A Blantyre-based contractor has recently added a new package of Volvo excavators to its already extensive fleet of equipment, with plans to add more in the ‘immediate future’.
Advance Construction purchased its first Volvo compact excavators eight years ago, then again in 2012. The company provides groundworks and civil engineering services with specific services including bulk earthworks; drainage; road construction; utilities; and hard and soft landscaping.
“Opting for Volvo has proved to be good decision for us. The machines have performed faultlessly, they give a good return on the investment and not least have been well appreciated by our machine operators, so as we continue to expand, opting for more Volvo excavators hasn’t been a difficult decision,” said Gareth Mollan, plant manager at Advance Construction.
“This time we’ve added ten new ECR88D reduced swing excavators, eight EC55Cs, 13 EC140E excavators, another EC210E and our largest excavator so far – a 25-tonne EC250E. This now brings our fleet of Volvo excavators to a total of 123 and will be looking to add still more Volvos in the immediate future.”
Gareth continued, “One of the key factors to our continuing success and growth is retaining good excavator operators and so we take particular notice of their opinions.
“Needless to say, we find ourselves ordering progressively more Volvo branded machines as they are much appreciated and very well-liked by the more discerning excavator operator.”
Meanwhile, Carluke-based R Tough Plant Hire has just taken delivery of a brand-new Volvo EC220E. Established in 2006, the firm has been associated with Volvo Construction Equipment products.
“Our first Volvo was an EC140B, which was quickly followed by an EC210, an EC360 in 2008 and an EC380E three years ago,” said Robbie Tough, managing director.
“Overall, the Volvo is a good and reliable product and certainly takes a lot of beating when it comes to operator comfort.”
More recently, the company has expanded into general plant hire activities, with larger long-term contracts including bulk earth moving and significant involvement within the landfill, waste and demolition sectors. Robbie made the decision to increase the fleet with another general-purpose excavator that could be deployed on any of these activities, which led to the purchase of the new EC220E.
He explained, The EC220E fits our current requirements and if it performs half as well as our existing EC210B, I’ll be more than delighted with it.”
The EC220E is powered by a six-cylinder Volvo engine and is described by the manufacturer as offering the latest in engineering technology and operating sophistication. Pump flow is controlled for combined digging and swinging operations to reduce the flow loss through the overload relief valves, whilst maintaining digging power and maximum swing torque.
The Volvo Care Cab features pressurised and filtered cab air supplied by a 14-vent climate control system, and an LCD colour monitor which provides real-time information of the machine functions.
R Tough Plant Hire’s new EC220E has been supplier in standard specification, which includes hose rupture valves to both boom and dipper cylinders, quick-fit hydraulics and hammer/shear hydraulic lines. The combination of the 5.7m boom and 2.9m dipper arm gives the machine a maximum digging reach of 9.93 metres and a dig depth of 6.73 metres.
The practical dumping height of the EC220E is 6.55 metres and its maximum lifting capacity across carriage at full reach is 2.8 tonnes.
