A new, contractor-sized loading shovel is front and centre on the Weidemann stand at this year’s Agritechnica show.

Weidemann’s new 9080, which weighs 10.7t, brings the company into a new sector of the materials handling market; this is the German manufacturer’s biggest machine to date.

Maximum lift capacity is up to 5.3t; maximum lift height is 4.26m (to the attachment pivot point). The machine stands 3.11m tall (to the top of the cab); it spans 2.39m in width (depending on wheels/tyres).

The 9080 is fitted with a new hydrostatic transmission. It can be optionally specified with a 40kph top speed. However, ‘standard’ models are slower.

Existing Weidemann machines

Meanwhile, one of Weidemann’s most popular sellers here in Ireland is its pint-sized T4512 telehandler (below). John O’Boyle, Weidemann Ireland’s sales manager, describes it as a “very credible performer on a dairy farm”.

Weidemann’s VLS (Vertical Lift System) is one of the T4512’s key selling points. The boom can automatically extend out as it’s raised, to keep the attachment in the same vertical plane as it lifts. VLS has won several international awards over recent years.

Otherwise, the T4512 looks broadly similar to other compact telehandlers, with all-wheel steering, a side-mounted cab and a hydrostatic transmission.

The hydrostatic system combines with the brake pedal to provide an ‘inching’ function. This makes it possible to ‘crawl’ forward, until the machine comes to a standstill.