Get a Lift with Ex-Army kit

by Nick Drew | Wed 15 May 2019

Get a Lift with Ex-Army kit

We were recently contacted by American reader Robbie Bluett who wanted to share some photos of a machine which recently came along at his place of work in Springfield, Illinois.

Details are somewhat sketchy about what Robbie’s company does, but he says some of the kit stays with them for a while for their own use and some is sold on into other markets. This machine caught Robbie’s eye, it’s a 2013 model JLG Atlas II (All-Terrain Lifter Army System) which sounds like a posh title for a telehandler!

There were around somewhere in the region of 900 – 1000 of these machines produced for the US military in this order to supplement some 2,500 original Atlas models that were already in operation with the US Army around the globe.

Many of these machines are now being sold off as the military updates its fleet and as is often the case with military stock machines, they have done very little work overall and can be a great buy for people with a keen eye for a bargain.

These machines are powered by 4-cylinder John Deere diesel engine which offers a power output rating of 173hp. It features a variety of steering modes including 4-wheel, 2-wheel and crab steer. A three-stage telescopic boom offers a maximum reach of 28ft (8.5m) and it can lift loads of up to 10,000lbs (4,536kgs.

Robbie reports that the cabs are well appointed for a military vehicle, with “all the bells and whistles” he says.

A tilting frame is provided for ease of picking up loads on uneven ground and for keeping the load level when traversing inclines. “It’s a fantastic machine to operate and one of the best which has passed through our gates” concludes Robbie.

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