At the Agritechnica 2025 exhibition in Hanover, Germany, Italy's Merlo S.p.A. publicly unveiled the new version of its mediumtonnage Turbofarmer telehandler for the first time, drawing attention in the agricultural material handling sector. Aligning with the organizer's theme of "Touch Smart Efficiency," Merlo highlighted systematic upgrades in machine structure, safety visibility, and digital connectivity. The company aims to provide more efficient, intelligent, and safe loading, unloading, and handling solutions for modern farms through this new generation of Turbofarmer products.

Merlo S.p.A., an Italian familyowned industrial group headquartered in San Defendente di Cervasca, Cuneo, Piedmont, specializes in the design and manufacturing of telehandlers and special machinery. Its products serve various sectors, including agriculture, construction, and material handling. Benefiting from a highly vertically integrated production system and continuous R&D investment, Merlo has established a global network and a leading position in the telehandler segment, making it one of Europe's most recognizable green telehandler brands.

At this year's Agritechnica, Merlo exhibited 14 machines, encompassing the eWORKER allelectric telehandler, the MULTIFARMER "telehandler + tractor" combination machine, and the heavyduty Turbofarmer series, among others. The Turbofarmer is positioned as a compact yet highperformance agricultural telehandler, with a maximum singlelift capacity of up to 6.5 tonnes. It primarily serves highfrequency material handling scenarios such as feed loading/unloading, grain truck loading, and silage stacking. The newly debuted models are the "refreshed versions" of the mediumtonnage Turbofarmer family, represented by the TF42 and TF38 models. The new series is scheduled to be gradually launched into the market starting in 2026.

Regarding structure and appearance, the updated Turbofarmer first features a redesigned external bodywork. The new fender styling enhances the vehicle's visual identity while improving tire coverage and mud/water management, helping to reduce contamination impact on key components in challenging terrain. The cab is connected to the chassis via a new system of antivibration rubber mounts, further reducing vibrations and noise, thereby providing a more stable and quieter working environment for prolonged operation.

Focusing on operator accessibility and operational safety, the entry step and handhold layout of the Turbofarmer have also been optimized. Wider steps, more ergonomically positioned handholds, and adjustments to the door opening angle make entering and exiting the cab more natural during frequent use. Simultaneously, the engineering team, by readjusting the bonnet lines, telehandler linkage points, and cab glass area, has significantly improved forward and side/rear visibility. This allows operators to identify potential obstacles more quickly when loading/unloading trucks, stacking materials, and maneuvering around farmyards, reducing blind spot risks.

Performancewise, the new generation Turbofarmer incorporates a completely new telehandler boom concept. The optimization focuses on the boom crosssection, steel structure layout, and the matching of sliders and guides. This aims to enhance lifting performance and working height while controlling boom weight and extending the lifespan of key components. Under mediumtonnage working conditions, these structural improvements are evident not only in the load capacity curve under extreme conditions but also in faster cycle times and more refined control response during daily highfrequency handling operations.

Digitalization is another key theme highlighted by Merlo at the exhibition. The entire Turbofarmer range can be connected to Merlo's proprietary remote information platform, MerloMobility. This platform is already operational on over ten thousand units and offers features such as remote diagnostics, realtime sensor data monitoring, geofencing, remote engine shutdown, fuel consumption analysis, and equipment location tracking. For farm owners and fleet managers, this means more intuitive insight into equipment status, enabling proactive maintenance scheduling to avoid unexpected downtime, while also optimizing overall operating costs through fuel consumption and working time statistics.

In the realm of active safety, Merlo also showcased its new generation intelligent camerabased "Pedestrian Detection" system. This system uses cameras installed around the machine to continuously monitor the surrounding area. If it identifies a person within a dangerously close range, it can alert the operator and, if necessary, intervene with the equipment to help avoid collisions. This solution is particularly suitable for environments like livestock farms, grain silos, and cooperative member farms where multiple machines operate and personnel movement is frequent, adding a layer of "algorithmic safety" on top of traditional "hardware safety."

The updated Turbofarmer launched by Merlo at Agritechnica 2025 is not merely a cosmetic upgrade. It represents a comprehensive redesign focused on the core mediumtonnage telehandler segment, encompassing mechanical structure, operator experience, digital connectivity, and active safety. As demands for efficiency, sustainability, and safety in European agriculture continue to rise, mediumtonnage telehandlers represented by the Turbofarmer are rapidly evolving from "simple handling tools" into "integrated material handling platforms with perception, connectivity, and safety functions." For the global agricultural equipment industry, this trend also indicates that the future focus of competition in telehandler products will increasingly converge on intelligent and systemic capabilities.