The first Hitachi ZW330-5 wheel loader arrives at our headquarters.

Morris & Perry to take delivery of new machine after it has been showcased at Hillhead 2014 (full story below):

Hitachi Construction Machinery (UK) are delighted to have sold the first Hitachi ZW330-5 wheel loader in the UK to one of the country’s largest independent quarry operators. Morris & Perry Ltd will take delivery of the new model immediately after it has been displayed at Hillhead 2014.

Equipped with a 12.9-litre, six-cylinder, water-cooled turbo engine that delivers a powerful digging performance, impressive travel speeds and a reduction in fuel consumption of more than 10%, the new ZW330-5 is easier to manoeuvre than previous models and has a new clutch cut-off system to control the timing of the clutch for smooth operation when loading, regardless of the terrain.

Comfort and safety have been enhanced by several features, including a more spacious cab, air-conditioning and sound insulation, and greater visibility due to the pillar-less windshield and large sun visor. The new ZW330-5 is also easy to maintain to ensure maximum availability, with easily accessible greasing points, oil levels and fuel filters.

Family-owned Morris & Perry provide aggregates, asphalt and ready-mixed concrete to customers across south-west England. The new ZW330-5 will be used to load trucks in the stockyard, keep access roads clear and push up blasted materials at their Gurney Slade Quarry, in Somerset. Equipped with a 4.6m3 bucket, it will load more than 1,000 tonnes of materials per day, working from 6am to 4.30pm, five days a week.

Quarry manager Dave Roberts explained the importance of the new addition to the company’s Hitachi fleet: ‘We load everything with the wheel loader and it’s vital to our operation. It speeds up the process considerably and this size of machine works well for us – we’ve had wheel loaders like this on the site for about 20 years.’

The reliability of the Hitachi brand was a key factor in the purchase decision for Morris & Perry, who have used Hitachi construction equipment since 1984. Their first model was a 45-tonne UH181 excavator and they currently have a ZX870LCH-3 faceshovel working on site. Delivered in 2007, this now has 12,000h on the clock.

‘Ever since we took delivery of our first Hitachi excavator, it was unbelievable to have such a high level of reliability with 99% availability most of the time,’ said Mr Roberts. ‘My personal opinion is that if it’s Hitachi, it will look after itself. The engineering is so good, especially in comparison with other brands, with regard to the reliability and build quality.’

Considering the key role of the new ZW330-5 at the quarry and the need to keep downtime to an absolute minimum, the wheel loader will be supplied with a three-year/6,000h extended warranty package, known as Hitachi Extended Life Program (HELP), giving Morris & Perry even greater peace of mind.

You can see the ZW330-5 wheel loader first hand, by visiting the Hitachi Construction Machinery (UK) stand (Z2) at the Hillhead Quarry and Mining Exhibition from 24^th – 26^th June. Further details can be found at www.hillhead.com.