenance and inspection work. For personnel basket operation, the requirements of DGUV Regulation 308-009 additionally apply; the machine must be approved and equipped for carrying personnel.

Load hook and jib — for lifting operations on the rope rather than on the fork: steel components, precast elements, ventilation and pipe elements. The jib extends the reach over obstacles and in many cases replaces crane deployment.

Winch — for controlled lifting and lowering over greater distances, typical in roof and facade installation as well as in steel construction.

Bucket — light and heavy duty buckets for bulk material, excavation and handling in recycling and agriculture.

Which attachments are available for which machine is shown in the overview of telehandler attachments. Attachments are calculated separately from the machine rate — they therefore always belong in the description of the application when you enquire.

Luibl Rental transports all hired telehandlers with its own low-loader fleet — without a third-party haulier, with a direct contact from order to collection. Our own fleet enables schedulable delivery windows and rapid scheduling, including for short-notice enquiries. Area of operation: Germany and Europe.

The following requirements apply to operating a telehandler:

Driving licence: for road operation up to 7.5 t GVW category B; for heavier models category C. Operator qualification: the employer is responsible for the operator's qualification in accordance with DGUV Regulation 68; a written appointment is mandatory (DGUV Principle 308-005). Personnel basket operation: when using a work platform, the requirements of DGUV Regulation 308-009 additionally apply. Operating instructions: every hired machine is provided with current operating instructions and a handover record.

There is no universally valid price list for telehandler hire — design type, class and duration of use differ too widely. The calculation, however, always follows the same figures:

• Design type: fixed telehandlers form the entry class. Roto machines with a 360° upper carriage are above that; heavy-duty telehandlers with capacities beyond 30 tonnes form the top end.
• Lift height and capacity: within each design type the rate rises with lift height and capacity. A 6 m machine and a 30 m machine are several classes apart.
• Hire period: daily, weekly and monthly rates are staggered. The longer the term, the lower the calculated daily rate; from several months, long-term terms apply.
• Attachments: work platform, load hook, bucket, pallet forks or winch are calculated separately and are one of the most frequent reasons why two quotes do not appear comparable at first glance.
• Transport: delivery and collection via our own low-loader fleet are shown separately and depend on the distance from Passau, transport weight and site access.

Included in the rate are a technically maintained machine with a valid inspection, maintenance and recurring inspections during the hire period, and technical advice on machine selection. Anyone who states lift height, capacity, required attachments, hire period and site location receives an itemised quote instead of a price range.

Minimum hire period: billing is by daily, weekly or monthly rate; from several months, long-term terms apply.

Included in the hire rate: a technically maintained machine with a valid inspection, maintenance and recurring inspections throughout the hire period, and technical advice on machine selection.

Delivery and collection: transport via our own low-loader fleet from Passau, across Germany and Europe. The costs depend on distance, transport weight and site access and are shown separately in the quote.

Return: the machine is taken back in the condition in which it was handed over. Handover and return are recorded.

Operating personnel: on request we provide trained operating personnel. We offer training towards operator qualification through our training programmes.

Questions about a specific configuration are answered directly by our team — get in touch.

• Which telehandler suits my application? – fixed, roto or heavy-duty
• Telehandler hire: the costs – price factors in detail
• Driving licence for the telehandler – which qualification is required
• Telehandler or wheel loader? – the machine comparison
• Telehandlers in halls – ceiling height, exhaust gases, floor loading

Delivery runs via our own low-loader fleet from Passau – across Germany and Europe. Dedicated pages are available for these locations:

Berlin · Hamburg · Munich · Stuttgart · Frankfurt am Main · Leipzig · Nuremberg · Bremen · Magdeburg · Braunschweig · Bielefeld · Bochum · Bonn · Augsburg

You will find the complete fleet across all categories in the rental park.

Describe your application to us with details of the required lift height, capacity, desired hire period and delivery location – we will prepare a binding quote at short notice including transport costs via our own low-loader fleet. ➡ Submit a hire enquiry | ➡ Explore the complete rental park

Luibl Rental – your partner for telehandler hire in Europe. Europe-wide delivery with our own low-loader fleet. Manitou, Merlo, Magni, Genie.