Another Hitachi ZW370-5 wheel loader delivered to Europe

German quarry operator acquires new machine for handling lava, pumice and basalt materials

ONE of the first Hitachi ZW370-5 wheel loaders in Europe has been delivered to a quarrying firm in the Eifel region of Germany. Trasswerke Meurin ordered the large wheel loader to handle lava, pumice and basalt materials in a quarry which the company first started working more than 150 years ago.

The new Hitachi ZW370-5 wheel loader is being used in the excavation and loading process, transporting the materials from the quarry floor to a crusher. The machine has been fitted with a large 5.6 cubic metre bucket that has been customized by German Hitachi dealers Kiesel with a blade below the teeth to suit the demands of the site. The teeth are suitable for penetrating into the rock, while the blade is used for cleaning up the stockpiles and levelling the ground for trucks.

Phil Meuser-Schaede, owner of Trasswerke Meurin, commented: ‘We are very happy with the quality and low-cost ownership of the Hitachi machine. The decision to buy this model was due to the high-level service that we’ve received from our supplier in the past and the excellent value for money that it represents.

‘We regularly check the fuel consumption and the ZW370-5 is already showing a significant one-third saving over its predecessor, which was a different brand model. The extended warranty is also an important part of the package as we bought the machine outright and plan to keep it for its entire life.’

Markus Hoffman, a machine operator for Trasswerke Meurin, added: ‘The cab is very comfortable thanks to the pop-up steering column, fully adjustable seat and high-quality audio system. The speed of the arm and the bucket, traction force and fast loading cycles result in optimum productivity. The large fuel tank and low fuel consumption also allow me to work long shifts without compromising on performance.’