Merlo Telehandler

[sahara]

After a couple years of pondering we are seriously thinking about getting a telehandler.

Spotted a Merlo P8.7KT that looks like it would fit the bill.

Its a 2004 machine with about 4500hrs on it. If I go to have a look at it are there any particular things on it that I should look out for, or check that it has had done etc, or is it even a model to avoid.
When a student the farm I worked on had a Merlo for a demo and I rather liked it, so this one caught my eye.

Any advice, opinions etc gratefully received.

Cheers.

 

[Sparkplug]

Don.t recognise that model number shouild it be 28.7 KT?

 

[sahara]

Yes, you are quite right, spanner hands!!

 

[Sparkplug]

Not a Merlo expert but 40 years selling TH, so all the usual TH areas to look at - Inner Boom for crack around swan neck, rear boom pivot point for bushes excess wear , Main lift ram bottom bush /pin wear, general appearance is your best clue to how it has been maintained, headstock /tilt ram wear in pins & bushes, all electrics working including SLI? as with all TH just sit in cab with boom slightly up at 33degrees and look over your right shoulder, then pull headstock back to stops and slowly Rock It back and too on the stops while watching rear boom move up and down on the worn bushes/pin, then do the same again watching the Main Lift Ram and as you bring headstock back to stops watch for Ram Moving Up if excessive wear in bottom of MLR. Does it pick its heals up in High Range when you Boot It - engine breathing etc etc

 

[bluepower]

After a couple years of pondering we are seriously thinking about getting a telehandler.

Spotted a Merlo P8.7KT that looks like it would fit the bill.

Its a 2004 machine with about 4500hrs on it. If I go to have a look at it are there any particular things on it that I should look out for, or check that it has had done etc, or is it even a model to avoid.
When a student the farm I worked on had a Merlo for a demo and I rather liked it, so this one caught my eye.

Any advice, opinions etc gratefully received.

Cheers.

We had one on a 53 plate that was virtually bombproof. Bought as an ex- demo it did 6000 hours and never gave any grief. The one you have seen looks very good for its age if it is the one down in Devon with manitou headstock.Dealer selling it is pretty keen and won't budge too much on price in my experience. Check all the usual things, brakes are prone to seizing on from lack of use, king pin bushes made of butter, hydro pump. All fairly cheap and easy to fix, perkins engine should be good, corrosion can be an issue but that one looks pretty good from the pictures. Hope this helps. P.S hydro isn't a particularly cheap fix, make sure nobody has put coolant in the hydro header tank by mistake, lots have!

 

[asm]

Check for play in the lower axle hub swivels,
Check the brakes do not stick on
Also need to check the boom wear pads

 

[Farma Parma]

had one from new now 16yr old. 4700 odd hours
not much it cant do & amazingly ive never had it stuck once.
They have there quirks but very able & poss underrated telehandlers

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

Merlo=King of them all. Driven a lot of handlers and if your basically wanting a yard machine they simply can’t be beaten IMHO
We’ve a 32.6 with a Dutz engine and other than it loosing some engine oil through no fault of its on its been spot on. If you can take off the panel underneath the boom and have a look round the hydrostatic drive unit for any weeping around the seals, not a massive fix not is it costly more an inconvenience. Check all the tanks and as above everything else. Big thing with our Merlo I’ve found an issue with from the previous owner is not greasing enough, mine seems to eat grease but all pins are tight so can’t be a bad thing. Try and have a look at king pins and listen out for any excessive noise from hubs ect..
Other than that they are an absolute pleasure to operate, not the most comfortable at times but an air seat seems to cure that

 

[Henery]

I would change the lower king pin cups unless your sure they were recently done. Otherwise a good machine that’s very nice to operate. Put it in low and they will really push !

 

[thonyG]

on 2020 years i bought new 4,2 cvtronic. what results after 800hours - at 90h - changed new gear box and rebuilded becouse new was bad too. 100h - new turbine. 300h new ignition switch. 400h - burning fuse socket for feul pump. 500 h. - rebuilding front axel diferrential and rear left wheel gear. 800h - waranty is ended. gear box crashed. fuse socket burning again. rear left wheel reducer need repair again. sorry guys for my english. but new merlo have to much problems and maybe bad dealer in my region

 

[deleted user 837354]

Well if you ever wanted any more proof that Merlos are like Marmite, this thread is it. It's love or hate, no inbetween.

I think they are ace to operate, make JCBs feel numb as fudge, reliability seems all over the place though. I wonder if some posher synthetic grease whacked in a few times a week might be a good investment for them.

 

[Runs Like a Deere]

I would say older ones were very good, newer ones can be a total minefield. said a few times over various threads we had 2 off 32.6s first one was an 08 plate with deutz engine and it was pretty good, second one was a 15 plate with a kubota engine it was a complete dog of a machine reliability wise and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I would say a 28.7 is probably not a bad machine

Performance wise they will run rings round JCBs in my opinion.

 

[Sparkplug]

Heard lots of rumours about 2020 onwards machines built with Merlos " Own Electrical Joystick " and Electrical System causing massive reliability problems - not sure if this is Construction Related models or across the range - some "Card" behind the seat having to go back to Italy for re-programing - beware - do your research well before purchasing young / new machines.

 

[Orionn4444]

Heard lots of rumours about 2020 onwards machines built with Merlos " Own Electrical Joystick " and Electrical System causing massive reliability problems - not sure if this is Construction Related models or across the range - some "Card" behind the seat having to go back to Italy for re-programing - beware - do your research well before purchasing young / new machines.

Got to love a 'my mate was told in the pub by sometime in a dark cloak, who heard it from a wee birdy who happened to be flying overhead the court at Camelot'

Often find rumours to be over exaggerated.
Merlo here on 10K hours, odd issue mostly age related. Nothing that's been a red flag. Wouldn't have anything else.

 

[Runs Like a Deere]

Got to love a 'my mate was told in the pub by sometime in a dark cloak, who heard it from a wee birdy who happened to be flying overhead the court at Camelot'

Often find rumours to be over exaggerated.
Merlo here on 10K hours, odd issue mostly age related. Nothing that's been a red flag. Wouldn't have anything else.

Age and model of yours??

 

[Sparkplug]

Got to love a 'my mate was told in the pub by sometime in a dark cloak, who heard it from a wee birdy who happened to be flying overhead the court at Camelot'

Often find rumours to be over exaggerated.
Merlo here on 10K hours, odd issue mostly age related. Nothing that's been a red flag. Wouldn't have anything else.

To be precise it came from a Merlo Dealer - all true - carnage behind the scenes - I said 2020 onwards which yours evidently is not! Only £2,500 region -for a replacement Card - mock if you like but straight from the Horses mouth.

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

If anyone’s read my previous post this may surprise…
Been on the lookout for a replacement for my 32.6 and came across a lovely low houred 35.7. Had a go in it really liked it and made a deal. This was in October of 21, had to push dealer a fair bit to get it in the workshop to fix the agreed broken / bits I asked to be done but soon enough it was in. Upon inspection he found an issue with the ECU to do with the lifting side of things. Boom is totally locked out and won’t move at all so it’s been sat in his yard since we shook hands on it. Can’t get the ECU or other parts needed from Merlo Italy, I know COVID and other things are getting in the way but I feel really let down by a brand I’ve praised for years. Had a demo of a TM320s and 536-60 as I can’t seem to find a 538-60 dueltech. Lovely machines and the 536 is due to land sometime next week. Don’t know how I feel about it but the JCB is a nice place to sit and will re sell well if I don’t like it I guess

Just my most recent experience chaps and something people should be aware of. I’ve even had trouble getting hold of some parts for the 32.6 like a door bottom but nothing like this ECU. Shame really as it was a nice handler

 

[ACEngineering]

If anyone’s read my previous post this may surprise…
Been on the lookout for a replacement for my 32.6 and came across a lovely low houred 35.7. Had a go in it really liked it and made a deal. This was in October of 21, had to push dealer a fair bit to get it in the workshop to fix the agreed broken / bits I asked to be done but soon enough it was in. Upon inspection he found an issue with the ECU to do with the lifting side of things. Boom is totally locked out and won’t move at all so it’s been sat in his yard since we shook hands on it. Can’t get the ECU or other parts needed from Merlo Italy, I know COVID and other things are getting in the way but I feel really let down by a brand I’ve praised for years. Had a demo of a TM320s and 536-60 as I can’t seem to find a 538-60 dueltech. Lovely machines and the 536 is due to land sometime next week. Don’t know how I feel about it but the JCB is a nice place to sit and will re sell well if I don’t like it I guess

Just my most recent experience chaps and something people should be aware of. I’ve even had trouble getting hold of some parts for the 32.6 like a door bottom but nothing like this ECU. Shame really as it was a nice handler

there is still a back log of supply of chips and things that make up ECU and stuff and has been affecting everything especially cars and vans etc.

if there is no stock then its unlikely they will get one quickly IMO

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

there is still a back log of supply of chips and things that make up ECU and stuff and has been affecting everything especially cars and vans etc.

if there is no stock then its unlikely they will get one quickly IMO

This is my worry that nothing will be sorted soon. I’ve been trying to order new wagons and that’s just as difficult if not harder

 

[Planttech]

If anyone’s read my previous post this may surprise…
Been on the lookout for a replacement for my 32.6 and came across a lovely low houred 35.7. Had a go in it really liked it and made a deal. This was in October of 21, had to push dealer a fair bit to get it in the workshop to fix the agreed broken / bits I asked to be done but soon enough it was in. Upon inspection he found an issue with the ECU to do with the lifting side of things. Boom is totally locked out and won’t move at all so it’s been sat in his yard since we shook hands on it. Can’t get the ECU or other parts needed from Merlo Italy, I know COVID and other things are getting in the way but I feel really let down by a brand I’ve praised for years. Had a demo of a TM320s and 536-60 as I can’t seem to find a 538-60 dueltech. Lovely machines and the 536 is due to land sometime next week. Don’t know how I feel about it but the JCB is a nice place to sit and will re sell well if I don’t like it I guess

Just my most recent experience chaps and something people should be aware of. I’ve even had trouble getting hold of some parts for the 32.6 like a door bottom but nothing like this ECU. Shame really as it was a nice handler

I find the getting hold of a lower door hard to believe given it’s a standard part on nearly all machines from 2004 until 2014. Funnily enough I looked at a boom card last week and no stock but waiting for an eta now. But this situation isn’t a merlo problem it’s global and have heard JCB are no different