Groundhogs chosen for quarry role
HANSON Aggregates have started to take delivery of 37 specially adapted JCB Groundhogs as more cost-effective direct replacements for pick-up trucks and other 4x4 vehicles in their quarries across the UK.
Featuring a 15.6kW (20.9hp) diesel engine with 6x4-wheel configuration and permanent four-wheel drive, the machines ordered by Hanson also include the addition of a fully glazed cab with integral ROPS, providing a comfortable working environment and ensuring the operator’s safety and security in the quarry environment. Another addition is the inclusion of hard-wearing tyres for safe travel over rough ground.
The Groundhog deal comes on the back of an order for ten JCB 416 and two 436 wheel loaders, for use in Hanson’s UK concrete batching plants, along with six 801 mini-excavators, four 3CX backhoe loaders and a Robot 160 skid-steer loader. Watling JCB initiated the deal having arranged for Hanson to put the Groundhog through a rigorous testing programme to assess its performance.
Hanson procurement manager Meir Rofe said: ‘We’ve regularly bought from JCB and we were very interested in seeing what the Groundhog could do. During our testing process, it proved more than capable of performing well in a tough environment. With the required modifications made to ensure the safety and comfort of the operator, it is exactly what we need.’
The Groundhogs will be used in quarries across the UK, including Baston Quarry, Peterborough; Manor Park Quarry, Staffordshire; Trentham Quarry, Shropshire; Penmaenmawr Quarry, North Wales; Shap Beck Quarry, Cumbria; Bulls Lodge Quarry, Chelmsford; and Cassington Quarry, Oxfordshire.
Jo Bamford, director of JCB Groundcare, added: ‘The JCB Groundhog is an incredibly versatile machine, used in a diverse range of industries and on anything from golf courses to construction sites. This deal demonstrates that the range of purposes for which the Groundhog can be applied stretches even further.’
Built at JCB’s Cecilly Mills plant in Cheadle, Staffordshire, the Groundhog features CVT transmission with manual differential lock, offering uninterrupted acceleration and deceleration. The standard high-flotation tyres result in low ground-bearing pressure and high levels of traction. The vehicle also has a high-capacity tipping cargo box with a payload capacity of 500kg.
