Grand Prizes and Big Surprises at the World of Concrete

Enlarge Image This year's World of Concrete featured more than 1,800 exhibitors and 80,000 attendees.

January 25, 2006 • Unlike the show last year where the trend seemed to be the introduction of compact telehandlers, the 2006 World of Concrete show was more about updated and enhanced versions of existing products. It also marked the launch of the JLG-sponsored Telehandler Skills Challenge. Although a great event, with a lot of potential, attendance was hampered by cool windy weather conditions and poor communication by show officials regarding event scheduling.

  

Xtreme upgrades product line

Enlarge Image An additional master cylinder allowed Xtreme to increase the capacities in its entire line of telehandlers.

One of the biggest surprises at the show came from Xtreme Manufacturing, Las Vegas, Nev. The company announced that its entire line of pick-and-carry telehandlers, including the XRM 742, 945, 1145, and 1154, has undergone a significant 1,000-pound capacity upgrade with the addition of a new fork leveling cylinder. Previous Xtreme products were equipped with a fork leveling system that utilized oil flowing from the main lift cylinder. Since the undercarriage, boom, and chassis were structurally over-engineered, isolating the leveling circuit by adding an independent master/slave cylinder leveling loop left the main lift cylinder with enough displacement to increase the capacity ratings. Other minor improvements from isolating the fork leveling function include a more refined control system.

 

Xtreme's telehandlers will undergo a name change to reflect the new capacity increases. Currently in production, the new models will be called XRM 842, 1045, 1245, and 1254. Look for a complete equipment review of the XRM 1045 in the March-April issue of Lift and Access.

 

Pettibone improves four-wheel steering

Enlarge Image Pettibone's Precision Steer axle improves the telehandler steering geometry.

Pettibone, Baraga, Mich., has also made significant design changes to its 6,000-, 8,000-, and 10,000-pound telehandlers. With the introduction of the Precision Steer axle, Pettibone's telehandlers are the first to be optimized for four-wheel steering.

 

The revolutionary axle model 26.43 is manufactured by Carraro, Calhoun, Ga. With it, Pettibone has improved steering and reduced tire wear while still maintaining a tight turning radius. The new axle reduces the amount of misalignment when in four-wheetl drive to about 4°. But the biggest advantage is as much as 50% more tire life. For more information on this product development, go to a previously published article.

 

JLG calls operators to test their skills

Enlarge Image Eric Roussel of Roussel Construction, Dubuque, Iowa, (center) won the first annual Telehandler Skills Challenge, sponsored by JLG. Roussell stands next to event Marketing Manager David Baxter (right) and shakes hands with Senior Vice President Craig Paylor.

Twenty-two operators from across the country showed off their operating skills in the first annual Telehandler Skills Challenge, sponsored by JLG Industries, McConnellsburg, Pa. Contestants competed on a simulated jobsite by operating their choice of a 6,000-pound capacity, 42-foot lift height JLG G6-42A, Gradall G6-42P, Lull 644E-42, or SkyTrak 6042. Operators then demonstrated their skills through navigating the course, and they were awarded points for time, accuracy, and how safely they operated the machine. Eight operators were selected as finalists, but only one was the grand prize winner.

 

Enlarge Image The Lull 644E-42 places load at simulated job site.

This year, Eric Roussel of Roussel Construction, Dubuque, Iowa, received the grand prize for the Telehandler Skills Challenge. He operated the Lull 644E-42 during the qualifying heat and the SkyTrak 6042 to win the challenge. Roussell received two tickets to the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game in Indianapolis, Ind., two nights hotel, tickets to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway experience, and a $1,000 American Express gift card.

 

Enlarge Image JLG's new compact G5-19A announced.

In other JLG news, the company officially launched it first entry into the quickly growing compact telehandler market. The European-built G5-19A offers a 19-foot lift height with a 4,850-pound maximum lifting capacity. Weighing 13,899 pounds, the G5-19A's overall dimensions measure only 80”x150”x86” without forks. Power comes from a 100-hp Deutz 2012 turbocharged engine and will offer a two-speed hydrostatic transmission.

 

Also new but not on display at the show is the 6,600-pound maximum capacity G6-23A, featuring a 23-foot lift height and a 12'9” maximum forward reach. Weighing 15,900 pounds, the G6-23A measures 90.5”x163”x”92.5 without forks. This unit is also powered by a 100-hp Deutz 2012 diesel engine.

Optional accessories for both compact units include air conditioning, road lights, front and rear cab work lights, and a rotating beacon.

MEC enters telehandler market

Enlarge Image MEC's TH80 marks the company's first entry into the telehandler market.

First announced in December , MEC Aerial Work Platforms, Selma, Calif., unveiled its new telehandlers, the TH60 and TH80. MEC acquired the telehandlers from Volvo Construction Equipment, which had originally bought UpRight's telehandler designs in 2002 and reengineered the machines, but never released them under the Volvo brand name.

 

According to MEC President Jim Tolle, MEC received everything required to build the telehandlers during the acquisition, including the engineering drawings, inventory, fixtures, spare parts, and some of the most advanced production equipment on the market. “[We got] everything except the building,” Tolle said.

 

The TH80 is an 8,000-pound unit with a maximum lift height of 41.5 feet. Its sister machine, the TH60, is a 6,000-pound machine that also features 41.5-foot maximum lift height. Power comes from a 100-hp Deutz/Volvo water-cooled diesel engine. Deliveries are set to begin in March of this year. Read more about the TH80 in the March-April issue of Lift and Access.

 

Gehl expands promotion through motorsports

Pictured left to right are: Dan Keyes, Gehl's vice president of sales and marketing; Vicki O'Connor, managing director of the Atlantic Series; Graham Rahal, Champ Car driver; William Gehl, chief executive officer of Gehl; and Bobby Rahal, president of Rahal Letterman Racing.

Gehl Co., West Bend, Wis., announced it has entered a marketing and promotional partnership with Rahal-Letterman Racing for the 2006 racing season. In addition to establishing an integrated marketing program with Rahal-Letterman Racing's IRL IndyCar Series program, Gehl will sponsor three-time CART champion and the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal's 17-year-old son Graham Rahal's Mi-Jack Conquest Racing Champ Car Atlantic Series effort. Gehl also will be an associate sponsor on the Rahal Letterman cars at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the Indianapolis 500, and the IndyCar Series race at the Milwaukee Mile.

 

According to Bobby Rahal, Gehl was looking at opportunities to expand its motorsports program. “The opportunity to partner with a young driver like Graham and to be involved as an RLR partner at Indianapolis, St. Petersburg, and Milwaukee proved to be the right mix,” he added.

 

The relationship marks a new level of participation for Gehl, which is already active in motorsports as the “Official Construction Equipment” of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, The Milwaukee Mile, and Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Gehl is also an “Official Supplier” to the Champ Car Safety Team. “This new association is a natural extension of our long-standing motorsports marketing program,” said Dan Keyes, Gehl vice president of sales and marketing. “This year we‘ll have a larger presence than usual at major racing events throughout the United States, and in Canada and Mexico.”

 

Genie confirms new boom lifts

Although not on display at World of Concrete, Genie Industries, Redmond, Wash., confirmed that they will unveil two new high-capacity boom lifts next month at The Rental Show, Orlando, Fla. The new 60-foot S-60 HC and 80-foot S-80 HC will feature 750-pound unrestricted and 1,250-pound restricted capacities. Look for Lift and Access 360 to further develop this story as more details are released.