Diggers Hillhead Highlights (Part Two)

Continuing our look back at last weeks scorching hot Hillhead Show, and some of the things that caught my eye as I strolled around the quarry floor.

We enjoyed some superb hospitality on the CASE Construction Equipment stand across the 3 days and we were able to take a good look around a good range of products on display at their regular spot at Hillhead.

One of the standouts was the brand-new CASE 550SV backhoe loader. Once again this is another backhoe loader that will be an economical option for buyers who want a simpler but efficient machine, especially in the plant hire/rental fleet sectors.

Power comes from a 55kw (74hp) electronic Stage V emissions compliant diesel engine, which requires no AdBlue. A load-sensing hydraulic system with a variable volume pump also helps to reduce fuel consumption. CASE state that the machine also has additional premium features included as standard.

Up on the quarry face demonstration area CASE also displayed the 21-tonne class CX210ES hydraulic excavator, which is another economically viable option from the manufacturer. That machine was sporting the livery of Fairfax Plant Hire, who as I mentioned recently are also sponsoring the Hull Seahawks ice hockey team.

On the SMT GB (Volvo Construction Equipment) stand the dealer had plenty to look at including the new ECR255, the 25-tonne compact radius hydraulic excavator model certainly looks the part. One of my biggest regrets from the recent and awesome Volvo Days event in Eskilstuna, Sweden, was that I didn’t get a chance to get on the sticks of one of these as time was very limited.

Back with the backhoe loaders again now, and on the Hidromek stand, we caught up with our good friend and South West Hidromek dealer, Jason McCullough of MPS (South West) Ltd who was keen to show us the HMK102S which apparently was making its first appearance in the UK. Essentially a machine similar to a 4CX it has an operating weight of 9,580kg to 10,070 kg depending on specification. Power comes from a Stage V compliant, 4-cylinder, Perkins turbocharged diesel engine, offering a power output rating of 74.4kw (100hp) and fitted with a 6-in-1 front bucket with capacity ranging from 1.1-1.2 m³.

On the JCB stand they had a wide range of newly launched products, many of which we had seen at a recent international press launch event at the manufacturers Staffordshire base. These included the new 715 compact low ground pressure ADT which once again was displayed as a preview model.

The machine which sees a welcome return to the ADT market for JCB, features a 7.1m³ body capacity offering a 12,750kg payload. Power comes from a well proven Stage V JCB diesel engine providing 129kw (173hp) with 690Nm of torque @1,500rpm. A JCB 8-speed auto powershift transmission is fitted with active torque lock delivering a top speed of 40kph.

Star attraction on the demonstration area was the 52-tonne class JCB 520X hydraulic excavator, the largest excavator in the X-Series range, and indeed, ever built by JCB, an impressive machine which you can read my report on in the next edition of Earthmovers Magazine, in the shops this coming Friday.

SDLG is the latest Chinese entrant into the UK market, but of course we have been seeing their products around the international trade fairs for many years. Volvo Construction Equipment had held a 70% stake in the business, but they sold their share in the business last year in a deal valued at SEK 8 billion. This is an interesting development as we have friends and contacts involved in the company, so I’m looking forward to some potential test drive opportunities in the not-too-distant future.

The stand at Hillhead was dominated by the L958H EV electric powered wheeled loading shovel which is capable of working 8 hours on a single charge. Conventional powered hydraulic excavator, mini excavators and compact wheeled loaders were also presented, but the manufacturers portfolio of products is vast and we expect to see more coming to the UK in the future.

Another Chinese brand that we once used to work very closely with is LiuGong UK, and they presented and demonstrated a whole raft of their electric powered machines, including wheeled loaders, rigid dumptruck, hydraulic excavator and even a motor grader. On the stand was the 848TE wheeled loader, which features the futuristic and stylish design work of our good friend Gary Major.

We will round up our coverage of this years Hillhead Show on Friday, stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy our You Tube short walkaround video.