New Volvo machines for Earthline Ltd

Wiltshire-based quarry operator purchases EC480D and EC380D tracked excavators

EARTHLINE Ltd have taken delivery of their first new Volvo excavators, thanks to the reliability and performance of a previously acquired second-hand Volvo EC700C model. The new 48-tonne EC480D and 38-tonne EC380D excavators have already been deployed at two of Earthline’s five quarries in Oxfordshire.

‘These new Volvos have been bought on the strength of the reliability and performance of our original second-hand EC700C which we purchased a couple of years ago,’ explained Philip Coplestone, managing director of Earthline.

‘Back then we wanted to see how the 78-tonne machine would fair ripping and loading rock directly from quarry face in one of our larger quarries and it proved highly successful. The machine was about three years old with around 6,000 hours on the clock and it’s given us two years of trouble-free operation.’

Based on this experience, Earthline went on to purchase an additional second-hand EC700C for another quarry but it proved to be oversized for the job in hand, which led to the company making the decision to buy a new EC480D excavator with a quick-hitch, bucket and heavy-duty ripper, along with a smaller EC380D for overburden removal.

Earthline have also opted to take out Volvo’s Blue Service Agreements on the two new models for total peace of mind.

Both machines are equipped with a 13-litre Stage IIIB V-ACT engine and feature an automatic idling system that reduces engine speed when the levers and pedals are not activated – aiding fuel efficiency and reducing external noise.

When only a single function is used, a two-pump hydraulics system combines the flow of both pumps for quick cycle times and greater productivity. It can also prioritize flow according to the work being done, for example, to the boom for faster raising when loading or in deep excavations, or to the arm during levelling and swing during large slewing angles.