Telehandlers Buyer Guide

• Used telehandlers typically sell between $35,000 for older, high-hour units up to $160,000+ for late-model, low-hour high-reach machines.
• Operating weights generally range from 11,000 lbs for compact units up to 35,000+ lbs for heavy-capacity, high-reach commercial models.
• Expect an operational lifespan of 8,000 to 12,000 hours with routine diesel powertrain maintenance and prompt structural wear pad replacements.
• Average fuel consumption runs between 1.5 to 3.5 gallons per hour depending on lift duty cycle, engine tier, and ground travel demands.
• Standard lift capacities range from 5,000 to 12,000 lbs, with maximum reach heights spanning 19 feet to nearly 56 feet.
• Common attachments include standard pallet forks, truss booms, side-tilt carriages, hydraulic buckets, and work platforms.
• Primary applications include site framing, roofing supply staging, commercial masonry, steel erection, and staging agricultural feed or hay bales.

• 1Boom section play and wear pad degradation: Extend the boom fully horizontally to check for droop, excessive slop between sections, or missing shim stock.
• 2Internal hydraulic hose sheaves and extension chains: Inspect the inner boom channels for weeping hydraulic lines, frayed cables, stretched chains, and damaged tracking rollers.
• 3Steering knuckle and trunnion wear: Jack up the axles to check for excessive play in kingpins and steering joints across all three steering modes (2-wheel, 4-wheel, crab).
• 4Planetary final drive oil leaks: Look behind the wheel hubs for signs of leaking planetary seals, milky gear oil, or stripped wheel studs.
• 5Chassis leveling and sway cylinders: Check the frame-leveling hydraulic cylinders for drift, scored chrome rods, or cracked cylinder mounts.
• 6Outrigger integrity: On 42+ foot machines, verify outrigger/stabilizer structural welds, hydraulic locking valves, and footpad pin connections.
• 7Tire condition and foam-fill weight: Confirm whether tires are pneumatic, solid, or foam-filled; check for deep sidewall gouges, tread separation, and rim cracking under load.
• 8Hour meter validation against telematics and wear: Cross-reference engine ECM hours with the dash display, checking for worn pedals, worn steering wheel rubber, and dry grease zerks.
• 9Overload and LMI (Load Moment Indicator) system: Verify that load sensors, dash warning cutoffs, and boom angle/length sensors function correctly without bypass switches installed.

Commonly-reported issues from operators and technicians. Every machine varies — always inspect before you buy.