B.B. Enterprises expand with new Doosan excavator
South West-based family firm purchases DX140LC-3 for primary demolition and loading work
GLOUCESTER-based B.B. Enterprises Ltd, one of the UK’s most experienced family-run demolition and decommissioning companies, have purchased a new 14-tonne Doosan DX140LC-3 Stage IIIB-compliant excavator from Kellands (Plant Sales) Ltd, the authorized dealers for the Doosan range across the whole of south-west England.
On its first project, the new DX140LC-3 made short work of a demolition contract in Cheltenham, working carefully between two Grade II listed buildings to take down a former office building. The machine was then moved to Bristol where it helped to demolish an extension to a former care home in collaboration with a smaller 7.5-tonne Doosan Solar 75V excavator also owned by the company.
Dick Bishop, a director of B.B. Enterprises, who runs the company with his brother, Steve, commented: ‘We have purchased the new Doosan DX140LC-3 excavator to do the primary demolition and loading work. It’s a great machine for the heavier work and provides a nice complement to the Doosan Solar machine we’ve had for four or five years, which is small enough to get into really tight areas and, with its grapple, is brilliant for sorting the demolition debris for recycling on site, as we try to resell or reuse 98–99% of the materials from our demolition contracts.
The new DX140LC-3 crawler excavator is powered by a Doosan DL06K ‘common-rail’ six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, which meets Stage IIIB engine emission regulations through the use of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) and DPF (diesel particulate filter) after-treatment technologies. The engine delivers 15% more power (82kW/109hp at 1,850 rev/min) than the previous Stage IIIA model, and factory tests have shown a reduction of up to 17.5% in fuel consumption, depending on the operating mode selected and the work being undertaken.
‘The fuel economy on the DX140LC-3 excavator is fantastic – we can work a full three days on just one tank of fuel,’ commented Mr Bishop. ‘The new ECO Gauge on the control panel provides real-time monitoring of fuel rate and actual engine percent load, with four working modes and four power modes, but the efficient conversion of engine output into hydraulic performance means we haven’t needed to take the machine out of the standard economy mode, providing further savings on fuel.’
As well as offering more standard features than other excavators of its size on the market, there is also an expanded choice of options for the DX140LC-3 excavator. The new machine at B.B. Enterprises is based on the standard 2.5m width undercarriage and monobloc front working equipment, but has been purchased with an optional dozer blade. The dozer forward design, large working angle and reinforced components ensure optimum stability when lifting or while working on sloped terrain.
As well as its new ROPS and OPG-certified cab, which provides more comfort, space and visibility, the new DX140LC-3 crawler excavator has a more robust undercarriage with reinforced components, including track links, track springs and sprockets. Moreover, the boom and arm have been strengthened by increased metal thickness at critical points and the use reinforced bushings, whilst the engine bonnet has been split into several parts to improve serviceability, with components such as filters, valves and batteries all within easy reach for service work.
Dick Bishop said: ‘Our experience has shown that purchasing Doosan products is always an excellent investment, both in the short term and the long term. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating – we believe in looking after our equipment and, with Kellands’ help, we have benefited from an excellent return on investment over the lifetime of our machines.’
