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Customer Testimonials for General Construction
Environment Paramount
The Blue Mountains City Council, located approximately seventy kilometres west of Sydney, actively participates in reducing used material destined for the rubbish tip through recycling of waste products into saleable raw materials. Their two facilities at Springwood and Katoomba allow the council to reduce the burden on the environment, while generating additional revenue. Recently the council recognised the need to replace the ageing wheel loader at its Springwood site. This machine was not delivering the performance required, and offered no comfort to the operator, who often works long hours in demanding conditions. As a result of the solid relationship between council staff and Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia representatives, Hitachi was invited to demonstrate their ZW140 wheel loader, against the key assessment criteria of performance and comfort. Keith Bailey, Hitachi’s Government Business Manager in New South Wales, arranged the demonstration, following which the Blue Mountains City Council placed an order. On the 20th of October 2009, Hitachi delivered the first of two sparkling new ZW140s to the Springwood site, complete with hydraulic quick coupler, 2.0m3 bucket, log grab and Loadrite weighing system. After a thorough handover involving an explanation of the machine’s features, daily checks and maintenance schedule, the operator was given the opportunity to put the loader through its paces.
The log grab, incorporating a Loadrite weighing system, is one of the first to be fitted to a ZW in Australia.
The operator familiarises himself with the new machine.
After just a few minutes it was clear he was suitably impressed at the ease at which the machine got the job done. As the walk around had been conducted in a hot dusty environment, the operator was anxious for the formalities to be over so that he could continue to enjoy the comfort of the air-conditioned, pressurised cabin.
The council prefers to hire much of its construction equipment, however with the low operating cost of the ZW140 and inclusion of optional extras as standard (including rear view camera, limited slip differentials, body and cylinder protection, precleaner, ride control, air conditioning and rotating beacon) it made sense to purchase the machine outright. Additionally, the warranty offered by Hitachi, at no additional cost, was also very competitive. Hitachi have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the entire ZW wheel loader range of wheel loaders minimises damage to the environment and provides safe operation of the machine. Ken Phillips, Manager of Waste and Support Services for the Council, was very impressed with the low noise level of the Tier 3 engine, particularly as the Springwood site is surrounded by housing and an aged care facility. Other staff members commented on the numerous safety features, including inclined steps, emergency cab exit, ROPS/FOPS cabin, full fan guard, boom lockand emergency steering. The purchase of the two ZW140 wheel loaders extends the range of equipment the council have purchased from Hitachi? Ken is an avid fan of the John Deere backhoe loader, and the service support provided by the company. Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia thanks the Blue Mountains City Council for their business and looks forward to continuing a long association between our organisations.
