@Gunners - What don't you like about an Avant?? I'd have thought they'd be right up your street. Nimble, efficient, towable and don't make a mess unless the conditions are atrocious.
Settle down gents, here's my rant on Avants.
I've driven 500's, 600's, 700's and yes the mighty 860. To be fair, the 600 series is very capable for its size, probably the best compromise of size vs weight. The 860 in particular, whilst very powerful, is too big for the concept in my opinion. Visibility is impossible to the headstock when its lowered and you're trying to hook up an attachment, and visibility to the forks isn't great when they are below the level of the dashboard like in these pics. I'd hate to have one with a cab because I spend so much time hanging my head out the side to see what the F*** I'm doing.
The build quality isn't great with paint flaking off and plastic panels that snap if you lean against the machine too hard. Also plagued with electric issues, every one I've had on hire has either had water behind the screen on the dashboard, the gogo pedals playing up thinking you're pressing them both, or some other random intermittent fault. The 760's love to snap/ twist on the boom when you push them to lift something at their limit - a well documented issue - its happened to me too! I also hate the boom in and out is on a button on the joystick so is like stabbing with the tele. Why cant it have a roller like every other machine. You can use the little lever on the dash but that means taking your hand off the joystick which isn't very useful when you also need to boom down when you tele out GENTLY!!!
But by far the worst thing I don't like with them is you have to be 100% straight when you line up for a lift. In tight spaces this isn't always possible and if you try to steer the front end acts like a swinging hammer of destruction using the load you're carrying as the trebuchet.
Awful machine, good luck to whoever runs one of them day to day, they aren't for me.
Oh and the dealer backup is crap, as said by another user on here!
To be fair to Doobin, I think he made the right choice with the Multione, from what I can see, they look better made, although have never driven one and will still suffer from some of the inherent issues I don't like with the design of these mini loaders, but its the one I would buy if you forced me to own one again.
