Last month, Manitou North America, Waco, Texas, introduced its biggest-ever telescopic handlers at ConExpo. Having success in Europe and other parts of the world for more than seven years, the 36,000-pound capacity MHT 10160 and the new 46,000-pound MHT 10210 are the first models in Manitou's heavy rough-terrain telescopic handler range that will be offered in the United States.
One of the first U.S. buyers of the MHT 10160 is Wisconsin-based Ideal Crane Rental. Bob Kalhagen, owner of Ideal Crane Rental, said the company plans to use the heavy-duty machine as an alternative to operating multiple cranes in power plant and wind generator construction. “It will come in handy unloading big components from semis,” he said.
Key applications include mining, oil fields, heavy industrial machinery moving, wind farms, and any other jobs that require big capacities. Ryan Ford, Manitou's construction product specialist, said that the United Nations and various militaries have been using the MHT 10160 for container handling, making shipyards another viable industry for these machines.
Ford told Lift and Access that traffic at its ConExpo booth brought in a variety of big names in construction and equipment moving industries that envisioned a number of new applications for these high-capacity machines. TES Inc., South Kearny, N.J., purchased an MHT 10210 at the show, which Ford said may end up being used for heavy steel erection on New York's Freedom Tower construction site.
Additionally, crane rental company NCS in Nebraska bought a 26,000-pound MHT 10120 unit, which Manitou did not plan to introduce to the U.S. market. However, the company is now making it part of the standard MHT range available for purchase in addition to the 36,000- and 46,000-pound MHT models.
Following the show, Ford said of the MHT Series: “It's mind-boggling how many phone calls and emails we are receiving on a daily basis. These trucks are off the chart. No other trucks have had this same reaction.” He added that Manitou North America originally planned to sell three to four units a year, but after ConExpo, Ford expects that Manitou will see three times that amount this year alone.
Another order for the MHT 10160 is pending, and Ford said about eight “heavy hitters” will be traveling to Waco to look at the MHT Series. These include an oil/drilling company that is looking at three or more units, and a general construction contractor in the south that is looking at six units for general use, as well as industrial maintenance and rigging.
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