Genie showed its new prototype 8,000-pound capacity telehandler at The Rental Show last week. Replacing its existing GTH-844 model, the unit, which will begin production in November, has been recreated in its entirety and has a number of significant improvements compared to the previous model.
“We totally revamped the machine,” Scott Krieger, Genie’s telehandler senior product manager told RER. “There’s virtually nothing on this machine that’s on the current 844 model.”
The changes begin with the placement of the engine, moving it from the back to the right side to enhance operator visibility. “Everything is ground level,” Krieger said. “The engine, the transmission, the filters and hoses. We wanted to make it as easy as we can, whether it’s for a contractor of a rental house, to be able to service this machine.”
The machine has a new ergonomically designed operator’s station with a tiltable steering wheel, updated single-lever joystick control and new gauge and switch packages. Also new is a narrowed width from 107 inches down to 96. “We can go into and out of smaller doorways or enclosures than we could before,” added Krieger. “Additionally we changed the steering gear on the machine and now on a turn we have reduced the outside diameter by two feet.”
The unit is available with Deutz and Perkins Tier 4 Interim engines. Genie has also added a proportional hydraulic system with low idle. The boom has been redesigned with a stronger structure and an internal cylinder.
Genie will ramp up production in November and expects to be in full production mode by the beginning of 2013.
