rough terrain forklifts

[rmac]

hi all,

looking for a bit of advise on purchasing a second hand rough terrain forklift for a building project.
not looking to spend a huge amount as it is likely to be abused.
does anyone have any experience with or recommend any of the 1970 or 80's manitou's, sanderson's or massey ferguson forklifts.

thanks in advance
roddy

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I used to use a Coventry Climax rough terrain forklift in the saw mill I worked in. It was completely battered but always started on the button and was used to manouvere tree butts onto the band saw mill. We had some huge Elm butts come in and it handled those with ease.

 

[rmac]

hi Wendelspanswick,
cheers for the info.
i dont suppose there is much between them all especially at that age. It will just be a case of finding a decent one at a reasonable price. its for moving pallets of blocks about and lifting 3m concrete lintels into position. will also require a bucket for shifting type 1 and act as a dumper

 

[Shedendman]

See if you can get an old MOD eager beaver
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=e...tE-PD7AaomICgBw&ved=0CFcQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=862
great tool,use to drive these back when doing my bit for queen and country,will take a good battering,go anywhere you throw it and great fun to drive,esp in 2WD high ratio,scare the **** out of ya,lol

 

[rmac]

cheers stalwart_hmlc they look the business but would imagine they are pretty scarce

 

[normspanners]

I used to work on sandersons and manitous, the manitous I think are the more reliable, but could you not get a tractor with a 3 point mast cheaper, and if it had a front bucket then you would have the best of both worlds. If it blows up you have the option of just getting another tractor to drive the tools, I even have a 3point backactor for mine.
Nowadays though the telehoist is the tool to have.

 

[rmac]

hi normspanners
looking at all options at the moment. started off looking at dumpers but then thought the forklift would be more useful especially with the front bucket also have the option of a mobile scaffold if i build a working platform

 

[nickk]

i have an old sambron which is perkins/massey based its tough & durable & cheap for parts.

 

[rmac]

cheers nickk,
parts prices and availability always a concern especially with older machines. hopefully when i get one it wont need anything done to it.

 

[Welderpaul]

Just avoid Merlo's IMO.

 

[500e]

Merlo,s
Why we have 3, 1 Roto,
The oldest has 6000 hours sticking breaks seem to be the only problem we have had

 

[MrFluffy]

Im with norm, but the well trod route is just to buy a old jcb. I have bucket forks on mine, 3 in one bucket etc and Im just finishing up a complete barn conversion in a old stone barn. I can't imagine having done the job without it, looking back at photo's almost every stage has it in the background offering some extra to the task. Its 8 ton fully fluided up, and its requried some R&R over the years its been working but I paid very little for it (below scrap value) and a better example would be more about work and less about being repaired. As for experience, er, never driven one before I bought it, original plan was to pay a friend to drive it who is a retired operator but that went wrong. He showed me the basics in a few hours and I took it easy while I got familiar with it but I do have a history of plant and tractors etc.

 

[MrFluffy]

My neighbors run merlo's on their farm and they have no issues with them, have to add.