A new lease of life with Liebherr
A change in purchasing policy has given a recycling company the confidence that its new Liebherr materials handlers will always be in peak condition....
Until recently, all machine acquisitions by J. Dickinson & Sons (Horwich) Ltd were of the outright capital expenditure variety based on package cost. However, the business has decided it will now acquire major items through two-year operating leases, a move that will enable director James Dickinson and his finance team to monitor the costs more accurately.
‘This type of lease gives us far more flexibility than before and puts the onus on the manufacturer to service the machines in a timely fashion and ensure they are in perfect working order at all times,’ said James.
With two Liebherr LH 30 M handlers due for renewal the company took the decision to canvass the wider market for replacements. ‘Some dealers came back with figures, others didn’t but it was the relationship we have built up with John Tierney [Area Sales Manager] at Liebherr Great Britain and his insistence that the reliability of the machines would be ensured that swayed us to return to the brand. The package he put together is based on a variety of factors which we believe will benefit our company in the long term.’
A 22-tonne class machine with 13-metre reach, the LH 30 M uses a lightweight stick fitted with a tipping link allowing it to carry a selector grab with a 0.85m3 capacity. ‘While these Liebherrs are large machines for picking and sorting work, their additional reach over more traditional 9- or 10-metre reach models allows them to work far more efficiently around our site,’ explained James.
The upper structure uses Liebherr’s own hydraulically raised cab to provide more than 2.3 metres of additional height for the operators to load the bulk walking floor trailers that leave the yard each day. Dickinson chose the standard cab with a traditional opening door rather the sliding version, eliminating the need to fit a walkway which would have increased the machine’s width. ‘We have a big site here but it can be quite tight in some places,’ James pointed out. ‘Removing the need for the walkway ensures less damage and less cost for us in repairs.’ Inside the cab, the operators enjoy to a stick-steer option to reduce fatigue and to increase the forward visibility from the seat.
The business uses several smaller excavators and wheeled loaders around the yard but the two Liebherrs with their D934 four-cylinder diesel engine delivering 190hp, will be at the forefront of the recycling operation. ‘We work the machines hard, including a night shift to make sure the plant is clean and tidy for the next day,’ added James.
‘We needed the assurance that the machines we were taking on were not only up to the job in terms of build quality but we also wanted to ensure they were reliable. Having Liebherr take care of the servicing and maintenance takes the hassle away from us and puts it back on to the manufacturer. So far, the machines have lived up to Liebherr’s reputation of being the best material handlers out there.’
THE CUSTOMER
- Dickinson & Sons began life in 1939 as a family business offering haulage around Bolton with nothing but a horse and cart. Four generations later it operates from a 17-acre recycling village in Horwich, handling around 250,000 tonnes of waste and 75,000 tonnes of inert each year. Services include skips, direct tipping, aggregates, transport and commercial bin collection.
‘The machines have lived up to Liebherr’s reputation of being the best material handlers out there’ - James Dickinson, Director
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