New agricultural telehandlers from Bobcat deliver continuous V-Drive transmission alongside smart features for smoother operation and increased productivity
When Bobcat telehandler customers demanded machines that had higher productivity with a continuous transmission, its engineers set to work. The combined effort resulted in the launch of three new telehandlers, the TL34.65HF V-Drive (3.4t/6.3m), TL38.70HF V-Drive (3.8t/7.0m) and TL43.80HF V-Drive (4.3t/7.5m), designed for the evolving agricultural market using its new V-Drive technology.
V-Drive transmission
The smart functions on the new V-Drive models provide an ideal solution for customers requiring a high-performance alternative for their applications. “The Bobcat V-Drive telehandlers have been launched as an addition to the existing range,” says Florian Hilbert, Bobcat telescopics product manager for EMEA. “This was to meet a request from some of our customers to provide more comfort and productivity. Our customers now have the possibility to choose between the gearbox transmission or the new V-Drive continuous transmission. We started the production of these new telehandlers in April, and we have already delivered the first units to customers.”
Customers opting for the V-Drive transmission will not lose any performance compared to the current gearbox transmission thanks to the use of hydraulic motors in series. The hydraulic tank has also been redesigned resulting in a higher capacity of 70 litres instead of 59 litres in the current transmission.
Unlike to the current transmission, the V-Drive allows the operator to drive from 0 to 40km/h without the need to stop the machine or think about changing gear before starting. As a result, the simplicity and efficiency of the V-Drive transmission offers improved comfort and operation. It also removes any jolts that might happen when moving from one speed range to another. “A key aspect of the new V-Drive telehandlers is the continuous transmission itself of course, but there are several other important features to note,” says Hilbert. “We significantly reduced the noise, and we have developed some smart functions available as standard such as Cruise Control, Eco-Ride, which is engine RPM optimisation, and Stop and Start features.”
In the new V-Drive models, the Turtle and Rabbit hydrostatic speed ranges are still available and are always selectable through the joystick. Both hydraulic speed ranges have been optimised with specific curves according to the requirements of the application. The Turtle speed represents the machine in loader mode, with speeds from 0 to 20kph, and the Rabbit speed is the driving mode, accelerating from 0 to 40kph.
“We have developed this new transmission to meet additional requirements requested by several end-customers. This solution is bringing more comfort, more safety, more peace of mind for customers and reduces their total cost of ownership,” says Hillbert.
Another benefit of the V-Drive transmission is its improved traction, providing a smoother, quieter and more seamless ride, free from jerks even when hauling fully-loaded trailers. It can adapt to any terrain with good grip and stability even when the operator is tackling rough ground or slippery surfaces. When developing the new V-Drive telehandlers, Bobcat collaborated with several manufacturers to ensure efficient operation, as Hillbert says. “The engine is manufactured by HDI (Hyundai) specifically for Bobcat. For the transmission, we closely cooperated with Linde for these V-Drive models. Moving to the wheel hubs, these are supplied by Dana, the cabin by Buisard and we are working with Pilot & Grammer for the seat. Alliance is the manufacturer of the standard tyres, but we also offer different options such as Michelin XMCL. We offer 460-24 as standard and can go to 500- 24 sizes. Therefore, all-in-all, we are using only the top, most reliable and very popular suppliers for the components of the V-Drive machines.”
Operator comfort is key
Following work with external acoustic experts to reduce the noise inside and outside the cab, the new V-Drive models are significantly quieter when in use. To achieve this, Bobcat made major changes, for example the hydraulic motor has been suspended with four rubber mounts resulting in a decrease of 60% in vibrations, and the whistle sound of the transmission has been fully eliminated. Coupled with smart functions like Cruise Control or Eco-Ride, operator comfort is optimal. Highlighting additional in-cab features, Hillbert notes: “There are numerous benefits, but we can mention the hand throttle, 7in touchscreen display with integrated radio and Bluetooth functionality, and a standard/dynamic transmission mode amongst others. All are offered as standard on the V-Drive models.”
Taking on the challenge
Designing any new telehandler presents its own set of challenges in terms of giving customers more bang for their buck, but Hillbert says it has accomplished this in the new V-Drive machines. “The main reason for the design was as an answer to voice of customer (VOC) requests. Listening to farmers using telehandlers is key and part of our DNA at Bobcat to make such developments a reality. And this VOC clearly highlighted comfort and productivity. Our main challenge was to keep the same performance we have with our gearbox transmission, and we are proud of what we have done because the performance of the V-Drive models is even better. Operators are at the centre of our developments and so we designed these new V-Drive models to offer more comfort and productivity while significantly improving the operator’s peace of mind and reducing the total cost of ownership.”
This article first appeared in the June issue of iVT