Telehandler & boomlift Tire Selection
While tyres are unlikely to be the first thing you consider when specifying a telehandler, you should take a few moments to consider your options to ensure you get the right type for your customers’ needs.
Tires affect the dependability of your telehandler, the total cost of ownership, and the jobsite performance and ride comfort of your rental customers.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you should keep in mind when choosing the right tyres for your telehandler.
Options
Telehandler tyres are typically available in three configurations: air-filled pneumatic tyres, foam-filled pneumatic tyres, and solid tyres.
When it comes to overall performance and total cost of ownership, each option has advantages and disadvantages.
Pneumatic tyres that are filled with air
Air-filled pneumatic tyres are the lightest and provide the best overall floatation when working in soft ground conditions as the least expensive telehandler tyre option.
They will also provide the best overall ride comfort to the operator.
However, those qualities come at a cost, especially when working on sites with a lot of construction debris, such as nails, screws, rebar, and other material that could puncture the tyre, which is a fairly common place to send telehandlers on rent.
And, as you are aware, no one benefits from downtime.
Pneumatic tyres with foam filling
Although foam can be added to a pneumatic tyre at any time during its life, most rental stores prefer to order a new machine with foam already added to the tyres.
Foam will add weight to the machine, affecting its performance and flotation.
Because of the added weight, most operators believe foam-filled tyres perform better on rough, unimproved terrain.
The likelihood of a flat tyre on the job is also greatly reduced, but keep in mind that foam-filled tyres are still vulnerable to damage, including sidewall damage.
Also,
Most tyre experts will agree that foam fill is difficult on tyres and can cause them to wear out faster, so it is critical to monitor the wear and tear throughout its life.
If you want foam-filled tyres, you should expect to pay 1-1/2 to 2 times the price of air-filled tyres.
Solid tires
Solid rubber tyres are becoming increasingly popular among rental companies and contractors.
They last anywhere from 4 to 8 times as long as a pneumatic tyre and eliminate downtime caused by a flat tyre.
This makes them an excellent choice for construction sites with a high volume of construction debris.
However, the trade-off is that solid tyres are more rigid than foam- or air-filled tyres, which affects the operator’s ride comfort.
Furthermore, the added weight of the rubber will reduce a telehandler’s floatation in soft ground conditions.
You should expect to pay around 2-3 times the price of four air-filled tyres.
You have a choice.
Before deciding on the best set of tyres for you and your customers, consider the types of jobsites your telehandlers are working on and how frequently flat tyres have been an issue in the past.
