Gehl RS5-19 Telehandler

American heavy equipment manufacturer Gehl have launched a new telehandler, designed with a low profile and low turning radius. The RS5 19 is a compact machine which has been built to manoeuvre inside low buildings and work in restrictive areas. This new machine will face stiff competition, with the likes of Bobcat, Massey Ferguson and jcb telehandler all releasing new vehicles in this category recently. Read on for a look at the specifications of this new telehandler from Gehl.

Gehl's new telehandler has a turning radius of just eleven feet, and a total height of six feet four inches.

The new vehicle's boom has a total reach of 19 feet and 1 inch. It features the same welded box-section design that is on the Gehl Dynalift and RS Series telehandlers.

It features a 5,000 pound lifting capacity, internal wet disc service brakes and a spring applied, hydraulic release parking brake which is automatically applied when the engine is shut off, or manually by pressing a rocker switch.

As with all telehandlers, the new Gehl RS5 19's lift capacity is one of the most important factors for potential buyers and operators. An understanding of a telehandler's lift capacity is key to safe usage.

As the RS5 19 has a 5,000lb capacity, with the boom retracted it may be able to safely lift as little as 400lb with it fully extended at a low boom angle. With the boom retracted it may be able to support as much as 10,000lb with the boom raised to 70°. The operator should always be equipped with a load chart which helps him determine whether a given task is possible, taking into account weight, boom angle and height.

The design of the RS5 19 eliminates the cable stretch and adjustments associated with many other telescopic handlers, Gehl says. On the end of the boom the operator can fit one of several attachments, such as a bucket, pallet forks, muck grab, or lift table.

The unit features a full 360 degree visibility and an optional enclosed cab features front and top windows, a door and a heater/defroster for weather protection.

Two direct mechanical joystick controls operate the boom and fork lift functions and the engine is accessible by a hinged hood on the side of the machine.

The RS5 19 telehandler is powered by a 64 horsepower turbocharged water-cooled Deutz diesel engine and also has a two speed hydrostatic transmission with inching valve and three selectable steering modes.

Telehandlers were pioneered by the Matbro company at Horley in Surrey, England who developed them from their articulated cross country forestry forklifts. At first they had a centrally mounted boom on the front section, with the driver's cab on the rear section, as in the Teleram 40, but the rigid chassis design with a rear mounted boom and cab to the side has become more popular.

Gehl Company is a United States based corporation, whose headquarters are in West Bend, Wisconsin. Founded by four brothers in 1859, Gehl is a manufacturer of heavy equipment used worldwide in construction and agricultural markets.