A Northern Ireland drainage contractor has just invested in yet another new Hydrema self-propelled compact dump truck after achieving excellent results with previous models. Chris McCullough reports
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The compact design allows the truck to work on narrow and congested sites
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Shifting muck and rubble on any building site can consume both a lot of time and fuel depending on the machinery being used by the contractors.
Every situation is different and every contractor has their own preferred method of moving material, whether it is a dump truck or tractor and dump trailer combination.
Jeffrey Wilson runs his contracting business Philip Wilson Drainage started off by his father back in the late ’60s. In 1974 the business further expanded into small drainage work and sub-contracting, mostly housing developments and later playing fields and golf courses. Agricultural drainage was the natural progression for the company to venture into after that.
Today, Philip Wilson Drainage runs an impressive fleet of over 20 machines including a new Hydrema 912F self-propelled dump truck, which it runs with an older Hydrema 912.
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Jeffrey Wilson runs his contracting business Philip Wilson Drainage started off by his father back in the late ’60s
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Hydrema first launched its compact dump truck back in 1983 and the 912 model has been a real success story gaining ground in many global markets over the years.
The manufacturer says the main reason for the success of the Hydrema 912 dump truck is found in the articulated and oscillating pivot point. The centre pivot with hydraulic stabilisers keep the machine stable and safe by automatically transferring the weight to where it is needed for added stability.
The pivot is centrally placed and increases manoeuvrability with a low turning radius of just 6.1m and great positioning characteristics.
The Hydrema 912F is powered by a state-of-the-art 147hp (110kW) Cummins engine that offers one of the best power-to-weight ratios on the market. Whether the machine is working on steep gradients or in poor ground conditions, the 912F has the power to cope. The high torque offers more power at lower revs, which improves fuel economy and noise levels.
Machine movement is controlled by a six speed ZF Soft-Shift transmission in either auto mode or manual shift.
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Wilson says self-propelled dump trucks are the way to go
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The compact design along with smart features like the swivelling dump body MultiTip allows the truck to work on minimal space on narrow and congested sites.
Due to a low net weight the dump truck has very low ground pressure which is down to 85kPa when carrying a full load of 10 tonnes.
The Hydrema 912F itself weighs 7.73 tonnes and can carry a payload of 10 tonnes. It measures 5.95m long, 2.75m high, 2.49m wide and can travel at 40km/hr.
Wilson has been involved in the business for over 30 years and has witnessed machinery technology evolve in that time. He is full of praise for the new Hydrema 912F and wouldn’t consider any other machine to haul material on a site.
“We carry out a lot of dump truck work on sites,” says Wilson. “Shifting rock and muck are usually the most common.
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Great visibility from the cab and camera showing the rear of the vehicle increases safety on sites
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“We used to use a tractor and dump trailer combination but soon switched to self-propelled dump trucks as there is nothing to beat them.
“Our oldest Hydrema is a 912 model built in 2001 and is still going strong. We really have no trouble from these Hydrema machines changing only the tyres after every 2,000 hours or so. Even at 18 years old this Hydrema is going well and is in use most days,” he says.
Wilson and his crew are currently working on a dairy farm near Templepatrick where they are preparing a site for a large cow shed.
“It’s quite a demanding site,” says Wilson. “We have dug out the area for the slurry tanks and are breaking rock on the other end of the site where concrete floors are going down.
“Both our Hydrema dump trucks have been well used here on this site as there was a lot of soil and rock to shift. There was a lot of rock breaking to do as well.
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The pivot is centrally placed and increases manoeuvrability
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“Our new Hydrema 912F is capable of carrying 10–12 tonnes depending on the material. I traded in a 2002 Hydrema 912 with Ballyward Plant Services in Castlewellan for the new Hydrema 912F.
“These machines will go virtually anywhere with the powerful Cummins engine and four wheel drive. What I really like about the new 912F is that it is easy to drive so any operator can get used to it fairly quickly.
“There is also super visibility from the cab and camera in place to show the rear of the vehicle which also increases safety on sites. On top of that there are very low noise levels inside the cab when the machine is running.
“My policy is to change them every five years or roughly every 4–5,000 hours. In my opinion there is nothing else on the market to rival these Hydrema compact dump trucks,” says Wilson.