Manitou's 36K Telehandler a 'Big Step Up' for Ideal Crane Rental

Manitou North America, Waco, Texas, will have at least four new forklifts at ConExpo • one of which is the 36,000-pound capacity MHT 10160. Part of Manitou's heavy telescopic series, which has been available in Europe and other parts of the world for more than seven years, the MHT 10160 is the first of the company's heavy-duty rough-terrain telescopic handler range to be offered in the United States.

According to Ryan Ford, Manitou's construction product specialist, telehandler owners increasingly want higher capacities and greater lift heights. The MHT 10160 features a 15,430-pound capacity at its 31'10" maximum lift height and a 9,260-pound capacity at its 18-foot maximum forward reach. A 175-hp Tier III Mercedes turbo diesel engine powers the unit, which enables it to deliver 34,850 foot-pounds of drawbar pull. The MHT 10160 also features a two-speed hydrostatic transmission. Operators run the machine via a single joystick, which Ford said is similar to the functionally of the LSU joystick controls found on the company's MLT range of telehandlers.

The MHT 10160 incorporates all of the standard operating features of the Maniscopic line, such as three steering modes and 10� frame leveling. Features include a fully enclosed ROPS-FOPS certified cab with heater and defroster; a high-output load-sensing hydraulic system capable of performing three simultaneous movements with no loss of speed; and a wide range of attachments, including an off-road tire clamp. The Italian-made tire clamp is patented for Manitou and allows for three-in-one functionality, such as grabbing the tire, completely rotating the attachment, and turning the tire.

Key applications include mining, oil fields, heavy industrial, wind farms, and any other jobs that require big capacities. Ford said that the United Nations has been using the MHT 10160 for container handling, making ship yards another viable industry for this machine.

One of the first U.S. buyers of the MHT 10160 will be Wisconsin-based Ideal Crane Rental, which Bob Kalhagen, owner of Ideal Crane Rental, said he first laid eyes on at a Manitou open house event two years ago in France. He said the company plans to use the heavy-duty machine as a bare rental unit for power plant and wind generator construction. Currently, the company uses cranes to load and unload equipment, and the MHT 10160 will allow greater maneuverability and provide an alternative to operating multiple cranes. “It will come in handy unloading big components from semis,” he said.

Ideal Crane Rental offers every model in SkyTrak's product line, and its current largest telehandler is a 10,000-pound unit. “It's a big step up from there,” Kalhagen said. “I'm excited.” He estimated his MHT 10160 would arrive this spring, following ConExpo.

Additional MHT models will make their way into the United States in the near future. Ford said the 14,000-pound capacity MVT 665 telehandler will be replaced by the MHT 780, which will provide more lift height and capacity than the current model.

For more information, visit www.manitou-na.com.

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