Italian construction machinery manufacturer Merlo has introduced the P 27.6, a new telescopic loader specifically designed for construction contractors in urban high-rise construction and interior fit-out. The machine offers a maximum lifting capacity of 2.7 tons at a lifting height of 6 meters – a combination that makes it ideal for confined construction sites with high demands on maneuverability and vertical material transport.
With this positioning, Merlo is entering a fiercely competitive market segment where established providers such as Manitou and JCB have been active for years. The P 27.6 apparently fills a gap in Merlo's own product portfolio between smaller compact loaders and large-volume telehandlers for agriculture and logistics. For you as a construction contractor, this means: another option when you need to move materials on multi-story construction sites without relying on a heavy crane.
The payload of 2.7 tons at full extension can typically be used for pallets of stones, prefabricated parts, or roof tiles. Six meters of lifting height is sufficient for supplying the second floor – a standard scenario in residential construction. Whether Merlo uses a continuously variable hydrostatic drive or installs a conventional transmission is not yet apparent from the available information. The question of motorization also remains open: Does the machine already meet EU Stage V emissions standards, or is it a transitional version?
The market positioning strategy will be interesting. Merlo must compete against market leaders like Manitou with their established MT series or JCB with their Loadall models. The deciding factors will not only be the raw performance data, but also factors such as maintenance intervals, spare parts logistics, and the availability of service centers in Germany. For compact telescopic loaders, axle load and tires also play an important role when you want to use the machine on sensitive surfaces or inside existing buildings.
Whether the P 27.6 can also be equipped with hydraulic quick-change systems for attachments – such as sweeping buckets, pallet forks, or work platforms – will become clear in practice. For fleet managers, this flexibility is an important purchasing criterion as it increases machine utilization across different trades and accelerates amortization.
Further technical details and pricing information for the Merlo P 27.6 will likely be announced at upcoming trade fairs. If you are already considering investments in compact telescopic loaders, you should examine comparable machines in this segment alongside the new Merlo model – particularly regarding fuel consumption, lifting torque, and the option to retrofit telematics systems for fleet management.
