Product Focus: Porter Group & Murray Earthmoving

Murray Earthmoving has been utilising Hyundai civil construction equipment for some time now. With several machines from the trusted manufacturer’s range already on the fleet, the arrival of the latest Hyundai HX300L signals big improvements for operator safety, as well the company’s bottom line

This Hyundai HX300L crawler excavator is the latest piece of Hyundai machinery to join Murray Earthmoving’s fleet

Taking its name from the picturesque river that winds its way alongside the rural South Australian settlement it calls home, Nildottie’s Murray Earthmoving might hail from a small town, but when it comes to operations, Kay and Tony Zito, and their team, have a big footprint.

“We have worked all over South Australia since we commenced operations in 2014,” says field project manager, Tony.

“We’ve been involved in civil construction work up as far as Whyalla and Port Augusta at the top of the Spencer Gulf, as well as throughout the Murray River region.

“It’s fair to say Greater Adelaide is also a prime spot for us. We have consolidated some of our wider operations recently to focus on the Joe Belperio Group’s Mount Barker development, about 30km east of downtown Adelaide.”

The Mount Barker project will see approximately 500 house lots developed in stages over the next five to six years. Murray Earthmoving has only been on-site since late summer, so there remains plenty for Murray Earthmoving to do.

“We enjoy a great relationship with Joe Belperio and we’re looking forward to providing an end-to-end service to the Group at Mount Barker. We’re implementing stormwater and sewer infrastructure, building roads, and developing the individual sections – we’re a one-stop-shop,” says Tony.

The Hyundai brand, sourced through Porter Group, has provided Murray Earthmoving with a catch-all solution over the last seven years as well. The brand-new Hyundai HX300L crawler excavator gracing these pages is just the latest example in a lengthy line of Hyundai equipment Murray Earthmoving has invested in.

Tony was first introduced to the brand when he needed a mini excavator for a particular project. Impressed with the performance of the Hyundai R55-9 he opted for, the compact machine was soon joined by other bigger models.

Field project manager Tony Zito and Donald Fullerton

A Hyundai R250LC-9 followed, along with a popular Hyundai R210LC-9 mid-size excavator and a Hyundai R140LC-9 with a dozer blade attachment. Today, Murray Earthmoving also has a Hyundai HL757-9 wheel loader on its fleet.

Regardless of age, Tony says the team really looks after the gear. The 21-tonne Hyundai R210LC-9 has over

3,000 hours on it “but it’s also still got the factory plastic on the seat!” he laughs.

“There aren’t any scratches on our gear – we take a lot of pride in that fact. It comes down to making sure our guys value the machinery they’re using and don’t take any chances.”

Thanks to advances in the extensive suite of safety equipment now available to Hyundai owners and operators, along with improvements in running costs and wear items, taking care of that machine investment is even easier.

Unveiled across Australasia by Porter Equipment last year, the new Hyundai HX crawler excavator range features a number of significant upgrades to both the cab and operator console, as well as the technological features set at the operator’s fingertips.

These include an all-new instrument cluster with a redesigned display, which groups together logical electronic functions for the operator. The new widescreen display mirrors that of most smartphone screens, offering a function hierarchy that feels familiar right from the very first use. The new screen also offers excellent legibility in a variety of light levels and working environments.

Hyundai also completed a lot of development work on a new heating and ventilation system for HX series machines. This system features new vents and directs air flow throughout the cab in a much more efficient manner in order to maintain operator comfort and alertness. Similar behind-the-scenes efforts have gone into ensuring the cab boasts lower noise and vibration levels than in past models.

Murray Earthmoving’s fleet includes a Hyundai R210LC-9 mid-size excavator

“We needed the new 30-tonner for our work at Mount Barker,” adds Tony.

“It has only been with us for a month, but you can identify the advances in the new machine immediately. It’s really impressive and only increases my confidence in the company purchasing Hyundai equipment.”

Perhaps the most recognisable change that has taken place with the HX line-up is the cab, which boasts 13 per cent more space over the previous design.

“That spacious cab is really noticeable,” confirms Tony.

“But the 30-tonner is also really smooth, has a very comfortable seat and heaps of outward visibility, which is hugely important on a busy sub-division site with rollers and loaders buzzing past all day.”

Tony says he is also very impressed with the 360° camera system. Known as Advanced Around View Monitoring (AAVM), which has nine cameras – including a 3D ‘bird’s eye’ view that shows the excavator and its immediate surroundings from above. This gives an operator a secure field of vision right around the machine.

Hyundai has also introduced an Intelligent Moving Object Detection system as part of AAVM. This sounds an alarm to let the operator know when a person or object is detected within their range of operation, up to five metres away, adding further to the Hyundai HX300L’s inbuilt safety systems.

Elsewhere, Murray Earthmoving’s Hyundai HX300L also offers the company plenty of bang-for-buck in terms of its engineering and running costs.

A Hyundai HL740-9 wheel loader runs alongside the excavators

Hyundai HX series machines use more wear-resistant parts, high-grade high-pressure hydraulic hoses with improved heat and pressure resistance, and reinforced components in the design and build of both the upper and lower structures.

The Hyundai HX series also features a new, durable cooling system with increased air flow and improved lubricity of connecting parts between the machine and attachments using wear-resistant long-life pins, bushes and polymer shins.

These are all designed to lengthen front-line service life for components and build on the already hard-wearing reputation Hyundai machinery enjoys.

“I have to say, outside of the standard warranty servicing, we’ve barely had any issues with our Hyundai gear,” continues Tony.

“I’m scratching my head, but over the years I think we’ve had an issue with a door lock and an issue with a fuel cap, but that’s it!”

Something that hasn’t changed with the arrival of the Hyundai HX line-up is Australian distributor Porter Equipment’s reputation for comprehensive customer support in the field.

“Dan [Colmer, service technician] in the Adelaide workshop is fantastic to deal with. If I ever needed to, I’m confident I could make one phone call and know the problem would be sorted without any dramas. You can’t under-value good service and, just like the service we want to provide our clients, the Porter Equipment guys provide great support to us as well.”

Add the latest innovations in excavator technology to the mix with the new Hyundai HX series machines, and Murray Earthmoving looks set to continue providing a reliable, quality service across South Australia for many years to come.