A "proper" farm loader has an articulated joint in the centre so that it can also move in confined spaces. This is an (almost) unbreakable rule among manufacturers and users of these flexible and compact machines, which are used on many farms, but also in the trades and in the construction industry. However, this rule only applied until the time was ripe for a new concept. Thaler GmbH & Co KG in Polling/Bavaria was the first farm loader manufacturer to realise such a concept. Manfred Thaler, managing partner of the company: "The latest generation of forage wagons are so high that they can hardly be loaded with conventional articulated loaders, which reach lifting heights of up to around 4.60 metres. These machines have reached their physical limits. This was the trigger for us to develop a fundamentally new vehicle architecture."
It was possible to borrow from the much larger telescopic forklift trucks that are often seen on construction sites. On these, the attachments are not attached to an articulated boom, but to a straight telescopic mast, which is located in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle - with the pivot point at the rear. And instead of articulated steering, they have a locking chassis with four-wheel steering and therefore achieve a high level of stability even when moving larger loads. This concept was realised for the first time in a yard loader with the 48T18. The very compact machine is powerful thanks to the 48 hp Yanmar engine, while the four-wheel drive ensures that the power is also available on the track or in the yard. The extremely compact dimensions (1.60 m wide; 1.94 m high) together with the four-wheel steering ensure great manoeuvrability. At the same time, the 48T18 achieves significantly greater working heights than articulated loaders (4.90 m stroke height), a higher payload (1800 kg at the bucket pivot point) and a greater tipping angle (68o)
The idea convinced the customers - and, incidentally, also the competitors, who then developed similar machines. One of the challenges that Manfred Thaler and his design engineers had to overcome during development was the selection and arrangement of the engine: "It had to be a 45 hp four-cylinder engine to provide plenty of power and traction. But the installation space next to the telescope, opposite the driver's cab, was extremely cramped. We then installed a 48 hp engine transversely, which is not only powerful, but also very efficient and economical - and easily accessible." This arrangement also ensures even weight distribution on all four wheels.
