LIEBHERR has revealed that its reputation as the ‘go to’ manufacturer for wheeled excavators has been reinforced by a surge in sales to customers across Scotland.
The ‘duck’ range from 12 to 27-tonnes is claimed to be the widest available from any manufacturer and users north of the border have been taking full advantage of the options.
With an operating weight of around 12.5 tonnes, the A 910 Compact is the smallest in the range and has made its mark with customers looking for an ultra-compact machine but with the capabilities of a larger model. One of those customers is McMillan Plant Hire of West Lothian which acquired a pair of the A 910 units to work on the Edinburgh Trams extension project. Director Shaun McMillan explained, “We took the A 910 Compacts because they fit the bill for projects like this. They are small enough to get into some of the tighter spots on site but provide us with the productivity of larger machine.”
Bruce Scott, MD of Kirriemuir-based Delson Contracts, is another admirer. “We undertake a fair bit of work for local authorities and have to access some very tight town centre spots,” he said. “The A 910 is ideal for this.” Delson also runs a pair of A 914 Compacts.
Built around an all-wheel-steer undercarriage, the A 910 Compact’s standard two-piece boom is mounted to a king post to allow for a wide range of movement to both sides.
The latest addition to Liebherr’s wheeled excavator range is the A 913 Compact, which comes in at around 15-tonnes and is a recent newcomer to the fleet of North Coast Excavations in Wick. Like its smaller A 910 stablemate, the model features a manoeuvrable all-wheel-steer undercarriage delivering what Liebherr describe as a ‘class-leading’ turning circle. Matched to a larger upper structure with a conventionally mounted two-piece boom, the A 913 Compact sits in the weight range favoured by many contractors for its combination of digging power and precision.
Operator Steven Cameron commented, “The lifting ability is simply amazing and even more so, the stability of the machine when it is lifting gives you the confidence you don’t get from other wheeled excavators.”
The most popular of the Liebherr duck portfolio in Scotland is the A 914 Compact. With an operating weight around 17-tonnes, it takes the A 913 Compact’s digging and lifting abilities a stage further and extends the working range with larger boom and dipper configurations and bigger bucket capacities.
Aberdeenshire business KNC Construction has taken a specially decorated model into its fleet to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Painted in silver livery while on the production line at Kirchdorf in Germany, the new arrival will be used across a variety of applications. “This is the third A 914 we have had and we’ve found them to be an exceptional machine,” said MD Kevin Crawford. “Versatile, reliable and very good on the fuel, they have been ideal for our construction and civils operations.”
One of the largest Liebherr models in Scotland is the A 918 Compact operated by Gow Plant Hire of Caithness. With an operating weight up to 19.6-tonnes, it introduces the capabilities of a 20-tonne class crawler into a compact wheeled package. MD Alan Gow said, “We have a number of Liebherr wheeled excavators in the fleet and find them by far to be the best all-rounders and ideal for many of our civils operations. They are reliable and fuel-efficient and the operators like the cab comforts.”
Liebherr has been manufacturing wheeled excavators for over five decades at the Kirchdorf factory. The manufacturer said fuel efficiency is at the heart of all its equipment and the ducks return average consumption figures from just 5.05 litres per hour on the A 910 Compact to 6.83 litres per hour on the A 918 Compact.
Features include ‘spacious’ cabs with easy access and high specification, while versatility is increased by a wide choice of stabiliser and blade options and boom and stick configurations.
