Skyjack Retools Telehandlers for Tier-4 Emissions Compliance
Skyjack's model SJ1056TH is the largest telehandler in the company lineup, with a max lift capacity of 10,000 lbs and lift height of 56 ft, 3 in. It was introduced at World of Concrete 2016 in Las Vegas.
Photo by Jim Parsons/ENR
LAS VEGAS—While some equipment manufacturers tweaked existing products to meet so-called “Tier 4 Final” emissions standards in the U.S., Linamar Corp.'s Skyjack division has redesigned its line of telehandlers around the cleaner-burning engines. The result—Skyjack's TH-series—was put on public display for the first time at World of Concrete 2016.
The four-model series begins with the SJ643TH, which has a maximum lift capacity of 6,000 lbs and lift height of 43 ft, 4 in., and it tops out with model SJ1056TH, with max lift capacity of 10,000 lbs and lift height of 56 ft, 3 in. All feature 74-horsepower Deutz engines as standard equipment, with 107-hp Deutz engines as options on the two higher-end models.
The large reduction in engine power—prior Skyjack telehander models were rated between 110 hp and 168 hp, according to trade magazine Lift and Access—was deliberate, said Skyjack executives on the first day of the concrete show, held Feb. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Non-road machines with diesel engines rated at 75 hp or higher require stricter emission controls to comply with the Tier-4 rules, set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Using a concept the company calls SMARTORQUE—which includes improved gearing, high-torque engines, and a simplified, high-efficiency hydraulics package—the TH-series telehanders do not require exhaust after-treatment on its standard engines, noted Skyjack President Brad Boehler.
The only trade-off, Boehler explained, is a slight reduction in travel speed from 20 mph to around 16 mph, a factor that mattered little to customers who previewed the line.
“They said they didn't want operators driving that fast anyway,” he said.
The company's previous telehandler line, which had been purchased from another manufacturer, also had struggled to compete with other brands in the lucrative rental market, said Boehler. The home-grown TH-series is more in keeping with the company's philosophy of simpler, more reliable systems found in its scissor-lift and boom product lines, he added.
Skyjack also announced a collaboration with Canadian transmission technology company CVTCORP to develop a continuously variable transmission (CVT) for the TH series. Boehler said the infinite number of gear ratios provided by the transmission will optimize TH telehandlers' performance and lifespan while also reducing fuel use.
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