Bobcat deliver UK’s first TL38.70HF telehandler
Black Mountain Quarries strengthen mobile plant fleet with new Stage IV-compliant AGRI model
THE UK’s first Bobcat TL38.70HF AGRI telescopic handler is carrying out an unusual double role, working both at a quarry processing plant and on a farm at the foot of the Black Mountains, in Herefordshire.
The machine, supplied by Kellands (Plant Sales) Ltd, is owned and operated by Black Mountain Quarries Ltd – a family-owned business with four working quarries providing the widest selection of walling stone in the UK.
Company owner Adrian Phillips commented: ‘Though we bought it for our De Lank Quarry, in Cornwall, the new Bobcat TL38.70HF AGRI telehandler is now working at our Howton Court central processing plant, handling stone from quarries in Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. It has taken over from a Bobcat TL360 model which is now working in the Cornish quarry, where it continues to do good work.’
He continued ‘I bought the new Bobcat TL38.70HF telehandler to provide more lifting capacity and greater lifting height. At the processing plant, it carries out a range of material-handling duties, from loading stone on to conveyors and lifting pallets, to unloading the trucks that come in with stone from three of our quarries.
‘The new telehandler also meets our requirement for having a relatively small footprint, as it can work and move within the confined spaces at the processing plant. As well as the extra boom extension, I have also been impressed by the similar high build quality we saw on the TL360, and the power and the speed of response coming from the new Bobcat D34 engine.’
The Stage IV-compliant D34 engine (130hp) offers electronic fuel injection, high-pressure common-rail technology and turbocharged air management and cooled exhaust gas recirculation for lower emissions without the need for diesel particulate filter technology. The compactness of the D34 engine and a newly styled low-profile engine hood have also enhanced visibility on the engine side of the TL38.70HF AGRI.
The High Flow technology in the TL38.70HF AGRI offers superior hydraulic capabilities and performance through a 190 litre/min load-sensing pump and a flow-sharing distributor. This allows the operator to work at significantly lower speeds, consume less fuel and benefit from considerably shorter working cycles.
Key features on the AGRI telehandler models include: an automatic fan inverter; 40km/h transmission; and 24in tyres. Among the other features are a Sears high-comfort air-suspension seat and premium cab finish (eg deluxe steering wheel, armrest, aluminium panels), boom wiring harness and electric connectors, and a drawbar coupler tow hitch.
Replacing the previous TL470HF model, the TL38.70HF AGRI unit provides a 300kg increase in the maximum rated lifting capacity from 3.5 to 3.8 tonnes. The maximum lift height on the 24in tyres is 6,975mm, while the maximum horizontal reach is 3,915mm.
As with all Bobcat new-generation models, the TL38.70HF telehandler offers several new features that deliver higher comfort and productivity, including Power Lift which optimizes the use of hydraulic flows between the telescopic boom cylinders to increase lifting capacity.
There is also Boom Cushion Retract, which automatically slows the boom speed when the boom is nearly fully retracted or at min/max angles, increasing safety and operator confidence.
According to Bobcat, smart operating features are still offered as standard on the TL38.70HF AGRI, including: SMS (Speed Management System), which allows the travel speed to be adjusted independently of the engine speed; SHS (Smart Handling System), which allows the speed of the boom movements (lifting, telescoping and tilting) to be adjusted, depending on the type of work being carried out; and ECO mode, which maintains optimum hydraulic performance without using the engine’s full power, by adjusting the main machine features to produce a balance between top performance and providing the best performance/fuel consumption ratio.
