Rough Terrain Forklift wanted for self build west wales.

>You may be better with a telehandler

Seconded. So much more useful.
Always in demand so easy to sell on afterwards too.

I did have a telehandler but found it awkward to move stuff around. My site isnt short of space either. I thought with a Forklift I would be able to drive stuff all the way inside.
Point taken about the danger aspect though - especially as I would be buying at the cheaper end!

Maybe a scaffold hoist is the way to go?

If you have an excavator on site you can get a pallet fork attachment to replace your bucket. Probably only suitable for larger machines due to reach and lifting capabilities.

Ben not sure of your exact circumstances, what exactly are you wanting to lift?

- I read your post with interest as the decision to buy a piece of heavy equipment to use on a self build is one with many possibilities and with some forethought deciding upon your choice can make a huge difference to what your trying to do overall. It can be the difference between an expensive lump of metal not doing enough work, sometimes scaring the pants off of you or being a bloody good friend!

I would strongly suggest prioritising what you think you need of the equipment as forklifts, telehandlers, wheeled diggers (think traditional JCB) or 360 tracked machines have their strength’s and weaknesses.

Which one would perhaps be the best all rounder? – Which machine, possibly with an operator could you hire in to do something specialist on the odd occasion or you may have a friendly farmer nearby with the kit you need, who for some paper notes in hand would be happy to help out – with the added advantage that if you have your own machine could also supply you with fuel for it, well worth considering.

I have been on my self-build for the best part of six years here in mid Wales working on a traditional stone built barn. I happened across a CASE 580G (very similar to a JCB) with a 4 in 1 front bucket and extending rear hoe, extra length – you would be surprised how useful that is ; - ) and have been moving stones that are in the range of 1000kg to just 100kg. I use it as 4x4 wheel barrow which is brilliant as the front bucket is over six foot wide, which has been used as a work platform to get me up to heights with stone and mortar and tools, it has been used to push back and hold a failing gable end to stabilise it whilst it was taken down. I dug all my own foundations, loaded reinforcing mesh cages into trenches single handed – all from the cab, moved loads of concrete in the front bucket when the lorry could not get to the spot it needed to, unloaded lorries and vans (with front pallet forks) and I don't have the luxury of much flat ground – even as a crane to put the big stones back into the walls, and when I mean self build I really mean 'self' as I have done over 90% of the work myself and this has been with a fairly old machine. Once you discover the joys of hydraulic power you won’t want to go back to pick and shovel, I couldn’t do without mine. It will do all the landscaping when I have finished as well.

In hindsight I could have done with a tracked 360 machine – they have a greater flexibility if digging a lot and the ability to rotate your load through 360 should not be ignored – with a wheeled machine you have to move around a lot more. For all the work I could not get to – and regrettably there was more than I could have anticipated I hired in a 360 tracked machine to put in my trench arch drainage and my water supply as we are on a very hilly site – my wheeled digger weighs in at over seven tons and is a formidable piece of kit – I could not have done without it but getting up a wet and boggy hillside is not recommended (easier to slide down but I would not recommend it either) and yet something a 360 machine will do effortlessly.

I have used a telehandler and they are brilliant at lifting up high but need room to manoeuvre and I would say more operator skill, certainly in confined spaces – I have not used a rough terrain forklift, I did consider one but had to balance out all the other requirements. On a flat site yes, worthwhile – on gradients then a no no as lifting on an angle to any height without the ability to stabilise yourself will have you over in seconds, pretty dangerous.

Whatever you decide – they are not cheap to buy and do look to what you will do with it afterwards, if you haven’t used one before then heartily agree with others - do at a minimum ‘buy a days training’ with someone who uses one on a regular basis, learn from someone experienced rather than from you own mistakes. They are generally simple to operate but need constant vigilance and concentration when you do as they are powerful things and can help enormously but can demolish what your doing, kill you or someone else in the blink of an eye.

I have not experienced any problems with lorries wanting me to have any certification – they are generally happy that someone can off load given the remote locations and ‘Travis P’ have been happy to take my money for the hire of machinery – though I haven’t used them) I am not an ‘experienced’ machine operator, all I learnt initially was on site with a days worth of instruction from a retired plant operator friend – which was priceless. Just take your time.

Apologies if this is ‘teaching your granny to suck eggs’, not meant to be – if there is anything useful then good. Mail me if you have any questions – always happy to help if I can.

I would be lost without my 3 tonne excavator. Bought originally for land drainage but now used on a daily basis. Everything from moving 4 mtr X 1mtr concrete panels to splitting and lifting big butts of timber. I also have a 2 tonne forklift but it is a specialist tool and I find forks on the excavator far more flexible. (Fork lift restricted to concrete areas)

I agree 3 tonne excavator would need to be the minimum if looking at moving dumpy bags of wet sand etc. Normally find if I take the bucket off I can gain a few extra kg. I have metal tracks for forest work which can easily rip up a concrete floor but have found plywood sheets provide adequate protection.
You can also get telescopic boom attachments for an excavator but then you need to be very careful on use as excavators are not cranes and do not come with load warning horns as standard so tipping an excavator over is quite easy.