New Bell L2606E for Ben Bennett

Long-standing customer continues to place faith in Bell Equipment with new wheel loader

IN a move reflecting their confidence in Bell Equipment, steel rolling mill and limestone quarry operators Ben Bennett Jr. Ltd have recently acquired a new L2606E wheel loader to replace an existing machine.

Founded in 1883, the family-run company comprises both a steel rolling mill and a junior hacksaw blades manufacturer in Rotherham, Yorkshire, and a limestone quarry in Matlock, Derbyshire, and is Bell Equipment’s longest-standing client in the UK.

The company’s relationship with Bell began back in the late 1990s when the firm purchased its first Bell Equipment articulated dumptruck (ADT) – a B25C model. Since then more than 12 Bell machines have been put through their paces in the company’s Matlock quarry, extracting calcium carbonate of various grades.

Currently, three Bell B30E ADTs carry material from the quarry face to the primary crusher, as well as relocating waste to the quarry tip. However, Andrew Rawson, director of Ben Bennett Jr, and his team were keen to add a further Bell machine to the fleet – a wheel loader to load stock aggregates and stone to HGV lorries and dumptrucks.

‘We needed a machine that would be completely reliable, and of a brand that could offer excellent service backup within close proximity to our quarry operation,’ he explained.

Based on his personal knowledge of many of Bell’s ‘quarry capable’ machines, and using an attractive trade-back package to springboard the purchase, Mr Rawson looked to bring the new L2606E wheel loader on board.

Designed to perform within a variety of applications, the Bell L2606E features on-board weighing as standard and, by including hydraulic ride control, increases site safety while affording improved operator comfort and maximum in-load productivity.

The loader’s extra-heavy-duty axles are factory approved for solid or PU foam filled L5 pneumatic tyres, and by featuring a cyclonic pre-cleaner as standard on the engine, the life of the air filter has the potential to be considerably extended, whilst extra engine protection is achieved.

‘The L2606E’s Quadcool system is well-regarded as being the best on the market for combating radiator clogging,’ commented Nick Learoyd, managing director of Bell Equipment UK. ‘It makes the vehicle an ideal choice for use in notoriously dusty environments such as the quarry face, as Andrew and his team have discovered.

‘We’re delighted that Ben Bennett Jr are choosing to continue their relationship with the Bell team and the company’s evolving machines, and we look forward to meeting their fleet needs again in the not too distant future.’

With the new L2606E already hard at work in the quarry, Mr Rawson is extremely pleased with machine’s performance to date. ‘It’s a great model and exactly what we need,’ he said. ‘It’s stable when a full bucket is at maximum lift, and the driver comfort during operation is second to none.’

He added: ‘The service from Bell has, once again, been excellent and I won’t hesitate to return when we look to replace further machines over coming months.’