Reliable and 'cheap' telehandlers?

James

Member
Location
Comber, Down
In the sub 20k bracket preferably even less is there a particular make/model that won't bite you? Wouldn't have a big workload by any means but reliability would be good. Something like a jcb 526s. Clearly from ad's I've seen I'm looking 20 is yr old machines.

Or is it totally pot luck 🤔 😅
 

Timbo

Member
Location
Gods County
Parts are getting tricky to get now.

the jcb 530/70 is probably the better bet - they can be got in construction spec for less ££ which might suit the OP, but bare in mind these are generally non turbo, small hyd pump, different crowd geometry and manual levers that are switched around compared to the agri spec models.
 

grainboy

Member
Location
Bedfordshire
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DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
Condition is more important than age IMO. No doubt the older JCBs are pretty bombproof, one of the best for reliability was the 525-58, 527-67 models from the mid nineties but finding a tidy one now is very difficult.

As others have said models like the 530-70 and the lightweight 526 are also going to be in your price range; and I would always go for the Agri spec machines rather than construction models unless you really don’t need the extra power and flexibility of an Agri model.
 

ACEngineering

Member
Location
Oxon
In the sub 20k bracket preferably even less is there a particular make/model that won't bite you? Wouldn't have a big workload by any means but reliability would be good. Something like a jcb 526s. Clearly from ad's I've seen I'm looking 20 is yr old machines.

Or is it totally pot luck 🤔 😅

With new machines in the £80k price range your basically looking at the bottom end of the market so it is very much pot luck if your not mechanically minded enough to know what to look for on them and prepared to kick many tyres before finding one.
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
the jcb 530/70 is probably the better bet - they can be got in construction spec for less ££ which might suit the OP, but bare in mind these are generally non turbo, small hyd pump, different crowd geometry and manual levers that are switched around compared to the agri spec models.
There are no differences in crowd geometry on construction spec and agri spec JCB machines.

x3 jcb 535-95 construction spec machines here,my only gripe is jcb changing the location of the door handles every feckin year.
 

ACEngineering

Member
Location
Oxon
There are no differences in crowd geometry on construction spec and agri spec JCB machines.

x3 jcb 535-95 construction spec machines here,my only gripe is jcb changing the location of the door handles every feckin year.

Yes BUT i think what Timbo is saying, a 7meter construction spec JCB has the tilt linkage the same as all the agri models, BUT the 9 meter JCBs all have the tilt ram connected direct to the headstock with no linkage both agri and construction spec.

Manitou MT and MLT machines do have different crowd and tip angles though.
 

cousinjack

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Condition is more important than age IMO. No doubt the older JCBs are pretty bombproof, one of the best for reliability was the 525-58, 527-67 models from the mid nineties but finding a tidy one now is very difficult.

As others have said models like the 530-70 and the lightweight 526 are also going to be in your price range; and I would always go for the Agri spec machines rather than construction models unless you really don’t need the extra power and flexibility of an Agri model.
Oh yes .. our 525-67 was amazing …. Was sad to see her go at 15k hrs !

Bit slow compared to more modern machines and had a tendency to catch fire though 😳
 

james ds

Member
Location
leinster
In the sub 20k bracket preferably even less is there a particular make/model that won't bite you? Wouldn't have a big workload by any means but reliability would be good. Something like a jcb 526s. Clearly from ad's I've seen I'm looking 20 is yr old machines.

Or is it totally pot luck 🤔 😅
A good 530-70 is a very reliable loader even at 20 years old, I bought mine two years ago with 4500 hrs for €21 k pictured below
 

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Farmer_Joe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
The North
526 we have had a few, current one a 2006 it’s a great machine std gears and std controls no joystick very reliable first of Jcb engines too, which in my experience are excellent.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
In the sub 20k bracket preferably even less is there a particular make/model that won't bite you? Wouldn't have a big workload by any means but reliability would be good. Something like a jcb 526s. Clearly from ad's I've seen I'm looking 20 is yr old machines.

Or is it totally pot luck 🤔 😅
They are out there , you just have to find them
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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