Celebration time

Although the number of access manufacturers exhibiting at the Rental Show might be relatively small, there are enough big attractions to make the trip to Orlando worthwhile. Chief among these is the launch of articulated booms by Skyjack; MEC's recently acquired telehandlers; and a number of Haulotte machines that will be new to North American visitors.

The headline act this year will definitely be the first showing of Skyjack's new diesel telescopic booms. The company told Access International that it will either show the 40 ft (12.2 m) model or the 45 ft (13.7 m) fly-jib version. These are due to be followed by 60/65 ft and 80/85 ft models, but the Rental Show will give buyers the first chance to assess Skyjack's return to the boom sector.

The company's core business, of course, is its scissor lifts, and it has not let the development of booms stop it from further developing the scissor line. New in Orlando will be two compact rough terrain models, the 570 kg capacity 6826 RT and 6832 RT models with 32 ft and 38 ft (9.8 m and 11.6 m) working heights, respectively. Standard features include a dual-fuel engine, 4WD, and a 5 ft (1.5 m) rollout deck extension; options are a diesel engine and independently levelling outriggers. Both scissors, which are 68 in (1.73 m) wide, are drivable at full height with deck fully extended.

Pride of place at Bil-Jax's stand, meanwhile, will be three new models to round out its Summit Series of trailer-mounts, launched last year with the 43.5 m working height 3632T. Available during the first quarter of 2006, the 227 kg platform capacity 3522A, 4527A and the 5533A provide 11.3 m, 13.7 m, and 16.8 m of maximum platform height, respectively.

The series features automatic, self-levelling outriggers with extra-large, non-marking footpads and a maximum towing speed of 104 km/hr. Options include combination electric/Honda petrol engine power and a materials lift attachment.

Bil-Jax says the long-term aim is to market the trailer-mounts worldwide, although a spokesman for the company emphasised that the US sales alliance with Aerial Access in the UK will be retained. He said that while there was some overlap in the companies' two trailer ranges, there are still gaps that Aerial products filled, in addition to different features such as the hydraulic controls on the UK machines.

Haulotte Group will show a selection of the new machines it launched at the APEX event last September, including the 26 m HA260 articulating boom (called the HA80GRT in the US); the 12 m HS3888 RTXL, which is one of Haulotte's new big deck scissors; the Star 10 (Star 26J) self-propelled vertical mast machine, plus one of the new push-around vertical mast platforms. One telehandler will be on show, the H17-40, as well as one of the company's compact RTE scissors, the 12 m Compact 3347RTE, which is new to the US market.

There are also some big changes at the company in the US. Following the departure of previous sales manager Tom Stackurski, Bernie Kiekebosch from Haulotte's Australian subsidiary is running the business until a replacement for Mr Strackurski is appointed. Haulotte will be hoping that an appointment will have been made before the Rental Show.

MEC Aerial Platforms continues to expand its range of scissor lifts, and will show the latest additions to the line, which are the 3072RT and 3772RT mid-size rough terrain models and the large electric MEC 3068ES and 3768ES lifts.

However, much of the attention will be focused on MEC's new telehandler products recently acquired from Volvo (see News and also our Telehandlers feature, this issue). MEC will show the 2724 kg (6000 lb) capacity TH60 and the 3632 kg (8000 lb) TH80.

Visitors to JLG's stand will see a different engine in its 10 m working height 3394RT scissor lift - a GM Vortec 3000 petrol engine, which delivers 61 kW of power and is Tier III compliant. GM motors will replace the Ford engines on all of JLG's diesel powered machines. Other products on show will include a selection of electric scissors, trailer-mounted lifts, telehandlers and self-propelled booms.

The telehandler theme will be expanded on Genie Indusries' stand, with the company using the show to publicise, among other things, the change from Terex to Genie branding for the range of US telehandlers made in Baraga (the machines previously known as the Square Shooter handlers). The company will also, of course, have a selection of its access products on show.

Planning to break into the US market and seeking dealers is Italian manufacturer Braviisol, which is exhibiting its compact, 4.9 m max working height, 150 kg capacity, interior access platform, the Leonardo. The company says that ten years of design improvements and use by major European rental companies has prepared the machine, known as the Lui Mini and one of a full line of access equipment, for the US market.

At centre stage at Upright International's stand will be its 25 ft (11.8 m) working height UI 1930 compact, electric scissors lift with a new, proportional-movement control system. The company will also show a faster-operating model 12M mast lift, as well as selections from its vertically telescoping mast V-Lift and narrow scissor X-Lift ranges.

Custom Equipment will showcase its electric scissors lift, the HB-1030. This 545 kg machine has a deck-lowered height of 0.56 m, a 0.64 m by 1.5 m work platform, a rated capacity of 340 kg, and a working height of 4.88 m.

Other access exhibitors will include Snorkel - who did not know what equipment is was going to show - UpRight, PowerClimber and Unilift. The last will display its battery-powered, trailer-mounted, articulating and telescoping boom lifts, which feature working heights up to 12.8 m.

Staff from Access International will be attending the show and look forward to meeting as many readers as possible.