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

  • Volvo CE’s electric quarry operation commences trials
    August 29, 2018
    Volvo CE is commencing operations of its low emission quarrying operation in Sweden. The facility has a strong focus on electric machines, with diesel-electric hybrid equipment also being used. According to the firm, this is a world first for a quarry facility that can be run almost 'emission-free'. Volvo CE and its customer Skanska have now commenced testing the viability of the Electric Site concept at Skanska’s Vikan Kross quarry, located near Gothenburg in Sweden. The production system at the site
  • A Doosan DX530LC-5 gets its water wings
    January 24, 2019
    German contractor Kieswerke Silzen Peissen has purchased three new Doosan machines for the company’s Silzen-based operations for gravel extraction above and below water. The new machines comprise the Doosan DL420-5 wheeled loader, a custom-made long-reach 60 tonne DX530LC-5 excavator and the state-of-the-art wheeledloader DL420CVT-5, with CVT, denoting a continuously variable transmission. Silzen Peissen’s two plants in Silzen comprise about 70ha of approved mining area, of which around 20ha - called Plan
  • Volvo Energy to focus on battery life-cycle
    February 8, 2021
    It will provide battery and charging solutions to the group’s divisions and outside clients.
  • Excel Excavations gets first Hyundai HX300 L excavator in the UK
    January 4, 2016
    Excel Excavations, based in Trafford Park, Manchester, is the first UK civil contractor to add the Hyundai HX300 L excavator to its line-up. The company also supplies building aggregates, carries out ground remediation, demolition and site preparation. Clients include Balfour Beatty, Taylor Wimpey, Costain and Persimmon Homes. Excel Excavations was founded two-and-a-half years ago and now has a fleet of 13 Scania trucks and four Hyundai excavators – including the latest addition to the fleet - a 30to