ForConstructionPros.com

A skid-steer loader can dig more efficiently for longer periods of time, and a full-size telehandler can lift heavier loads to higher heights, but when it comes to doing a combination of both, a compact telehandler is hard to beat.

Compact telehandlers are relatively new to the construction industry, having migrated to North America within the last 10 years. Their heritage can be traced to the agriculture industry in Europe, where farmers used them for everything from cleaning livestock facilities to stacking hay and pulling wagons. For European contractors, they have proven to be essential fleet machines for moving in and around tight spaces and in between close buildings. Since their introduction to this side of the Atlantic, they've been on a roller coaster ride from boom to bust and back again. Today, sales are on the rise, in large part because of the machine's versatility.

"Recently, there has been an upsurge in activity in this market segment," indicates Jay Barth, product manager at JCB. "The whole compact market is really beginning to unfold and heat up. I think we'll see some exciting new features with these machines. A lot of people are now realizing what compact telehandlers can do. They're beginning to see that they aren't toys, but rather fully capable machines."

Dave Baxter, director of marketing & market development at JLG Industries Inc., which introduced two new compacts at this year's Rental Show, states that compact telehandlers make up the fastest-growing segment of the construction equipment market in North America in terms of unit growth. "The reason for this growth is a result of the emerging need for this type of versatility."

Operating in tight spaces

The compact telehandler's capability and versatility stems from its design. As its name suggests, it's a small machine — much smaller dimensionally than a large construction telehandler, says Scott Cooper, senior project engineer at Caterpillar.