Skip to main content

Hitachi’s ZW180-5 delights the Dutch with additional performance

Materials handling has been made more efficient for Molenaar Zand en Grond, a Dutch materials yard, after introducing its first Hitachi ZW180-5 wheeled loader. Parent company, the road construction, drainage, sewage and groundworks contractor A. Molenaar, bought the Hitachi ZW180-5 in November for its materials yard subsidiary. The machine is now loading a steady stream of trucks and trailers at Molenaar Zand en Grond BV’s stockyard at Bergambacht, east of Rotterdam. The Hitachi ZW180-5 was delivered by the
March 9, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Squeaky clean and hard at work
Materials handling has been made more efficient for Molenaar Zand en Grond, a Dutch materials yard, after introducing its first Hitachi ZW180-5 wheeled loader.

Parent company, the road construction, drainage, sewage and groundworks contractor A. Molenaar, bought the 233 Hitachi ZW180-5 in November for its materials yard subsidiary. The machine is now loading a steady stream of trucks and trailers at Molenaar Zand en Grond BV’s stockyard at Bergambacht, east of Rotterdam.

The Hitachi ZW180-5 was delivered by the Dutch Hitachi construction machinery dealer 1139 HCME Domestic. A. Molenaar will use the machine for its own road projects for about half the time and hire it out to other contractors and private customers in the region.

Molenaar Zand en Grond’s ZW180-5 has a 3m3 bucket and pallet forks. “We rented a ZW250 for three months before deciding to buy,” says Andre Molenaar. “This gave us added confidence in our first Hitachi ZW-5 model, which we chose due to its size, loading capacity and ability to drive on the road. This is the perfect machine for the site, as it has the ability to load everything from trailers to trucks, and is easy to maintain.”

The Molenaar Zand en Grond site is beside the Lek River upon which incoming materials are delivered by boat. But all of the outgoing sand and soil is loaded onto trucks.

“The emphasis is on sustainability with 80% of the distance covered by the materials on water and only 20% by road,” owner Andre Molenaar said. “This is a difficult area to access for deliveries by truck and so this is also a fuel-efficient system.”

“We estimate that fuel consumption of the 5 model range is 17-18% lower than its predecessor. The auto-shutdown is also vital in this respect, for example, when operators are frequently climbing in and out of the cab.” He also said the machines have excellent handling and spacious and comfortable working environment are all important factors.

A. Molenaar was founded in 1941 by Andre’s grandfather and his three sons are the fourth generation of the family to work in the company. The firm’s first Hitachi excavator was an EX150LC, purchased 25 years ago. Since then, the company has purchased 28 machines from HCME Domestic. The ZW180-5 is the first medium wheeled loader in the fleet. It is also the first example of this model working in The Netherlands.

“Hitachi machines are well designed and look stunning,” said Andre, who is also an operator. “We work with our machines for around six years and keep them in excellent condition, so they retain high resale values. Our customers also like to see immaculate equipment on their job sites.”

He also said HCME Domestic stands behind its products through excellent service, offering a favourable total cost of ownership and placing an emphasis on creating solutions when needed.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Hitachi mini excavators' landmark production
    May 9, 2012
    A landmark has been reached for the production of mini excavators in Japan, as Hitachi Construction Machinery Tierra (HCM Tierra) celebrates machine number 150,001 to roll off the production line. The delivery of the ZX52U-3 to Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)/HCME was marked with a ceremony at the Oosterhout mini excavator factory in the south of The Netherlands. The handover celebration was attended by Masamichi Itou, divisional general manager Oosterhout factories;
  • Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) to launch Zaxis-5 excavator range.
    January 6, 2017
    Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)/HCME) is launching its range of Zaxis-5 medium and large excavators. New machines on show include the ZX250LC-5, ZX290LC-5, ZX350LC-5 and ZX470LCH-5. The range of Zaxis-5 models has been developed by the Design Centre at Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) in Japan. Yusuke Kajita, general manager of HCM's Construction Equipment Development Centre, is responsible for the team of 200 engineers behind the new medium excavators (between 10-35tonnes). “We develop new mach
  • Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) to launch Zaxis-5 excavator range.
    February 7, 2012
    Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)/HCME) is launching its range of Zaxis-5 medium and large excavators. New machines on show include the ZX250LC-5, ZX290LC-5, ZX350LC-5 and ZX470LCH-5. The range of Zaxis-5 models has been developed by the Design Centre at Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) in Japan. Yusuke Kajita, general manager of HCM's Construction Equipment Development Centre, is responsible for the team of 200 engineers behind the new medium excavators (between 10-35tonnes). “We develop new mach
  • Hitachi to place “greater emphasis” on local production focus – HCME president
    February 26, 2013
    Hitachi Construction Machinery is to place “greater emphasis” on establishing local production facilities as it bids to strengthen its market position, said Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe (HCME) president and chief executive Moriaki Kadoya. A subsidiary of the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Construction Machinery currently has 33 production sites worldwide – with 16, including its flagship production site near Tokyo, in Japan. Two new production sites - HCMR in the Tverskaya region of eastern Russia; and Dee