New Doosan Mini-Excavators for Smiths Plant Hire Fleet
Smiths (Gloucester) Ltd, based at Stonehouse in Gloucestershire in the UK, has purchased new Doosan DX27Z and DX62R-3 mini-excavators from Kellands (Plant Sales) Ltd of Bridgwater in Somerset, the local Authorised dealer for the Doosan and Bobcat equipment ranges. The five new DX27Z and five new DX62R-3 models purchased by Smiths are available for rent from the company’s plant hire operation.
With a reputation for excellence in customer service and professional maintenance, Smiths Plant Hire has an extensive fleet of machines available as self drive hire or with an experienced operator. The company has made a substantial investment in both plant and people over the past 25 years, providing a flexible approach to serving customers’ needs. As a result, Smiths is able to offer a range of services from single day machine hire to major plant support for large scale projects without compromising the traditional Smiths values of integrity, honesty and customer satisfaction.
Gerry Fehily, Divisional Plant Manager at Smiths, said: “We have run Doosan mini-excavators in the past and know they are cracking machines that are ideal for the hire business. We have been using 5.5 tonne machines recently, but we have returned to the 6 tonne DX62R-3 excavator as it provides better power and strength for heavier tasks such as lifting pallets of materials and kerb stones around sites.”
Smiths is a family company, owned and run by the Smith family since the business began in 1982. Since that time the company has grown into one of the largest businesses in Gloucestershire. The family is still wholly committed to the business with two generations actively involved day to day. This engenders a community culture which rewards hard work, teamwork and a commitment to customer service that can be lost in larger corporate structures.
Company Director, Paul Smith, said: “At Smiths, we are committed to ensuring our customers are delighted with our work, impressed by our people and certain to use us again. Many of our people have been with the company for a long time. It is their experience and knowledge which allows us to meet our customers’ requirements. Practical experience comes from doing the work. Each completed project or finished job further improves our knowledge, expertise and experience in the industry.”
As well as plant hire, a wide range of other services are available from Smiths, including skip hire, construction, demolition, waste management, transport, drain services, asbestos removal and laser levelling. As Paul Smith added: “After 35 years of operations and having built one of Gloucestershire’s largest businesses, the team at Smiths continues to innovate, develop and plan for the future. We are not complacent and aim to offer an expanding service to the construction industry. For example, we are rapidly gaining market share in the waste management and recycling sector and we are exploring the future of biomass energy.”
Doosan Mini-Excavator Range
The Doosan DX27Z zero tail swing model is part of the Doosan range of mini-excavators covering the weight range from 1 to 8 tonne. Like all Doosan mini-excavators, the DX27Z offers optimum stability, ample space for the operator and easy serviceability, together with the ability to dig right up to the blade.
Powered by the Yanmar 3TNV82A-SDB diesel engine providing 15.8 kW of power at 2200 rpm, the DX27Z has an operating weight of 2790 kg when equipped with a cab and rubber tracks. The maximum digging depth of the DX27Z is 2935 mm, the dump height is 2690 mm and the maximum reach is 4690 mm.
The DX27Z mini-excavator is equipped with optimal systems suitable for various applications from pipework to landscaping. The compactness of the machine allows operations within confined spaces as well as work in restricted areas around buildings.
The DX62R-3 6 tonne reduced tail swing mini-excavator incorporates advances in many areas to maximise performance, versatility, operator comfort, durability, ease of maintenance and serviceability with minimum impact on human health and the environment. One of the stand-out features on the DX62R-3 is the dramatic increase in hydraulic performance, which has been boosted with an impressive 33% increase in maximum flow rate to 132 l/min.
This is complemented by a significant increase in the digging forces - the bucket digging force is now 4.4 tonne, 7% above the previous model and the arm digging force is 10% higher at 2.9 tonne. This is combined with a longer arm for a better overall working range. The traction force has also been increased by 5% to 5.6 tonne and travel speeds have been increased in both the low range (2.6 km/h) and the high range (4.7 km/h).
The DX62R-3 is powered by the Stage IIIA compliant 36.2 kW liquid-cooled Yanmar 4TNV94L diesel engine running at a maximum speed of 2200 rpm, providing abundant power and reliability for a machine of this size. Electronic injection together with automatic idle ensures optimum fuel efficiency at all times.