Thought I would post on here rather than owner operators forum as would be equally interested to hear experiences of people using them.
I am in the market for a 2nd hand one, won’t see that much use so suspect I will be looking at 5-10 year vintage used machines so interested to hear what to look out for known problems and advantages/disadvantages between various makes and styles or if anyone knows where to source a decent one for sensible money.
Most seem to be moffetts with all terrain type tyres but is that the best make or option for general haulage in anyone’s experience.
Traction for the drive wheels can be a problem on 6 x 2 units. You might need a big-bag of ballast on the head-board; then of course that cuts down the pay-load big-time when you have the machine on-board as well.
Where in the country are you?
There are a few old ones knocking around our yard ex brit European, we have a contract to maintain them, I can ask if the wwork shop are willingto refurb one and cost, can’t promise though.
ChrisArbon:
Traction for the drive wheels can be a problem on 6 x 2 units. You might need a big-bag of ballast on the head-board; then of course that cuts down the pay-load big-time when you have the machine on-board as well.
Yes, will have to fit head board weights to a curtain sider and put the fittings on the back end. As long as I can still get 20t+ of payload will be ok. Must admit I am a bit worried about traction/stability unladen as unit that will pull it doesn’t have midlift.
Think I can get the fitting kit from Bennett Engineering in Chipping Sodbury but might make more sense to just buy a trailer with mounty brackets already on. Sure we can convert the trailer no problem but could easily be one of those jobs that constantly gets back-burnered.
Drift:
Where in the country are you?
There are a few old ones knocking around our yard ex brit European, we have a contract to maintain them, I can ask if the wwork shop are willingto refurb one and cost, can’t promise though.
Just outside Bristol but we’re all over most of the time so collecting from wherever wouldn’t be an issue. All a bit of a balance on price as want a good deal but most of the cheapest seem to be on ebay or from general plant dealers that don’t really know or work on the machines. One in good order would be best as although we’ve got full workshop facilities we have had a tendency to buy stuff with problems that we can and know how to fix but never seem to get round to it.
These are going MOD surplus, and were used to support the Apache helicopters, and I like the look of the enclosed cab but I know whatever the intention, if we didn’t pay someone to repaint it straightaway, we’d never get round to it and it’d still be in military green years later.
It definitely would be interesting to get a feel or prices, though, thanks.
The once we have have carpet boom attachments on but it shouldn’t be an issue changing the carnage to forks as we are a forklift truck dealers.
I will ask Monday
Mcgregors invested in new lightweight superstructure trailers with Moffett M10’s on the back last year. They seem to be able to carry something approaching a normal payload. They still deliver to us with 20 pallets of turf plus the piggy on the back.
I can still get 22 tonne on mine, i tare in at 21.500, got 1.5 tonnes of ballast in the headboard and its a walking floor so you should still get a good weight on with a tautliner.
Personal experience of the Moffett M10; the telehandler version of the Moffett.
Great bit of kit which is let down by a few issues; mainly poor electrics and lousy after-sales service. Ours have the later joystick type controls which suffer from water/dirt ingress and fail; not often but of course if it packs up when the FLT’s off the truck you’re scuppered. The light units are extremely expensive and also rather fragile. Battery is a country mile away from the starter motor which means that starting from cold on a frosty morning is a lottery due to current drop; experienced Moffett users always start them up and run them for a few minutes before leaving the yard!
Regarding those ex-MOD ones you’re looking at; they may well be good kit but I’d be inclined to find out how much they weigh. Since the army isn’t in the main part bothered about tipping VOSA’s scales, and also their kit has to be pretty rugged, I’d guess that those jobs are a bit heavier than a stock Moffett; my M10 weighs in at 2.75 tonnes BTW. You don’t want the enclosed cab, restricts visibility too much.
If you do want a tele-handler (and they’re much better than the stock lorry-mounted FLT’s for various reasons) I’d recommend you find a Manitou.
I can recommend an excellent service engineer who covers your area BTW. PM me if you want details.
If you do want a tele-handler (and they’re much better than the stock lorry-mounted FLT’s for various reasons) I’d recommend you find a Manitou
Sidevalve 2462 Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:53 pm
+1 on this. Love me my Manitou. I have the TMT 20.25 - it’s a cracking bit of kit. Will lift 2T bags comfortably, can drag 1.5T from the opposite side of the trailer.
I weigh in at 14500kgs that’s an R series curtainsider 8 wheeler plus Manitou on board.
F-reds:
One of our lads came back with a load of splinters attached to the back. We asked him if he had backed into a fence on his travels…
“What fence?” He said
Problem is, with a curtainsider you can’t see the Moffett unless you’ve got a rear camera. Very easy to forget it’s there, though a spirited crossing of a hump-back bridge will soon remind you of its presence!
I’ve just covered a trailer and bought a secondhand machine from MEB, manitou supplied the mounting kit and fitting it cost £1600 all done and painted, machine has been fully overhauled and should give us four years service at half the price of new one. Pm for more info
If you’re going for second-hand then I think a tele-handler type would be better as there are less moving parts to wear. Also you can unload from one side without extending forks (twice as wide and thick so unsuitable for void pack bricks or low pallets) or pantagraph forks (very complicated). All terrain wheels would be better, small wheeled ones are OK on perfect flat surface but not great elsewhere. If it’s only going to have occassional use think about a detachable counter weight rather than a fixed one. The ex MOD one’s will be very heavy compared to a normal one. We use Manitou TMT 25 on curtain side wagon and drags and get 23-24 tonne payload depending on the truck.
Manitou seem better built than Moffett, but all this is from a drivers point of view rather than an operator.
Well two years later and finally bought one. Have got a trailer with the kit fitted at the back but am I likely to run into any problems collecting it. It looks like a normal moffett but the kits at the back of the vehicle/trailer seem to vary. Mine has the two pull out slides in the middle and doesn’t have the spade type pieces the wheels rest on. If I lift it in the fork pockets as long as I ratchet strap it securely once lifted it should be ok?
Not sure if the moffett has got the securing chains but will ratchet strap anyway and was just going to take a lightboard rather than risk a faff getting the (probably smashed) lights on the back of the moffett operational.
