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Scott Rozier, an owner of Rosch Co., is one contractor whose situation exemplifies this dilemma.

He uses a Bobcat V518 compact telehandler for large retaining wall projects in the St. Louis, MO, area. He equips his machine with forks and buckets to lift and place blocks on top of the work zone, as well as move granular materials such as dirt and sand. "In situations where there is no access from the back of the wall, we use the V518 to backfill from the front," he explains. "We have several Bobcat skid steers that we use when we can access the back of the wall, but they just don't have a high enough reach for the larger projects where access is limited."

Koepf also relates that mobility of a compact telehandler is a bit different than that of a skid-steer loader. "With a compact telehandler you don't have the skidding action of a skid loader," he explains. "A compact telehandler has four-wheel steer with a tight turning radius. They're really very maneuverable. When you compare the cost of a compact telehandler with a skid loader, the prices are comparable so it boils down to what features you really need."

More bells and whistles

You will likely find enhanced ergonomics and more creature comforts in a compact telehandler vs. a full-size version. You're also likely to find some noticeable differences compared to a skid-steer loader, including easier entrance into the machine'you can just step into the cab rather than climb over buckets or loader arms.

Many of the differences between a compact and full-size telehandler stem from the fact that full-size models are typically used intermittently during the day, says Eric Brown, VersaHandler product specialist at Bobcat. "A contractor may put on some pallet forks and lift a load three stories high," he says. "Then the machine may sit for three hours. The smaller units tend to get used continuously throughout the day."