Towing with a telehandler

[GreaseMonkey]

Our farm manager recently went to a health and safety day, and one of the things that came up is the use of a telehandler to tow trailers etc on the road. Seeing as I don’t have the ‘e’ part on my driving license, and telehandler don’t come under the tractor umbrella, I’m not able to tow with the telehandler. Is it just the normal trailer test (B+E I believe it is) I need to take?

 

[76masseyman]

Yes. I believe that's true. Pretty sure there was a thread regarding this not too long ago.

 

[betternextyear]

If you tow with a telehandler, you will soon need a new transmission in it. Get your cheque book ready.

 

[Clive]

If you tow with a telehandler, you will soon need a new transmission in it. Get your cheque book ready.

^ this

its really not worth it

They are not suited to roadwork at all IMO it wears them out fast, one of the reasons we bought a plant trailer and in the long term I think it will save us more than it cost

 

[Two Tone]

Depends on what type of transmission the telehandler has for towing. A nd the size of the load.
Anything with a Hydro type gearbox would be asking for trouble.
Torque Converter type would be far better.
Best of all will be those with Torque converter and a Torque lock system that will not allow it to slip.

 

[Drillman]

If you tow with a telehandler, you will soon need a new transmission in it. Get your cheque book ready.

Really? been towing trailers with telehandlers here for the last 23 years (1st one 13 years and current loader 10 years) and not broken them yet.

Although we only do a couple of miles at a time nothing too heavy and only on the flat.

 

[Brisel]

IIRC towing with a forklift depends on what it is registered as. Mine is registered as an Agricultural Machine the same as a tractor so is ok to tow. Has lights and a hydraulic braking circuit. I've done a quick search & can't find anything on towing with a forklift.

 

[Brisel]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/agricultural-vehicle-licences-and-fuel

 

[Exfarmer]

it is not simple, The issue has nothing to do with H&S.
I think Brisel is right and you just need a tractor licence or cat C

 

[Al R]

A friend who used to buy straw off me had 3 points and a big telling off for pulling a brand new 26ft trailer behind a brand new manitou. The copper said it was classed as a crane and not a tractor so it wasn’t legal for towing. He didn’t say anything about the no straps over the straw

I’m 99% sure you can’t tow a articulated trailer behind a telehandler as it’s a double pivot, although you won’t beat it for reversing!

 

[Matt L]

There used to be a loophole that having the tow hitch on the front meant that it wasn’t classed as a mobile crane. Not sure if it still applies or not.

 

[Hesston4860s]

A friend who used to buy straw off me had 3 points and a big telling off for pulling a brand new 26ft trailer behind a brand new manitou. The copper said it was classed as a crane and not a tractor so it wasn’t legal for towing. He didn’t say anything about the no straps over the straw

I’m 99% sure you can’t tow a articulated trailer behind a telehandler as it’s a double pivot, although you won’t beat it for reversing!

If his manitou is taxed as agricultural machine I’d have challenged plod on that !.

 

[Al R]

If his manitou is taxed as agricultural machine I’d have challenged plod on that !.

Unstrapped load 3 high down an A road he didn’t want to argue it.

 

[ollie989898]

A friend who used to buy straw off me had 3 points and a big telling off for pulling a brand new 26ft trailer behind a brand new manitou. The copper said it was classed as a crane and not a tractor so it wasn’t legal for towing. He didn’t say anything about the no straps over the straw

I’m 99% sure you can’t tow a articulated trailer behind a telehandler as it’s a double pivot, although you won’t beat it for reversing!

I would have told the copper where to go. A telehandler isn't a crane. It's as simple as that. Register it as an agricultural machine and tax it as such.

 

[ollie989898]

If you tow with a telehandler, you will soon need a new transmission in it. Get your cheque book ready.

No one in their right mind would pull a 14 tonne dump trailer about with a telehandler, but a bale trailer with a few bales of haylage on isn't going to kill it.

 

[neilo]

No one in their right mind would pull a 14 tonne dump trailer about with a telehandler, but a bale trailer with a few bales of haylage on isn't going to kill it.

18 haylage bales could easily be up to 10t (+ the trailer weight) though.

I only ever tow bales in with my hydrostatic Merlo, but admittedly only within a 2 mile radius and all reasonably flat. It certainly copes fine with it.

 

[Phil P]

Best place for the tele-handler is on the trailer, not in front of it

 

[two-cylinder]

Absolute maximum weight that can legally be towed is ten tonnes gross.

 

[Brisel]

The V5C will tell you what kind of vehicle you are driving, not some ignorant copper. Should you be pulled over and roasted, don't assume the uniform = detailed knowledge.

 

[ollie989898]

18 haylage bales could easily be up to 10t (+ the trailer weight) though.

I only ever tow bales in with my hydrostatic Merlo, but admittedly only within a 2 mile radius and all reasonably flat. It certainly copes fine with it.

Cripes 10 tonnes plus with a Merlo, probably takes 2 hours to do the 2 miles.