Reliable Handler Moves 560t Of Compost Every 24h

Denny mushroom farms throughout the country are using Maniscopic MLT machines to carry out a host of daily functions. At the group’s Deodar site near Krugersdorp, a versatile MLT 845 materials handler is used to load a hopper with about 560t of compost every two days, as well as to move 180t of peat a week. To add to the challenge, the MLT has to perform the majority of its work on an elevated concrete platform only a few meters in size.

“This is the main reason for our decision to go with a Manitou – none of the other machines could operate in such a confined space,” explains engineering manager at Denny Deodar, Wietsche Roets. “The Maniscopic’s extremely tight turning circle, three steering modes and overall manoeuvrability means the operator can make light work of a task that could not previously be mechanised.”

Producing 80t of hand-picked mushrooms a week, Denny Deodar cannot afford to fall behind in the preparation of compost nor peat, as the company keeps around 3 000 sqm of mushrooms in various stages of cultivation at any point in time. “We therefore look for the most reliable, easy to use and low maintenance equipment solutions available to us, and I have to say that Manitou embodies those requirements precisely.”

Having trained both Denny Deodar’s operators on site, Manitou South Africa also carries out routine servicing of the hardworking telescopic handler on the client’s site. In addition, the French materials handling equipment manufacturer has locally designed and manufactured a custom made attachment to accommodate specific tasks at Denny Deodar that fell outside the parameters of the company’s broad range of standard attachments.

“We needed a way to break out compost from the tunnels, where it often compacts to unbelievable levels of density and hardness,” says Denny Deodar’s Brian Tipper. “Product specialists at Manitou investigated the application, and manufactured a sturdy fork frame that now carries out the task as easily as any other materials handling function.” Manitou also produced a special man-cage for added protection to the Maniscopic’s cab.


Four-wheel, crab- and two-wheel steering modes allow the Maniscopic MLT, available in models as compact as 2m wide by 2 m high, to work in previously inaccessible areas where materials handling machines were concerned. Having eliminated rear overhang in the MLT’s design and incorporated a telescopic boom that can reach up to 7,5m, the machine has no real equal when it comes to performing materials handling tasks in rugged, confined spaces. Its extensive range of attachments can be replaced in under a minute, allowing a variety of totally different functions to be carried out almost uninterrupted.

“Growing mushrooms is a specialised function that requires as many of the parameters involved to be controlled as closely as possible, from raw material supply to the accurate control of temperature and humidity,” concludes Denny Deodar’s James McClaren. “The Manitou affords us the piece of mind that we will have peat and compost available every day when and where we need it.”

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