Fuel-efficient Cat 966K XEF for GD Harries & Sons Ltd
Welsh quarrying company identifies £10,000 fuel savings with newly acquired Cat wheel loader
THE largest producers of quarried aggregates in West Wales, GD Harries & Sons Ltd, have identified fuel savings of £10,000 with the purchase of their new Cat 966K XE wheel loader, following a recent competitor comparison test.
Based in Pembrokeshire, GD Harries & Sons Ltd have a number of interests in the quarrying, groundworks, plant hire and civil engineering industries. The new Cat 966K XE will assist with the company’s aggregate production across six quarries in West Wales, supplying concrete, screed, asphalt and limestone, amongst others, to a variety of applications.
Managing director Ian Harries said: ‘Due to our large operations, we rely on premium-quality machinery that can offer us a return on investment. Following an initial competitor comparison test, during which Finning supplied us with a demonstrator model, we found over £10,000 of fuel savings, so we knew that the payback for this investment would be achieved quickly. We have also been able to fix our costs on the Cat 966K XE with a total service package from Finning.
‘Due to the high productivity required from machinery working in a quarrying application, it’s imperative that our machines have a high level of output at the lowest cost per tonne. This ergonomically designed machine will provide a rugged and economical unit that will prove to be a wise investment.’
The Cat 966K XE features the Cat C9.3 ACERT engine, which allows the machine to meet Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emission standards. The six-cylinder electronic engine is turbocharged and after-cooled, allowing for maximum fuel efficiency.
Iwan Jenkins, sales representative at Finning, said: ‘After trialling a demonstrator model, the savings that GD Harries & Sons achieved offered them a huge return on investment. It’s increasingly common across the industry for businesses to look at ways to save money on fleet management and operating costs, so when we worked with the company to understand both its business and operational needs, we recommended a Cat 966K XE wheel loader as it offers a high turnover of production.
‘The quarrying sector is faced with stricter guidelines on using sustainable methods of working, so to be able to deliver a solution that not only saves the customer money, but also helps them to increase productivity is very satisfying. I’m sure that the Cat 966K XE wheel loader will be the first of many for GD Harries & Sons Ltd.’
