New 515-40: The Smallest JCB Telehandler Ever Made

The new 515-40 jcb telehandler is the smallest Loadall JCB have ever made, and has been built to wield plenty of power despite its size. JCB say that they took comments from customers on board when building the new vehicle, which they believe will out perform skid steer loaders of the same size with greater lifting ability and smaller dimensions to give better access.

The new 515-40 model is just 1.8m high, 2.97m long and weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. The low weight means the vehicle can be moved via crane to its place of work if needed. The height of under 2 metres means the 515-40 can get through low doorways and work inside sheds and barns, a feature sure to appeal to farmers. The machine's width is only 1.56m, giving it a unique appeal to operators needing a high power lifting machine in narrow spaces. The compact dimensions of the vehicle suggest a tiny, cramped cab, but JCB have built the 515-40 with an innovative chassis design. Like other Loadalls in the range it has a single arm lifting system, and because of this off-set, single-spine chassis the machine’s cab occupies the space saved, meaning a comfortable cab.

The 515-40 jcb telehandler features full four wheel drive and steering to give it maximum manoeuvrability, and has hydrostatic transmission to give it agility and high performance in tight spaces. Individual hydraulic wheel motors with permanent four-wheel steer give manoeuvrability close to skid-steer standards, with the advantage of traditional controls and cab comfort. The engine is a 50 horsepower Deutz model delivering torque of 107.68 lbs per feet. The 515-40 has a lift capacity of 1500 kg at a height of 4 metres. At its maximum forward reach of 2.5 metres it can lift 750 kg. It can lift 1000 kg across 2 metres to allow it load the opposite side of a truck.

To make the vehicle as versatile as possible, it can be fitted with either a compact Loadall or skid steer Quickhitch system, allowing it to be fitted with a wide variety of JCB attachments. The standard bucket width is 1620 mm. It also features self-levelling forks to keep the pallet load level with the ground. JCB telehandlers are famous for their multi-functionality, and the latest model seems set to follow this trend, despite, or perhaps because of its compact proportions.

JCB have listed the following as potential applications that the 515-40 would be suitable for: "inside greenhouses, chicken sheds, tunnels and multi-storey car parks; craned into high-rise developments; a secondary site machine alongside your full-size Loadall; rental, builders’ merchants, fruit farms, smallholdings and vineyards."

With this broad variety of niche applications, the new telehandler is sure to be a big hit, but will have a long way to go before beating the popularity of the jcb 3cx for sale online. Plant hire firms are already snapping them up, so it will not be long before these machines are a common site in construction and agriculture.