What to look for in materials handling equipment

Farmers Guide spoke to Gareth Clements, group operations director at Ardent Hire Solutions, for his advice on key features to look for when purchasing or hiring materials handling equipment – plus the latest models in the fleet.

While many hire companies tend to order a base spec machine, all of Ardent’s machines come with air con as standard, and many more bells and whistles – such as hydraulic fork positioning, chassis levelling and extra protection guards and sound proofing – Gareth says. All machines also have a keypad to help prevent theft.

The most popular machine, in Ardent’s experience, is the JCB 532/542/536-95 Agri Super or Xtra telehandler. The company has a number of these in its fleet now – many machines are ordered each year for confirmed hires.

“These machines are all about horsepower and spec; they are the GTI of telehandlers. They have extra speed, extra hydraulic capacity and speed, and the operator cab environment is that of a high-end car,” Gareth explains.

The Ardent team has excellent knowledge of JCB and Manitou telehandlers and these make up the most of the fleet, but other brands can be considered, he continues. The company can also add different headstocks to suit customers’ attachments. It has been a long-standing customer of both JCB and Manitou for many years now, with relationships at a senior level.

“We have confidence in both brands – they are both industry-leading recognised brands with good service and back up, parts are readily available and the controls are common across the models. We stock a high volume of parts to ensure we fix machines should they be damaged or have a fault on the first visit,” Gareth says.

The latest machine in the fleet is the JCB 560-80, which has been a real hit. “The machine has the capacity to lift six tonnes and can reach 8m; it brings lots of exciting extras and has the appropriate horsepower for a machine that size. Like the Agri Super/Xtra machines, this machine benefits from the latest generation cab and technology. It has high-capacity lift and the DNA of an agri machine.”

For many farms, hiring rather than purchasing offers a number of advantages. “You know what your costs are, and we maintain the machine including servicing and thorough examination certificates – all the hirer is responsible for is damage. In the event of breakdown and if we can’t fix the machine the same day, we will bring a courtesy machine out to be used until the machine is fully repaired, ensuring daily duties can continue. We understand a machine is required for tasks that can’t wait, so minimising downtime is our priority,” Gareth concludes.