SED look back a reader recalls

by Nick Drew | Thu 11 May 2017

SED look back a reader recalls

With this years Plantworx show just a few weeks away I thought we would take a look back at this blog from my archives with photos sent in by Neil Grainger of Always Digging fame.

Many of us have fond memories of the SED show when it was held at Fen Farm in Milton Keynes, including Neil Grainger who recalls some of his visits back in the day when SED was the UK’s top show. Neil kicks off with this shot of a Fiat-Hitachi, which had been adapted by Ipswich based long reach specialists Kocurek, and was badged as a KH380.

Here’s a great shot of the last of the true red and grey Poclains in action at the show, in the form of a Poclain 61P wheeled excavator (rubber duck). The machine is shown loading an unusual dumptruck, the identity of which eludes me right now, but I am wondering if it might have been an early Astra based truck fitted with an ejector body?

No matter which show you are attending, you are always guaranteed and great performance from Caterpillar, with a varied line up of kit to be demonstrated. SED was no exception, as this shot featuring a nice Cat D5C XL in the holding pen shows.

The great thing about SED was always the fact that visitors could get “hands on” with the kit on the digging plots. This is something that has been a main focus in the organising of Plantworx since its first show in 2013, where potential customers, including operators and owners, get the chance to try before they buy in a close to real life digging situation on the showground. It was always a focal point in the earlier days of SED, as we see in this shot as Neil Grainger himself departs from a H. E. Services branded Komatsu PC120-5 which he had just put through its paces on the Marubeni Komatsu plot. I loved the Komatsu PC120-5 myself, having operated a number of them for Fareham based H. T. Hughes back in the day.

The demonstration operator on this Daewoo DH130-2 is putting the machine through an extreme manoeuvre in a blatant display of showing off! Of course this kind of practice, while not acceptable on site, is almost expected at shows where the operators are keen to put on a stunning show that will draw the crowds to their particular stand. Its showmanship of the highest order, and I for one look forward to just what the demonstration operators have in store for us at this years Plantworx.

This Danish built Hydrema backhoe loader was an interesting concept, which I believe was capable of 280 degree slew. I’m not sure how many were built, or if they were sold in any great volume at the time, but it’s often unusual machines like this that catch the eye at the shows.

Here is a great shot of what appears to be a 30 ton class Series 2 Samsung excavator getting to grips with the heavy clay ground at Fen Farm. I suspect this was from the era when Samsung machines were sold by a company called Sampower. Samsung of course went on to be acquired by Volvo in 1998.

No UK show would be complete without the presence of JCB, without doubt one of the biggest success stories of British industry and one we should all be very proud of. This shot shows an early example of a JS300LC from the alliance of JCB and Sumitomo, with a JCB 3CX on the heap in the background.

Here’s a name we don’t see much at UK shows anymore, Hitachi, which is a real shame as the popular orange machines have a massive following here. I can recall the time when our main UK dealer HM Plant, always had a stand at SED, as seen in this shot featuring this Hitachi EX600 and a Fiat-Hitachi FD145 dozer in the background, at work on the demo plot.

And once more on the HM Plant – Fiat Hitachi stand, this FL175 crawler loader was attracting the attention of a keen punter climbing aboard for a closer look inside the cab.

Of course no look back at SED would be complete without a look at our good friend Doug Potter up to his antics on the Hyundai digging plot. In this shot it appears that Doug is about to make his ascent to the summit of his man made mountain, in a Robex 130-3. Once on top of the heap he would have no doubt treated the assembled crowd to one of his famous “Eddie the Eagle” dismounts sliding down the gloopy clay heap at Fen Farm. Doug was a star attraction at SED and always pulled the crowds onto the Hyundai stand, there has really never been anyone quite like him since he retired.

Plantworx 2017 is already 96% sold out and there are currently 370 exhibitors signed up with 150 of them being brand new to the show. Most plant people I know love a good show and it won’t be longer to wait now. I will see you there, now let’s all pray for some decent weather! The Digger Man Blog thanks Always Digging’s Neil Grainger for sharing these nostalgic photos with us.

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