Toyota beefs up forklift range

Toyota Materials Handling Australia (TMHA) has finalised its 2017 product line-up which features a number of new machines to better support its customers.

The new rigs include a new power-steered walkie reach truck, a new sit down reach truck, and an update of its Mini Mover electric pallet jack and walkie stacker.

"In keeping with the Toyota philosophy of Kaizen, or 'continuous improvement', TMHA is always striving to offer the highest quality products and services possible that meet the varied needs of our customers," says TMHA national sales and product manager, Jim Lobow.

TMHA's new SWE120XR walkie reach stacker with retractable mast features a tight turning radius, and comes with power steering and mast tilt as standard. TMHA says its compact size and versatility makes it an ideal unit for work in narrow aisles and cold storage applications.

Key features of the SWE120XR reach truck include mast position sensor, controlled reach speeds and soft start and stop function.

The mast tilt range is 1.2 degrees forwards and 1.8 degrees backwards, which TMHA says makes manoeuvring loads in narrow aisles and accessing goods in hard-to-reach racking a breeze. All driver controls are located on the tiller arm for smooth and precise control.

The SWE120XR features Toyota's Optimised Truck Performance (OTP) technology which controls acceleration, braking and steering depending on speed. A Click-2-Creep function enables the driver to operate the walkie stacker with the arm in an upright position at very low speeds, to improve driveability in confined areas.

Another new model that TMHA will be introducing is the new BT Reflex RRE H Series sit-down reach truck.

"The new BT Reflex RRE H Series has a new generation 'true vision' mast that offers greater reach height of 13m, up from 10.5m," Lobow says.

"The new, higher capacity mast can handle more weight at a greater height, making it a more robust and versatile option than many of its competitors."

Other features of the Toyota BT Reflex RRE H Series reach truck include upgraded steering, with four pre-defined operator settings; and a redesigned overhead guard for improved visibility.

The cab comes with a floor and seat that are both fully adjustable to suit operators' individual needs. A steering and control console, plus a new accelerator pedal all come standard.

In addition, TMHA has also updated the Toyota Mini Mover LWE130 compact electric-powered pallet jack and HWE100S stacker with a more secure, PIN code access.

"This popular feature assists managers and supervisors in restricting unauthorised use of the pallet jack by assigning operator codes, thereby increasing security and safe use in the warehouse," Lobow says.

Both models also feature Click-2-Creep technology and a narrow chassis to provide excellent manoeuvrability in confined working areas.

TMHA says it expects its updated product range to be available to customers early in the second half of 2017.