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TPH Plant Hire takes first six Hyundai excavators

Kent-based TPH Plant Hire has added six Hyundai compact excavators to its fleet, as it looks to keep pace with growing demand from long-term customers across the country. The deal, one of the first for recently appointed Hyundai dealer Rygor Plant, includes two 1.8-tonne HX17Az minis, two HX30Az 3.0-tonners and two 8.5-tonne HX85A midis.

“We buy around 120 machines a year, from a variety of manufacturers, but these are our first Hyundais,” said company owner Paul Newman. “We have a very good relationship with Rygor Plant however, for other equipment, so we wanted to give the machines a try.”

The compact excavators have already started working on projects across the UK and feedback from site has been so positive that the company is already considering further purchases. “We are thinking about buying some more, we’ll possibly be looking at up to 50 machines next year from Hyundai,” said Mr Newman.

TPH Plant Hire started out as Tara Plant Hire in 1992, with a fleet that mainly consisted of backhoe loaders. Much of the company’s work was with utility and rail contractors. Mr Newman and two of his colleagues purchased the company from its original Managing Director in 2003 and he became the sole owner in 2011.

“We needed to diversify from just backhoe loaders and we did a deal with another manufacturer for 50 mini excavators, from 1.5-8-tonnes,” said Mr Newman.

The company continued to serve the utility market, as it too moved from a reliance on backhoes to other equipment, including compact excavators. Since that time the range of customers has also expanded, with around 40% of business now in general construction and 20% in housebuilding. Utility contractors continue to make up an import part of the business though, often taking machines for up to a year at a time.

“We will travel anywhere as many of these machines are on longer term hire,” said Mr Newman.

TPH currently has more than 1,000 pieces of equipment on its fleet. This includes excavators from micros to 15-tonners, 1-9 tonne site dumpers, telescopic handlers, compaction equipment and yes, there are still some backhoes on the fleet.

“The majority of the 180° machines are operated and we can supply operators for the 360°s, although most are taken on a self-drive basis,” said Mr Newman.

TPH tends to change its equipment on a three to four-year basis and the company only uses supplying dealers for warranty work, having its own service department in-house. These engineers, along with other members of the TPH team also have plenty to say on the machinery that the company buys, giving the thumbs up to the latest Hyundais.

“The 3-tonner is very good, although they all look the part,” said Plant Operations Manager Tim Holland. “But the 8-tonne Hyundai is just a dream machine.”

Hyundai’s HX17Az is the smallest model in the firm’s latest generation of mini excavators. Powered by a Stage V 12.1kW (16hp) diesel engine, the zero tailswing machine is available with a ROPS/TOPS cab or a canopy. Several dipper arm lengths are offered, along with a heavy counterweight option if required. As with the larger models, the HX17Az can be ordered with Hyundai’s HiMate telematic system, providing real-time data and monitoring.

The HX30Az also benefits from a zero-tail design. The 2.9-tonne machine is powered by an 18.5kW (24.8hp) diesel engine and it features auto-shift travel, an overload warning, an anti-theft system and safety valves on the boom, arm and dozer blade cylinders to ensure safe digging and lifting.

The largest of the Hyundai compact machines, the HX85A tips the scales at just under 8.5-tonnes. A powerful Stage V 49.5kW (66hp) diesel engine drives a load sensing hydraulic system, for improved control and efficiency. Available with a choice of monoboom or two-piece main boom, the HX85A can be ordered with standard or long dipper arm options. The spacious cab delivers the ideal operator environment for all-day comfort, ensuring high performance on any job site.

As the TPH Plant Hire business continues to expand, with demand from contractors across an increasingly diverse range of industry sectors, the fleet looks set to grow further. Through a strong relationship with Rygor Plant, it looks like Hyundai machinery could play an even bigger role in the future.

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