VersaHandler TTC Increases Productivity

Joe Chapman says his company’s VersaHandler TTC can take the place of other equipment at a jobsite.

You don’t realize what all you can use the machine for until you own it.” That’s how general contractor Joe Chapman describes the VersaHandler® telescopic tool carrier (TTC). He and Troy Trahan own Trahan and Chapman, Inc., Lake Arthur, La., and rely on the telescopic when doing residential, commercial and industrial construction projects.

They purchased a model V623 VersaHandler machine, which provides a 23-ft. lifting height and a 6,500-lb. rated load capacity, when they won a contract to build a 47,000 sq. ft. commercial structure. They wanted more lift height and versatility than they could get with their existing forklift.

“We needed a machine to place a lot of metal roof trusses,” Chapman says. “Also, we were attracted to the V623 because it can use different types of attachments. We used our VersaHandler TTC throughout that year-long project and didn’t need to bring another piece of equipment to the jobsite.”

Using a 2-cu.-yd. utility bucket and other Bobcat attachments (auger and pallet forks), the company has found plenty of ways to save time and labor with the V623—drilling holes for concrete pilings, placing sheets of plywood for roofing crews, loading dirt into dump trucks and unloading palleted materials.

VersaHandler TTC

Size is another of the V623’s strengths, Chapman notes. “It’s big enough, but not too big. Since most of the buildings we work on are no higher than two stories, we don’t need a larger tool carrier. Also, we work in many limited-access areas, and the V623 is easier to maneuver than bigger machines.”

In addition to their Versa-Handler telescopic, the company owns a Bobcat compact track loader and a Bobcat compact excavator all purchased from Bobcat of Lake Charles. “Each machine has its own place in our work,” Chapman says. “We use our V623 when we need the extra reach or heavier lifting capacity. For example, if we have a lot of dirt to move, we’ll use the V623 with its bigger bucket instead of our track loader.”

Moving dirt or any other cargo and maneuvering the machine is easy, thanks to various transmission and steering features. Switching the transmission from drive mode to work mode, for example, allows operators to drive at slower speeds while maintaining higher engine rpm for hydraulics and wheel torque. “We use that when moving and loading dirt and other heavy loads or when spreading rock,” Chapman says.

While front-wheel steer is reserved for road travel, the V623 is usually operated on the jobsite in all-wheel steer to take advantage of a tight-turning radius, he notes. Crab-steering is used for moving sideways quickly and easily when working close to buildings. “It’s very handy for setting trusses and maneuvering in tight areas,” Chapman says.

For a construction firm like Trahan and Chapman, which tackles a variety of projects, the multi-purpose, high-performance VersaHandler V623 has proven to be a very valuable machine.