Skip to main content

German Joh. Sahler contractor goes down the Hitachi route

German contractor Joh. Sahler has changed its entire fleet of construction machinery to Hitachi Zaxis excavators. The two ZX38U-5s, ZX48U-3, ZX85USBLC-5, ZX145W-3, ZX170W-5 and ZX190W-3 were ordered by the Leverkusen-based company in June last year and delivered by the country’s authorised Hitachi dealer, Kiesel. Joh. Sahler was founded in 1945 and is now owned by a third-generation family member, Antonius Eisbach, and managed on a day-to-day basis by directors Dietmar Müller and Matthias Schindler. It has
April 30, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
German contractor Joh. Sahler has changed its entire fleet of construction machinery to Hitachi Zaxis excavators. The two ZX38U-5s,

ZX48U-3, ZX85USBLC-5, ZX145W-3, ZX170W-5 and ZX190W-3 were ordered by the Leverkusen-based company in June last year and delivered by the country’s authorised Hitachi dealer, Kiesel.

Joh. Sahler was founded in 1945 and is now owned by a third-generation family member, Antonius Eisbach, and managed on a day-to-day basis by directors Dietmar Müller and Matthias Schindler. It has a team of 50 employees who work on road and sewer construction projects for mostly privately owned clients but also some public sector customers.

All of the new machines are supported by a five-year maintenance and service package provided by Hitachi Support Chain and managed by Kiesel. “Kiesel contacted us at exactly the right time at the end of 2013, when we first considered changing all of our machines,” said Matthias.

“We wanted to buy established products that our customers would recognise and feel comfortable with. These machines need to be reliable and work well for at least five years and that is why we have invested in the after-sales package.”

The two-piece boom Hitachi ZX170W-5 wheeled excavator is the largest Zaxis-5 machine at Joh. Sahler’s disposal. It was delivered in July and one of its first assignments was a road construction project near Leverkusen. The €450,000 contract to build a roundabout started at the end of September and was scheduled to finish in December. The ZX170W-5 was the only wheeled excavator on the 3,400m² site, which includes 1,500m² of new road, 100m² of new foot and cycle paths and streetlights and the planting of trees.

“The ZX170W-5 is suited to this type of work, and along with the ZX145W-3 and ZX190W-3, we have a range of wheeled excavators to cover the full scale of our operations,” said Matthias. “It is a classic machine for working on roads, as it is fast and versatile, and can be used on and off road. We’re very happy with our current line-up of machines because our maintenance costs are lower than before and there is minimal downtime.”

“I’m really happy with the overall performance of the ZX170W-5,” explained the ZX170W-5’s operator Mario Tietje, who has been with the company for 30 years. “The cab has more than enough space and a comfortable seat, which is important when working on site for the whole day. It is perfectly suited to this type of road construction work and the best feature is the hydraulics, which work quickly and ensure that the machine is easy to operate.”

Related Content

  • CNH new CEO Mario Gasparri says firm keen to continue its growth curve
    January 6, 2017
    New CNH Construction president Mario Gasparri says the firm is keen to build on its “strong, sustainable growth opportunities in every major region”. Speaking to the Daily News Gasparri, a Fiat veteran who took on his prestigious new role last month, said, “In 2011, we saw the highest growth in North America, where demand increased by 38%. The European, African, Middle Eastern and CIS markets were not far behind with a 35% increase. In Latin America, the strong demand from projects in the private and public
  • CNH new CEO Mario Gasparri says firm keen to continue its growth curve
    April 17, 2012
    New CNH Construction president Mario Gasparri says the firm is keen to build on its “strong, sustainable growth opportunities in every major region”. Speaking to the Daily News Gasparri, a Fiat veteran who took on his prestigious new role last month, said, “In 2011, we saw the highest growth in North America, where demand increased by 38%. The European, African, Middle Eastern and CIS markets were not far behind with a 35% increase. In Latin America, the strong demand from projects in the private and public
  • Tread safely with Tomcat
    February 6, 2012
    Rock Fall (UK) has released its Tomcat range of total protection footwear, which has been designed for the safety of personnel working in quarry, mineral processing and extraction industries and similar working environments.
  • Element 6 launches a long-life milling cutter at Conexpo 2014
    January 6, 2017
    Element 6 is now looking to push into North America with its innovative milling cutter products. Part of the De Beers Group, Element 6 has benefited from its parent’s expertise with diamond technology and is offering milling cutters featuring diamond chips.