Porter Press: Benedict Industries

Benedict Industries has recently taken delivery of two new Hyundai wheel loaders from Porter Group

New South Wales-based wholesaler and reseller of quarried, recycled second-generation machines, we chose the current HL770-9s that they have but there and landscaping products, Benedict Industries, has recently added two new wheel loaders to its fleet – the Hyundai HL975 and the Hyundai HL980. The former has been put to use at Benedict’s Mittagong quarry, while the latter is being used by the team at Appin Sands, a joint venture between Benedict Industries and Pacsons Quarries.

Paul Arnold, who owns Pacsons Quarries, is a 50 per cent owner of Appin Sands, with Benedict owning the other 50 per cent. Arnold is also the operations manager of Benedict Sands Mittagong and Appin quarries for nearly two decades. He was the man behind the decision to buy these two machines from Porter Group.

Since the machines are not yet available in the Australian market, the team at Porter Group invited Arnold to travel to Korea for special test drives to help in his decision.

“We’ve been buying Hyundai from the Porter Group for the past three generations of machines,” Arnold says. “We’ve had excellent association with Hyundai. When it came to replacing there were two loaders that we had that were HL780 loaders and I just required something more than these machines were able to deliver – something faster and with more carrying capacity.

“When I explained this to the team at Porter Equipment, they told me that they have a new range of wheel loaders in Korea and North America that can meet our requirements. So we went to Korea for a test drive. We went to a cement plant and a shipping terminal and had a trial of a HL975 loader and a HL980 loader. Even though the sites were different to what we have here in Australia, we were happy with the tests and so we decided to go ahead with those two models.”

Both these models are part of Hyundai’s new HL Series, which also includes the HL955 and the HL960.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

The Hyundai HL980 wheel loader has an operating weight of 31,000 kg. With its Scania DC13 engine that can produce 283 kW power, 4.80 to 5.60 cubic meter bucket capacity and 24,000 kg tipping load, the HL980 is at the top of Hyundai’s wheel loader line-up.

It is a heavy-duty performer that is agile and smooth despite its size. Designed for the largest material handling applications, the HL980 is ideal for work in quarries, mines, demolition, and industrial operations. Hyundai has made multiple cab improvements in an effort to make the work of the user easier and more comfortable. Features such as automatic air conditioning, improved steering column, ergonomically placed FNR (forward/neutral/ reverse) joystick controls, and best-in-class visibility – all add value to the machine.

Other features include an efficient cooling system with an all-aluminium reversible fan, rubber mounts that reduce vibration, and optional an axle cooler that prevents the oil temperature from rising to dangerously high levels.

Meanwhile, the HL975 wheel loader is powered by a Cummins QSG12 engine with a maximum gross power of 250 kW at 2100 rpm (net power 247 kW). Higher efficiency air handling and advanced combustion enable the QSG12 to return to the simplicity of a wastegate turbocharger without the need for a cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). It has an operating weight of 26,500kg.

Like the HL980, the HL975 features new exterior design for more robustness and safety. The 10 per cent larger ROPS/ FOPS new cabin with fully adjustable seat offers an ergonomic working environment for improved comfort.

“Both these machines have Tier IV engines that cut back on the emissions. The current machines in Australia don’t have this technology yet. The new machines also have AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid on them, which is not present in any of the previous or current models in Australia. They also have motion detection camera systems that give 2D and 3D views of the surroundings, which is a great safety feature that reduces the possibility of accidents.

“With changes in circumstances due to Covid-19 it took a few months for the machines to arrive. Although we have only been using them for around a month but we have noticed that the fuel consumption, in particular, seems to be much better compared to the older models. In the older series the fuel consumption used to be 24 litres per hour but in the new machines it is 17 litres per hour in the same type of work surface, which is a significant saving for us,” Arnold says.

TRUST IN PORTER

Hyundai Construction Equipment combines state-of-the art earthmoving equipment and technology, giving operators maximum performance, more precision, versatile machine preferences, and proven quality. An extensive range of Hyundai wheel loaders and excavators are available in Australia through the Porter Group.

Arnold has a long working relationship with Porter and one of the key reasons to choose the Hyundai models was because of his faith in Porter’s after-sales support.

“The team at Porter Group has given us excellent backup service so far. That was the other reason why we chose Hyundai, because of the relationship we have built with them in the last three generations of machines. They have been doing the maintenance for the life of the machines for us.

“They have always stood by us and helped us with any issues, not that there have been many problems, but in case of any problem they are there in a flash to fix it and get us going again because we can’t afford to have any downtime with our machines.

“We don’t have any spare machines sitting around with us so the service team at Porter either resolve the problem right away or they give us a replacement machine till they can – something we greatly appreciate.”

For more information, visit www.portergroup.com.au

Photography: Tim Robson