Regardless of farm size, there is always a need for some form of loader or materials handler. For most farms around the country, the economic choice has always been a tractor equipped with front-end loader.

Dedicated loaders, whether they are shovels, diggers or telehandlers, are the preferred option on many farms if financial resources allow.

They have been designed for loading rather than having a loading function bolted on, which makes them suitable for the range of weights being handled on modern farms.

One option is to source a secondhand machine, generally from Britain, where choices are not available at home.

This has been reflected in registration figures, especially those relating to telescopic loaders, both articulated or rigid chassis.

Articulated telescopic machines tend to be more desirable for farm work. This is reflected in the relatively high secondhand prices for machines in good condition.

Generally, more side boom machines are sold new than articulated telehandlers and that means that there is usually a bigger pool of used side-boom machines to pick from.

As a result, prices of side-boom telehandlers tend not to be as high as those paid for articulated machines.

There is now a steady market for these machines here in Ireland for those who want or need to upgrade to a dedicated materials handler.

Here, we look at a popular choice of side-boom telehandler, the Manitou MLT629, and give some advice on what to look out for when choosing a secondhand version.

Manitou MLT629 – some details

The French-built MLT629T is part of the Manitou MLT series, which has been around since the 1990s.

With a 6m reach and lifting capacity of nearly 3t, the 629T from the late 1990s and early 2000s is one example of a popular secondhand purchase.

There are many other similar machines available in terms of reach and load capacity, in particular from JCB and also Merlo, Matbro/John Deere/Terex, Claas, Dieci and more.

For this article, we look at buying a Manitou MLT629T that is over 10 years old.

This MLT629T is an agricultural specification machine without jacks and with good hydraulic flow for boom functions.

Construction specification machines tend to be more cumbersome with front jacks and many are fitted with a much slower hydraulic system.