First Liebherr PR 746 dozer in operation in the UK

Earthmoving specialists Stokey Plant Hire take new machine on long-term hire from Liebherr-Rentals

THE range of Liebherr dozers available in the UK has recently been expanded with the introduction of the 30-tonne PR 746 crawler tractor, the first example of which has joined the Liebherr-Rental fleet and been snapped up on long-term hire by earthmoving specialists Stokey Plant Hire Ltd.

Operating across a wide range of industry applications, Stokey Plant Hire’s main focus is on bulk muck-shifting operations. Working for blue-chip companies, Stokey are expected to supply operators and machinery capable of undertaking specific projects on time and to budget.

To meet these requirements, Stokey demand a lot from their machinery, and they say the new Liebherr has not disappointed.

Powered by a fuel-efficient 252hp Liebherr-manufactured diesel engine, the PR 746 complies with Stage IV emissions regulations, thanks solely to the addition of an AdBlue treatment system.

Moreover, Liebherr’s highly efficient hydrostatic drive system provides a positive benefit compared with a conventional drive, as the engine runs at a constant rev/min, which decreases fuel use. The hydrostatic drive system automatically adjusts the working speed to the load conditions and, with oversized final drive units, ensures the power is always transmitted to the tracks, resulting in powerful and precise steering control.

All Generation 6 crawler dozers from Liebherr are said to offer an exceptionally smooth ride along with precision blade control, ensuring maximum productivity both when pushing heavy material and when fine grading.

To service the popularity of machine control systems (both 2D and 3D), Liebherr offer factory-fitted plug-and-play packages for the most common and popular operating systems. The company’s stepless drive system is ideally suited to such systems and the factory-installed preparation kits offer maximum flexibility to meet the operator’s needs.

Liebherr’s new-generation cab is said to provide an ideal workspace with an excellent seating position. The seat is angled and a smaller-diameter front idler is used to provide the operator with unrivalled views of both blade corners and the three-shank ripper, without any twisting of the upper body.

Moreover, all controls are ergonomically positioned and the old analogue dash has been replaced with a new touchscreen version similar to that found on other Liebherr machines.

Stokey Plant Hire have been using the PR 746 on a variety of contracts with major quarrying companies, most recently to level out a waste tip, where the machine’s 6 cubic metre straight blade has proved ideal.

According to regular operator, Adrian Lovett, the PR 746 is a very good and reliable tool: ‘It can certainly push the material and the amount of control available makes it very easy for me to grade this rocky material to a level,’ he commented.

‘Stokey’s site management have also been very impressed with the machine. The overall performance of the PR 746 has been significantly higher than similar machines on the fleet, with a marked reduction in fuel consumption too.’