New Volvo EC380E for New Milton Sand & Ballast
Thirty-eight-tonne excavator takes charge as the prime mover at Hurn Court Farm Quarry
NEW Milton Sand & Ballast, the family-run business that has been producing sands and gravels in the south Hampshire and east Dorset region since 1936, have operated various Volvo machines at their facilities since the early 1980s.
The company has now has added to its fleet with the purchase of a new 38-tonne Volvo EC380E excavator, which has become the prime mover at the company’s Hurn Court Farm Quarry.
‘We needed to replace the existing machine with a larger-capacity excavator to assist in reducing cycle times as the extraction area gets further from the plant here at Hurn Court,’ explained area production manager Paul Drayton.
‘We had tried the smaller EC220D on loan to us from one of our associate companies for a short period and were impressed with its performance and production capabilities, and not least our operator’s positive feedback.
‘All of this, together with a competitive package on offer, including a service contract for the larger EC380E, meant we were buying a quality product and getting value for money at the same time.’
The EC380E is equipped with a 306hp, 13-litre Stage IV Final engine that is well matched to the machine’s hydraulics, which are controlled by an advanced system that provides on-demand flow and reduces power losses within the circuit.
Volvo’s special ECO mode is said to contribute to significant fuel savings without any loss of performance in most operating conditions, as well as increasing controllability for more precise performance.
Otherwise, Volvo’s integrated work mode system offers the excavator operator a choice of I (Idle), F (Fine), G (General), H (Heavy) or P (Power max), according to the task at hand.
As well as fast cycle times, the EC380E offers a forward reach of 11.0m, a maximum digging depth of 7.3m and a load-over height of 7.2m.
New Milton Sand & Ballast’s machine was supplied with a hydraulic quick-hitch, a general-purpose bucket and a heavy-duty grading bucket.
‘So far we’ve not been disappointed with our purchasing decision,’ said Mr Drayton. ‘The machine is certainly ticking all of the boxes.’
