Product of the Month – Manitou 200ATJ-E

Sometimes no news is good news.

Which could be said to apply to our Product of the Month for October, the all-electric Manitou 200ATJ-E rough terrain boom lift.

This time last year, Hird was chuffed to be the first access rental company in the UK to take the cherry picker into its fleet.

We wrote a story about it. Some kind journalists reported on it.

And that was just about that. Since then, our fleet of Manitou 200ATJ-E boom lifts – part of what Manitou is calling its revolutionary Oxygen range – has disappeared from sight.

**Phil Hird taking delivery of the Manitou 200 ATJ E Articulated Boom** early last year

Hird Manitou 200 AJT E — **Phil Hird taking delivery of the Manitou 200 ATJ E Articulated Boom** early last year

Utterly reliable

Because they’re always out on hire. With no fuss. No discernible excitement.

It’s as if we hear the immortal words “…and one giant leap for Mankind”, and someone responds, “Isn’t Corrie about to start?”

Mantiou 200 ATJ E Articluated Boom on the moon

The greening of powered access hire through the replacement of diesel platforms with electric, or hybrid, ones is certainly a hot topic.

But the priority for Hird is to hire a rough terrain boom that works brilliantly, is utterly reliable, and is well maintained.

And with Hird’s fleet of Manitou 200ATJ-E boom lifts, that is precisely what they get.

Charging point

Hird Director Phil Moss said: “The electric Manitous have fitted into our cherry picker hire fleet seamlessly.

“Our customers say they want an 18m or 20m rough terrain boom lift and, if we have an electric Manitou available, that’s what we offer to send them.

“There’s been zero concern about having an electric boom. All we have to advised our clients is they need a charging point on site.

“Hird is very keen to be at the forefront of introducing green powered access and crane hire, and it looks like there’s very board acceptance of the concept among our clients as well.”

Electric switch

Electric power is taking over most new aerial work platform introductions and an array of regulatory and investor pressure to reduce construction equipment’s carbon footprint suggests that trend is here to stay.

The Manitou 200ATJ-E has a maximum working height of 20m, a maximum outreach of 11.57m, and will complete over a day’s intensive work on one full charge of its 48 volt battery pack.

As an all-electric zero-emissions cherry picker, the Manitou 200 AJT-E meets all pollution control requirements, especially for operation in inner-city areas and low-emission zones.

As a low-noise cherry picker, as well, it is ideal for working on sites in residential areas or near hospitals, schools, colleges or care facilities.

Hird’s Manitou 200 ATJ-E cherry pickers are fitted with non-marking tyres, so can switch between indoor and outdoor use, with four-wheel drive and rear wheel steering.

The Manitou 200 AJT E Oxygen cherry picker

Smart controls

Manitou has worked hard to make the platform as compact and manoeuvrable as possible for exceptional operation in confined spaces. It has a 230kg unrestricted capacity and impressive 45^° gradeability.

The rough terrain cherry picker’s articulating boom and jib can be moved into position more quickly and precisely thanks to smart controls that allow four simultaneous movements.

While its high ground clearance and oscillating axles ensures the Manitou 200 ATJ-E is not going to be a stick-in-the-mud.

Manitou plans for 43% of its machines, across all types, to be low-emission by 2030.

Analysis by construction media company KHL showed 40% of 91 new construction machines launched in the second quarter of 2022 were electric. A third of those were aerial platforms.

Hybrid options

Hird is responding to the trend. We are also expanding our fleet of hybrid cherry pickers. In July, we also became the first UK MEWP rental specialist to take delivery of new Genie S-60 FE hybrid telescopic booms.

The Genie S-60 FE is the first lightweight rough terrain stick boom in the 20m height class and extends the flexibility of rough terrain booms in the mid-height range, being able to run on electric or diesel power.

Phil Moss said: “In a way, the response to the introduction of these very new and more sustainable booms is heartening. It means our clients are as willing to embrace change as we are.

“I would say, by the end of the decade, most rough terrain boom lifts and scissor lifts will be either all-electric or hybrid platforms. The switch to zero-emissions, greener working at height is inevitable.”