CPN enjoyed a day in the New Forest with Manitou, taking time to walk round the MRT telehandler collection.
Nestled in a small industrial state on the western edge of the New Forest – and not 10 minutes away from another similar manufacturer also beginning with ‘M’ – is the UK headquarters of giant French telehandler company Manitou.
The business had invited CPN – and its stablemate publication Professional Builder – to view its MRT (Manitou Rotary Telehandler) range, with a particular emphasis on the relatively recent electric edition, the MRTe.
The MRTs are divided into two sub-ranges – the Vision and the Vision+. The Vision range, without wishing to sound derogatory, is the more basic of the two, comprising four machines all weighing in at 13.3, 14.1, 14.9 and 15.9 tonnes, respectively. Maximum capacity across the range is 4.5 tonnes and lifting heights range from 16m to 25m, with maximum reaches varying from 13m to 20m.
Stabilisers are rapid deploy and – depending on the model – are simple fixed folding or spider. The MRT Visions’ Deutz Euro V engines come in a choice of 75hp, or 116hp for more power and the ability to drive up to 25mph on the road.
The Vision+ range comprises six machines, between 18 and 24 tonnes depending on model. Maximum capacity is either 6 or 7 tonnes. Reaches vary between 18 and 28m and lifting heights between 22 and 35m. Outriggers are a patented, telescopic scissor design that allows for partial deployment in the event of narrow sites or obstructions. Engines are Yanmar Euro V, with HPs ranging from 156 up to 211.
The newest member of the MRT family is the 118 tonne MRTe 100% electric or hybrid telehandler. With a maximum capacity of six tonnes, the two models have lift heights of either 22 or 26m, with maximum reaches of 18 or 22m, respectively.
Featuring many of the innovations of its ICE stablemates, what makes the MRTe most versatile is the choice of ‘fuel systems.’ In the 100% electric iteration, an 11kW on-board charger can be charged in 4.5 hours, while the 22kW on-board option can do the same job in two hours 15 minutes. There is also an option of a 22kW AC/ 60kW DC fast charge set up. The battery lives in a compartment to the side of the vehicle – and there are two! The MRTe’s standard range, with a single battery is in the region of four hours. With two batteries installed, that range doubles to up to eight hours. However, in the hybrid version, one of the compartments is occupied by a heat engine that recharges the battery and allows for, effectively, continuous operation.
Machines apart, telehandlers are all about, as Manitou is at pains to point out, attachments. It’s the tool carrying capacity that makes these – any, for that matter – telehandlers real three-in-one machines: telescopic, basket and suspended load capable.
There are six standard attachments – chipped for attachment recognition – associated with the MRT range: a floating fork carriage, a six or 7.2 tonne hydraulic winch, a basked, two-hook jib, a jib-with-winch and an aerial jib (JIB 2) that works in the negative (to – 6.4m) as well as the positive. Most recently, the company has worked with Westech to develop a bespoke version of the CS750 pruning grapple saw, compatible with four of the Vision+ range. Fully homologated by Manitou, the saw includes auto attachment recognition and driving remote control as standard, allowing for precise control from safe distances to include machine transmission, steering, stabilisers and boom via proportional joysticks.
Information about the MRT range. Information about the PRGSA 750 range.
