Raymond Brown take first Bell loaders

Trio of L2106E wheel loaders for minerals and recycling firm following successful demonstration

THE minerals and recycling arm of Raymond Brown Group has taken delivery of three Bell wheel loaders following a successful demonstration.

Raymond Brown already run a fleet of four Bell B30D articulated dumptrucks at their quarries in Dorset and Hampshire, but this is the first time they have purchased wheel loaders from the South African manufacturer.

The company has bought three Bell L2106E loaders, which will be used in a variety of applications.

Nick Moth, group plant manager for Raymond Brown, said: ‘Talking to people in the industry, I was hearing very positive things about Bell loaders and I thought we should have a look at them. Since the demos, we’ve had very positive feedback from operators and site managers.’

Mr Moth added that the John Deere-built Bell wheel loaders indicated some ‘favourable’ fuel consumption figures during the initial trials, and that Bell’s approach to after-sales was also a major factor in his purchasing decision.

‘Fuel consumption is key,’ he said, ‘and the service and support we’ve had from Bell over the years has been good. There’s a lot of trust built up between our two companies – we have a very strong working relationship.’

He continued: ‘Knowing that the loaders are manufactured for Bell by John Deere also gives us a lot of comfort.’

Prior to purchase, a Bell L2106E was put through its paces during a week-long demonstration at Raymond Brown’s Marchwood Wharf site, in Southampton.

The machine worked with sea-dredged aggregates, which are loaded into a washing and screening plant before being stockpiled ready for sale. Also, on an adjacent site, the loader stockpiled woodchip, for loading into ships to be used as power station fuel in Sweden.

Carl Woollaston, sales support manager for Bell UK, said the demonstration site at Marchwood was ideal for two main reasons.

First, to show how well the Bell loader coped in terms of machine balance, power and operator comfort, and when working around a busy washed aggregate plant.

And secondly, to prove the effectiveness of Bell’s QuadCool cooling system within an environment involving airborne debris, such as the woodchip operation and other recycling applications.

QuadCool includes a unique boxed configuration of radiators, totally isolated from the engine heat. The radiator cores are wider than the mesh of the air intake screens, allowing any debris to pass through – thus avoiding clogging of the engine.

Mr Woollaston said: ‘Our loaders have many benefits, not least the fact that they offer the highest as-standard specification on the market. But the QuadCool system genuinely means they stand head and shoulders above the competition, particularly in applications where there’s a lot of dust or debris.

‘In short, it stops the engine overheating, it reduces downtime significantly, and all of our customers have been surprised at how infrequently they need to clean it out.’

Neville Paynter, managing director of Bell UK, said: ‘Once again, we’ve seen a major player in the industry switch to Bell on the back of a successful demonstration. We’re delighted that word is now getting out that our loaders are a force to be reckoned with.

‘I’m especially proud that our reputation for dedicated service and support – something that forms a central part to our Bell Assure guarantees – is still as strong as ever.’