Sell Your Telehandler

MachineryBarn buys used telehandlers — telescopic handlers, sometimes called reach forklifts or zoom booms — running or not. A telehandler is priced on its load chart rather than on a single capacity number, because what it can lift depends entirely on how far out and how high the boom is. The most common mistake sellers make here is quoting the maximum capacity figure, which applies only with the boom retracted and tells a buyer almost nothing about the work the machine can do.

Telehandlers we buy

Configuration changes who the next buyer is, so it changes the offer. These are the variants worth naming when you describe your machine.

Standard construction telehandler

Fixed-frame, four-wheel drive, multiple steering modes. The general-purpose configuration and the widest resale market.

High-capacity / high-reach

Larger machines reaching higher or lifting more. Narrower buyer pool but strong demand where the reach is needed.

Rotating telehandler

The turret rotates, allowing placement without repositioning the machine. A specialist and considerably more valuable machine — say if you have one.

Compact telehandler

Smaller frame for tight sites and agricultural buildings. Easy to transport and popular with smaller contractors.

Agricultural specification

Different attachment carriage, often higher travel speed and different tyres. A distinct market from construction machines.

What determines a used telehandler's value

Roughly in order of how much each one moves the number.

1. 1

   Capacity at reach — the load chart

   The defining specification. Two machines with the same headline capacity can have very different charts, and buyers who need reach at load will check before anything else. A machine with its original chart legible in the cab is worth more than one without.

   How to check it: Photograph the load chart placard in the cab. If it is missing or illegible, note that — replacements come from the manufacturer against the serial number.

2. 2

   Boom condition and wear pads

   The boom is the machine. Dents, bends, prior repair or worn wear pads all bear on whether it extends smoothly and safely, and boom damage is a structural finding rather than a wear item.

   How to check it: Extend and retract the boom fully and watch for binding, jerking or unusual noise. Sight along each section for straightness.

3. 3

   Attachment carriage and attachments included

   Carriages are not universal across manufacturers. Forks, buckets, truss booms, work platforms and rotators all add value but only to a buyer whose machine can mount them. State the carriage type and list what is included.

4. 4

   Frame levelling and stabilisers

   Frame sway or levelling lets the machine work on uneven ground, and outriggers on larger units extend the load chart substantially. Both are worth listing, and both are checked for drift.

5. 5

   Tyres

   Large foam-filled or solid rough-terrain tyres are a meaningful cost, and telehandlers work on the sort of ground that destroys them. A full set is a real expense to the next owner.

6. 6

   Steering modes and four-wheel drive

   Two-wheel, four-wheel and crab steer are expected on a construction telehandler and buyers test all three. A machine stuck in one mode has a hydraulic or electrical fault that will be found.

7. 7

   Hours, engine and emissions tier

   Standard off-road diesel considerations apply, including California's fleet rules for older machines. Engine condition matters, but on this class the boom and chart usually decide the sale first.

8. 8

   Cab and safety systems

   Enclosed cab with working climate control is worth a premium. Load moment indication where fitted must function, and it is checked.

What gets inspected on a telehandler

Knowing what a buyer looks at lets you describe the machine accurately the first time, which avoids the offer changing later.

What we need to price your telehandler

You do not need all of it to start. The more of it you have, the closer the first number is to the final one.

• Make, model and serial number
• Year and hour meter reading
• Maximum capacity and maximum lift height
• Whether the load chart is present and legible
• Attachment carriage type
• Attachments included — forks, bucket, truss boom, platform
• Whether it has frame levelling and outriggers
• Tyre condition, and whether foam filled
• Cab or open canopy, and air conditioning function
• Whether all steering modes work
• Whether it starts, drives and lifts

Makes and model families we see most

We buy telehandlers from manufacturers beyond this list. These are the ones that come up most often, with the series a seller is likely to recognise from the machine.