Manitou MT 1335 Easy Telehandler

The Manitou MT 1335 Easy Telehandler is the sort of machine that makes sense on jobs where reach, lifting capacity and site practicality all matter at once. With a maximum lift capacity of 3500 kg and a lift height of 12.55 metres, it sits in that useful middle ground for contractors and agricultural users who need proper capability without moving into unnecessarily cumbersome kit. It is not a small yard machine, and it is not trying to be. It is a working telehandler for sites where materials need placing accurately, often in less-than-perfect conditions, and usually while half a dozen other trades are trying to do their own jobs around it.

Anyone who has spent time on building sites, farms or groundwork projects will understand the appeal of a dependable telehandler. Blocks arrive where the lorry can reach, not necessarily where they are needed. Pallets of materials need lifting over obstacles. Fencing, drainage goods, roof timbers, bagged aggregates and general site supplies all seem to land in the wrong place first time round. A machine such as this Manitou MT 1335 Easy earns its keep by cutting out wasted handling, reducing the amount of manual labour required and keeping the work moving when the ground is soft, the access is poor and the schedule is already looking a bit optimistic.

This particular machine is equipped in a way that suits proper day-to-day work. The 4x4x4 drive arrangement gives the operator useful control on difficult ground, while the hydrostatic transmission helps with smooth, measured movements around buildings, stacks, trenches and vehicles. The four-cylinder Deutz diesel engine, rated at 55.4 kW, is a sensible match for this class of telehandler. It gives the machine the working character buyers tend to want from used plant equipment: straightforward, familiar and built around practical output rather than unnecessary complication.

Built for the kind of work larger machines struggle with

There are plenty of sites where size becomes a nuisance long before lack of power becomes a problem. A telehandler needs to carry and lift well, but it also has to get through the gate, pass the scaffolding, turn in the yard and position itself without causing a fresh headache every five minutes. At 5860 mm long, 2270 mm wide and 2420 mm high, the Manitou MT 1335 Easy offers meaningful reach while still remaining manageable in the kind of spaces where contractors often find themselves working.

The 12.55 metre lift height is particularly useful on building work, roofing support tasks, farm buildings and sites where materials need to be lifted above ground-floor level. It is enough height to be genuinely useful without turning the machine into something that feels out of place on a mixed site. The stabilisers also matter here. When lifting at height, especially where ground conditions are not perfect, a machine that can settle itself properly gives the operator more confidence and helps make controlled placement less stressful.

British sites are rarely blessed with ideal conditions for long. A dry access track in the morning can become a slippery mess by mid-afternoon, particularly once delivery vehicles and dumpers have been over it a few times. The four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering arrangement suits that reality. It helps the machine move across uneven ground, position itself in tighter areas and work around obstacles that would make a less manoeuvrable machine feel clumsy. On wet ground, simple dependable machinery usually wins.

The windscreen guard, rear work lights and good tyres also point towards a machine that has been set up with real site use in mind. Rear work lights are not glamorous, but anyone loading late in winter or tidying a yard after the light has gone will appreciate them. The windscreen guard is another practical addition, particularly where materials, branches, debris or general site clutter are part of the working day. It is the sort of equipment detail that does not shout about itself, but it makes sense to operators.

The sort of machine contractors quickly get used to having around

The Manitou MT 1335 Easy Telehandler will appeal to a broad range of buyers because it answers a broad range of everyday problems. General builders can use it for lifting blocks, bricks, lintels, roofing materials and palletised goods into place. Groundwork companies can use it to move drainage materials, kerbs, stone, trench supplies and equipment around sites that are often too rough for ordinary handling methods. For plant hire firms, this type of machine is attractive because it can go out to many different types of customer without being tied to one narrow application.

On farms and agricultural businesses, a telehandler of this type can become part of the daily rhythm very quickly. It may be used for moving bulk bags, handling pallets, loading and unloading deliveries, working around yards, supporting building maintenance or helping during busy seasonal periods. Agricultural work often asks machines to change jobs quickly, sometimes with little warning. A telehandler with useful lift height, strong carrying capacity, road registration and a comfortable cab can become one of the busiest machines on the place.

Estates, landscapers and utility contractors may also find this Manitou useful because their work often involves awkward access and varied lifting. Landscapers may need to shift stone, timber, soil products and paving materials. Utility contractors may need to move equipment and materials around constrained compounds or along rough access tracks. Estate work can involve anything from yard handling to building maintenance, woodland edges and track repairs. A machine that can lift, carry and position materials without fuss has value across all of those jobs.

For contractors moving between sites, the fact that this machine is road registered is a practical benefit. It does not remove the need to think carefully about logistics, but it does help where short-distance road travel forms part of the working pattern. There are many jobs where waiting for transport for a short hop between local sites becomes an irritation. A road-registered telehandler can make that side of the working week a little less awkward.

Why machines like this quietly earn their keep

Telehandlers rarely get much praise when everything is going smoothly. They are often noticed only when one is missing, broken down or too small for the lift required. The value of a machine like the Manitou MT 1335 Easy lies in how many small delays it can prevent over the course of a week. Instead of four people shifting materials by hand, one operator can move the load properly. Instead of deliveries blocking the access track, pallets can be moved away quickly. Instead of waiting for a larger machine to arrive for a modest lift at height, the job can often be handled there and then.

The hydrostatic transmission is part of that usable character. Around live sites, smooth control matters. Operators need to inch forward, reverse accurately, line up with pallet forks, approach stacks and place loads without jerky movements. Hydrostatic drive suits the stop-start rhythm of material handling, where the machine may spend all day moving short distances, lifting, repositioning and repeating the process. You notice the difference after a full day on site, particularly when working in confined spaces or around people.

The fork positioner is another useful piece of equipment because not every pallet, pack or load is presented neatly. Being able to adjust fork spacing from the cab saves time and reduces the constant climbing in and out that wears on operators during a long shift. It is a simple thing, but simple things are often what make a machine easier to live with. When the weather is foul and the job is already behind, nobody is especially keen to keep jumping down into the mud to make minor adjustments by hand.

Operator comfort should not be treated as a luxury on a machine that may spend long hours in use. This Manitou comes with a full cab, air conditioning and radio, which all contribute to a better working environment. A comfortable operator usually works more consistently and with less fatigue. On hot days, cold mornings, dusty yards or damp winter sites, a proper cab makes a real difference. It helps keep the operator focused on the lift and the people around the machine, rather than on simply enduring the conditions.

There is also the matter of service familiarity. Manitou is a well-known name in telehandlers, and the use of a Deutz diesel engine will be familiar to many mechanics and plant operators. For used machinery buyers, that counts. A machine does not need to be exotic to be valuable. In fact, many owners prefer equipment that is understood by the trade, supported by parts knowledge and not overly complicated for routine checks and maintenance.

Where this machine tends to prove itself most

On construction sites, the Manitou MT 1335 Easy comes into its own when materials need to be moved from delivery point to workface quickly. Blocks, bagged goods, insulation packs, timber and general palletised materials are rarely delivered exactly where they are needed. With its lift height and capacity, this telehandler can help feed trades working at different levels and reduce the clutter that builds up when deliveries are left sitting in the wrong place.

Groundwork projects often place different demands on a telehandler. The ground is rougher, access tracks may be temporary and the operator may be working around trenches, stockpiles, spoil heaps and plant traffic. In that setting, manoeuvrability and traction matter as much as lift height. The 4x4x4 arrangement helps the machine keep useful movement where a yard-only machine would be out of its depth. It is not about charging around site; it is about being able to position the machine properly when the surface is less than helpful.

In agricultural settings, the lift height can be useful around buildings, stacked materials and maintenance tasks, while the carrying capacity suits heavier palletised loads and bulk supplies. A machine of this size can support both day-to-day yard work and more occasional building or handling jobs. Farms often need equipment that can cope with a mixture of routine and unexpected tasks. One day it may be unloading a delivery, the next it may be helping with repairs after a bout of weather has had its say.

Landscaping and estate work can be surprisingly demanding on machinery. Access is often through narrow gates, across grass, along tracks or into courtyards that were not designed with modern plant in mind. The Manitou’s width and steering layout help in these situations, while the cab and rear work lights make it more practical when the job stretches late. Moving stone, timber, soil products and paving materials is hard work by hand. Using a telehandler properly can keep a crew fresher and allow skilled labour to focus on the job they are actually there to do.

Urban jobs bring their own frustrations. Space is limited, deliveries arrive at awkward times and there is often very little room to store materials. A telehandler that can manoeuvre, lift to height and keep materials moving through a tight programme is useful on refurbishments, extensions, commercial fit-outs and constrained building sites. It will not magically make a cramped site spacious, but it can make the daily handling work less of a muddle.

The kind of machine you appreciate after a long day on site

Some machinery impresses in a brochure and then becomes tiring in practice. The better working machines tend to be the ones operators settle into quickly. With the Manitou MT 1335 Easy, the appeal is in the combination of visibility, controlled movement, sensible equipment and a cab that is fit for long days. Fork work demands concentration. The operator is watching the load, the boom, the ground, the banksman, nearby trades and whatever vehicle has just parked exactly where it should not have done. A machine that feels predictable helps lower the stress level.

The full cab and air conditioning are not minor details when the machine is being used across seasons. In winter, staying dry and sheltered helps the operator keep working steadily. In summer, heat inside a cab can become a real issue during long shifts, especially on dusty sites with little shade. Air conditioning helps keep the working environment bearable, and bearable matters more than people admit. By mid-afternoon, comfort becomes productivity.

Visibility and lighting are also part of the everyday experience. Rear work lights help when reversing, loading or working in low light, while the windscreen guard adds reassurance in tougher surroundings. Operators tend to appreciate machines that have been prepared for the awkward bits of the job, not just the neat version of it. Mud, poor light, wet jackets, uneven ground and last-minute lifts are all part of normal working life. Machinery that copes calmly with that earns respect.

The fork positioner deserves another mention from an operator’s point of view because it reduces one of the small irritations of telehandler work. Adjusting forks repeatedly can slow the day down and drag the operator in and out of the cab. When fork spacing can be altered more conveniently, load handling becomes smoother. It is not a dramatic feature, but it is exactly the sort of thing that makes a machine nicer to live with over months of use.

There is also something to be said for a telehandler that feels straightforward. Contractors and farm operators often prefer kit that gets on with the work without needing constant explanation. The Manitou MT 1335 Easy has the feeling of a practical machine rather than a showpiece. That is no bad thing. On a wet Wednesday with materials to shift and a delivery driver tapping his watch, practical tends to win.

A sensible fit for buyers thinking long term

Anyone considering this Manitou MT 1335 Easy should start with the work it will actually be doing. The 3500 kg lift capacity and 12.55 metre lift height make it suitable for a wide range of construction, agricultural and contractor handling tasks, but the right machine is always the one that matches the site conditions and workload. Buyers should think about the heaviest loads they regularly handle, the height they genuinely need, the access available and the type of ground the machine will spend most of its time on.

Transport is another practical consideration. With a machine weight of 9,245 kg, moving it properly requires the right planning and equipment. For businesses that move between sites regularly, transport arrangements should be part of the buying decision rather than an afterthought. The fact that transport can be arranged is useful, but owners should still consider how often the machine will need moving and whether it will mostly stay on one site, one farm or one region.

Access should also be judged honestly. At 2270 mm wide and 2420 mm high, this machine is manageable for many sites, but it still needs suitable gateways, yards and turning areas. Buyers working on very restricted urban jobs should measure rather than guess. It is far better to check a tight entrance before buying than to discover on delivery day that a Victorian gateway has decided to become the main character in the story.

Servicing and maintenance should be approached in the same practical way. A used telehandler is a working asset, and it should be treated as such. Regular checks, sensible servicing and attention to tyres, hydraulics, brakes, steering and boom condition all help protect uptime. Good tyres are already noted on this machine, which is encouraging, but ongoing ownership still depends on how the machine is looked after once it joins the fleet.

Operator requirements matter too. A machine with a full cab, air conditioning, radio and hydrostatic transmission may help reduce fatigue and improve consistency over long days. That can be especially relevant for plant hire businesses, farms with multiple users, and contractors who expect one machine to support several parts of a project. Ease of use is not only about convenience; it affects safety, output and the willingness of operators to use the machine properly.

For long-term buyers, the broader appeal is flexibility. This is a telehandler that can support construction work, agricultural handling, estate maintenance, landscaping and general material movement. It is not a machine for one narrow job. It is the type of used plant equipment that can slot into a business and gradually become busier than first expected, simply because there is always something that needs lifting, shifting or placing more sensibly.

Available through RS Machinery

The Manitou MT 1335 Easy Telehandler is available through RS Machinery, with UK buyers welcome to enquire and export enquiries also invited. Transport can be arranged at an additional cost, which is useful for contractors, farms and machinery buyers planning delivery to site, yard or onward shipping. Further details can be found here: Manitou MT 1335 Easy Telehandler – RS Machinery Blog.

For buyers looking at used machinery with genuine working value, this Manitou is worth consideration because it offers a practical blend of lift height, capacity, manoeuvrability and operator-focused equipment. It is not dressed up as something it is not. It is a capable telehandler for real sites, real materials and real working days, which is often exactly what a good machinery purchase needs to be.