If you’re in the construction, agriculture, or industrial space, you’ve probably seen a telescopic forklift (or telehandler, as most folks call it) do what regular forklifts just can’t. Those things can lift a pallets of bricks 50 feet in the air, reach over a pile of steel beams, or even grab a bucket of gravel if you swap the attachment. And if you’re shopping for one (or just curious about who makes them), you’ve likely wondered: what are the top brands of telescopic forklifts out there? As someone who’s been supplying telehandlers for years—let’s cut the formal sales jargon— I’ve seen almost every brand on the market, the good, the overhyped, and the ones that get the job done without breaking your budget. Telescopic Forklift
First, let’s get one thing straight: not all telehandlers are built the same. A brand that dominates construction might be garbage for small farm use, and vice versa. I’ve had a guy from a local vineyard come in once raving about a 12,000-lb telehandler he’d rented for pruning season, only to realize it was too wide to fit between his grape rows. Turned out that was a construction brand that only makes large, bulky models, not the compact stuff farmers need. So I always tell people: start with your specific needs before you worry about the brand. That said, here are the brands I see most often, split into categories that actually matter (no random brand lists pulled from a Wikipedia page):
Big Dog Construction Brands (The Workhorses You Can Count On)
These are the brands that show up on every major job site—high lift capacity, tough as nails, and backed by service you can actually get when you need it at 2 a.m. on a Monday. Take JCB, for example. JCB is basically the OG of telehandlers, right? Their 500 Series is a staple on construction sites everywhere. I’ve sold more JCBs than any other brand because they hold their value like crazy. A customer of mine bought a 2018 JCB 507-42 used for a framing job last year, traded it in this year, and only lost about 10% of what he paid for it. Compare that to some no-name import brand, and that’s huge—when you’re dropping $70k on a machine, depreciation matters. Also, JCB makes the best quick-attach systems, so swapping forks for a bucket or a jib takes like 5 minutes, not 20. The only downside? Their compact models are a bit pricy, so if you’re a small business doing occasional lifts, it might not be worth the extra cash.
Then there’s Caterpillar (Cat). Cat’s telehandlers are built like tanks—if you’ve ever operated a Cat excavator, you know the build quality is next level. Their TH Series is what most general contractors reach for. Cat machines are super smooth to operate, the controls are intuitive, and the parts are everywhere. I once had a customer blow a hydraulic line on a Cat telehandler out in the middle of a job site in the boonies of Ohio, and a local Cat dealer had a replacement part in 2 hours. Can’t say the same for some smaller brands. The downside here? Cat is so popular, sometimes you wait 8 weeks for a new model to come in, and their service contracts aren’t cheap. But if you’re running a full-time business where downtime costs you money, Cat is worth the extra hassle.
Next up, Case Construction Equipment. Case is part of CNH Industrial, so they share parts and tech with New Holland, but their telehandlers are more geared toward tough construction use, not farming. Their TX Series is solid—they have great reach, and the engine power is impressive for their size. I like Case because they’re a bit more flexible with specs than Cat or JCB, so you can customize a lot of parts of the machine to fit your job. For example, if you need a cab with extra glass for visibility, or a specialized tire for rough terrain, Case usually has that as an option without charging you an arm and a leg. The only knock on Case is that their smaller telehandlers aren’t as widely used as JCB or Cat, so parts in some rural areas can be harder to get.
Mid-Range Workhorses (Balancing Cost and Performance)
If you’re not on a mega job site, but you still need a reliable telehandler that doesn’t cost $80k, these brands are your sweet spot. Take Genie, for example. Genie is known more for aerial lifts, but their telehandlers (which they call GTH Series) are really underrated. They’re lighter than JCB or Cat, which makes them perfect for jobs where you don’t want to tear up asphalt or a job site’s grass. I sold a Genie GTH-636 last month to a landscaping company, and they told me it’s way easier to maneuver around residential yards than the big JCB they were using before. The lift capacity is 6,000 lbs, which is more than enough for moving mulch, patio stones, or small trees, and it has a 36-foot reach. Genie’s service network is good too, so you don’t get stuck if something goes wrong. The only thing to note: Genie’s high-lift models aren’t as powerful as JCB’s, so if you’re lifting over 40 feet regularly, you might want to step up to a bigger brand.
Then there’s Bobcat. Bobcat is basically the king of compact equipment—skid-steers, excavators, telehandlers. Their V519 telehandler is tiny, like 6 feet wide, perfect for working in tight spots. A lot of my customers who do renovation work or indoor construction love Bobcat telehandlers because they can fit through standard doorways. The lift capacity is 5,500 lbs, which is enough for moving drywall or interior framing materials, and the controls are super easy to learn—even if you only operate one every once in a while. The downside? Bobcat’s telehandlers are made by another company (don’t get me wrong, they’re well-built), so sometimes parts take a little longer to get than if you bought Bobcat’s actual line of machines. But for small businesses or hobbyists, Bobcat is hard to beat.
Specialty Brands (For Niche Uses)
These are the brands that don’t get as much press, but they make telehandlers for very specific jobs that the big names don’t cover. Let’s start with Dieci. Dieci is an Italian brand, and they make some of the best telehandlers for agricultural use. They have models that can reach 70 feet in the air, perfect for harvesting fruit in orchards or working on tall barns. I sold a Dieci Icarus 40.17 to a dairy farm last year, and they said it’s way more stable than the JCB they used before when they’re lifting hay bales up to the second floor of their barn. Dieci also has a lot of models with narrow frames, so they fit between rows of crops without damaging them. The only thing: they’re a bit more expensive than mid-range brands, but if you’re in farming, the extra cost is worth it for the stability and reach.
Another specialty brand is Skyjack. Skyjack is another big aerial lift company, and their telehandlers are geared toward rental companies. Wait, why’s that important? Because if you rent a telehandler, it’s probably a Skyjack, and that means they’re built to take a beating. My rental customers swear by Skyjack’s telehandlers because even after 10,000 hours of use, they still run strong. They don’t have all the fancy bells and whistles of JCB or Cat, but they’re simple, easy to fix, and don’t break down when you need them. The downside? Their cabs are a little basic, so if you’re going to be operating the machine all day, you might want a more comfortable cab. But if you’re using it for occasional jobs, Skyjack is perfect.
And let’s not forget about the import brands that have popped up over the last 10 years—like LiuGong or SDLG. These are Chinese-made telehandlers that are way cheaper than JCB or Cat, but they’ve come a long way from the cheap junk you could buy 15 years ago. I’ve sold a few LiuGong telehandlers to small contractors, and for the price, they’re not bad. They have solid lift capacity, and the parts are starting to get more available in the US. That said, they don’t have the same service network as the big brands, and resale value is garbage. If you’re a small contractor who’s only going to use the machine for 3 years, and you don’t care about getting your money back when you sell, they’re a good option. But if you plan on keeping it for 10 years, stick with the established brands.
Now, let’s talk about the brands I’d avoid, just to be honest. There are some no-name brands on Amazon or eBay that sell telehandlers for half the price of JCB, but they’re basically made of plastic and scrap metal. I had a customer buy one of these for a small job, and it broke down on the first day, blowing a hydraulic line and stranding him with a load of bricks 30 feet in the air. It took 2 weeks to get replacement parts from the overseas company, and he lost a job because of it. Don’t do it. If the price seems too good to be true, it is.
At the end of the day, when you’re choosing a telehandler brand, it’s all about what you’re using it for. If you’re a general contractor doing big jobs, go with JCB, Cat, or Case. If you’re a small landscaper or renovator, Bobcat or Genie are perfect. If you’re a farmer, Dieci is your guy. And if you’re on a super tight budget and only need it for a few years, the import brands can work, but just make sure you have a local mechanic who can fix it if something goes wrong.
If you’re in the market for a telescopic forklift, and you’re not sure which brand or model fits your needs, don’t overthink it. Hit me up—we’ve got all these brands in stock, new and used, and I’ll help you pick the right one without pushing the most expensive model just to make a commission. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and I’d rather you be happy with your machine than have to come back to me a year later asking for help fixing something. Just reach out, tell me what jobs you’ll be doing, how much weight you need to lift, and what kind of space you have to work in, and we’ll find the perfect telehandler for you.
Telescopic Forklift References:
- Telescopic Handlers: A Guide to Brand Performance and Use Cases, Construction Equipment Association, 2022
- Agricultural Telehandler Market Report, CNH Industrial Global, 2023
- Compact Telehandler User Survey, Bobcat Company, 2021
Fujian SOCMA Machinery Manufacture Co., Ltd.
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