Mercian Skip Hire staying loyal to Hyundai brand
West Midlands-based firm continues to use South Korean-built equipment as recycling operations expand
IN the past Mercian Skip Hire used different excavator and wheel loader brands for their waste-management operations, but in recent years the company has gradually turned to Hyundai equipment supplied by local dealers Molson Group.
Explaining why the company chose the South Korean-built machines, Stephen Shiels, site manager for Mercian, said: ‘Molson offered the best overall deal, including good service and back-up, so we went with them and opted for the premium extended warranty package, giving us great peace of mind going forward.
‘We are three-years into this working relationship with Molson and we are already in the process of planning the next upgrade to our fleet of machines.’
The oldest Hyundai machine in Mercian’s current fleet is a used R 210LC-9 hydraulic excavator, which is primarily used to feed shredded material into an MK Group FBS1200 feeder belt. The latter machine then feeds a STS920 trommel screen, while larger unscreened items head for the picking belt above a five-bay recovery station for manual picking.
Mercian’s newest Hyundai is a HX220L excavator, which is equipped with a fixed demolition-spec grab mounted via a fully automatic Geith hydraulic quick hitch. The mobile plant is often deployed with a bulk-digging bucket loading the company’s Keestrack Novum three-way screener used for inert soil processing.
The HX220L machine is powered by a six-cylinder Cummins QSB 6.7 engine developing 183hp at 1,950 rev/min. The excavator for Mercian has been supplied in full demolition/waste specification with increased side skirt protection, cab guard cages (front and back), a thicker belly plate, a turret guard and strengthened track motor guards. It also features a reversible fan and air pre-cleaner to cope with the dusty working environment.
The prime movers at Mercian’s transfer station are a pair of Hyundai HL760-9A loading shovels featuring waste-handler specification and includes a number of significant upgrades, such as uprated heavy-duty axles for improved performance under load and frequent braking, front and rear window guards and a robust rear grille.
The machines also benefit from fuel tank guards, hitch and steering cylinder guards, and additional heavy-duty underside belly guarding to prevent damage from any potential debris building up around the engine or transmission.
Another Hyundai machine in the Mercian fleet is the HL960-9A equipped wih SG Revolution air-cushioned solid tyres, a Lincoln auto-lube system and a RDS Loadmaster Alpha 50 weigh-loader system.
All the Hyundai loading shovels are supplied with high-tip buckets that provide increased lift/tipping height, which is especially useful when loading high-sided bulk skips.
