Product feature: Doosan DX140W excavator
Invercargill-based Hedge & Shelter Belt Trimming Ltd have recently taken delivery of their new Doosan DX140W excavator
Fitted with a special hedge-cutting attachment, the Doosan DX140W is well spec’d with two sets of auxiliary lines, a hydraulic coupler, and, an air seat, but it all comes down to stability for Rob McEwan of Hedge & Shelter Belt Trimming Ltd.
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Rob says the Doosan is simple to operate
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"Before deciding on the Doosan, we looked at everything on the market. In the end, it came back to stability, power, and the fact that we could see we were getting great bang for our buck," Rob says.
With a longer wheelbase than its competitors, the DX140W wheeled excavator helps provides a better ride, better balance, and the ability to achieve greater lift capacity, says its manufacturer.
"I can’t stress enough how important stability is in our line of work, particularly when it comes to safety issues," Rob says. "That’s why we’ve beefed up the Doosan DX140W even further with a set of dual wheels front and back. Although slightly wider on the rear wheels, the dual wheels offer us that extra security and a wider footprint. It also means we can travel over lawns and wet paddocks with minimum disruption."
The Doosan DX140W also has a six-cylinder motor as opposed to other similar brands that only have a four-cylinder engine.
With Rob’s Doosan spending a lot of time on the road travelling from job to job, the ability to reach jobs quicker has its obvious advantages, thanks to a larger power plant.
Other features that set the Doosan DX140W apart are the telescopic cutting attachment that has a reach of up to 17 metres, light guarding around the lift cylinders, and a set of steel mudguards.
Standard features include a rear dozer blade, heavy duty axles, four-speed transmission, and certified top and front grilles.
"The Doosan is a good all-round machine," Rob says. "It’s simple to operate and in my opinion, there is not another excavator like it in the market. The well-appointed ROPS cabin is really comfortable and serviceable, and on a cold Southland morning, the heated seats and the exceptional visibility really come into their own."
Hedge and Shelter Belt Trimming Ltd was established more than 15 years ago by Rob’s parents Donald and Sharon McEwan.
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The Doosan DX140W is a well spec’d machine
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Following a stint in Christchurch as a drainlayer, Rob returned home a couple of years ago to the easier paced lifestyle of Southland where he saw an opportunity to join his parents and expand their family business.
The company works all over Southland, cutting windbreaks and trimming hedges on rural and lifestyle blocks and keeping city council parks and gardens looking smart and tidy, but they do also get the occasional digger job, which, Rob says is great, as the Doosan allows him to interchange attachments in just a few minutes.
According to Rob, AB Equipment have been excellent to deal with. "We’ve made a quite few modifications to our DX140W. In fact, there was a daunting list of requirements, particularly around hydraulics. Not a problem, they just went out and got everything we needed," Rob says.
"Their sales and service team are brilliant. In one instance, we had an auxiliary pump that was not giving up much flow. They simply ordered us a bigger pump and bingo, the problems fixed. A quality product in Doosan, a professional team in AB Equipment, and certainly, in my opinion, a hard act to follow."
For more details, call 0800 30 30 90 for the location of your nearest nationwide AB Equipment branch.
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