Digger’s Conexpo Highlights: Turkish Delight in America from Hidromek

I’ve been a long-term fan of Turkish brand Hidromek, whose stylish and distinctive black & white liveried machines always stand out in a crowd. At Conexpo 2020 the company had a modest display featuring the all new HMK 230LC hydraulic excavator, alongside examples from their backhoe loader, wheeled loader and motor grader portfolios.

The HMK 230LC is the latest model in Hidromek’s new H4 Series of excavators, which the company claims to be faster, more productive and more fuel efficient than its previous models, thanks in part to the pairing of fuel-efficient diesel engines with the latest hydraulic systems designed to produce more work using less fuel.

This new 23-tonne class machine is yet another fine example of the work by the in-house design team at Hidromek, stylish and classy. The cab interior design makes for a great working environment for the operator. Power for this machine comes from a 4-cylinder Isuzu motor offering a power output rating of 172hp (128.26kw) @2000rpm.

Hidromek also presented its well-known backhoe loader offering the HMK 102 B Alpha, but of course, being shown for the US market, this was a classic centre mount version which they still seem to prefer in the American markets.

Since their purchase of the Mitsubishi motor grader business, Hidromek have made great strides in the design work of their grader line up. The Red Dot award winning 18-tonne class, Mercedes MTU powered HMK 600 MG is a fine example of this.

The viewing angle from the hexagonal cab on the HMK 600 MG allows the operator to have a wide view of the blade and the front wheels, thus enabling safe and easy operation by being controlled either by the steering wheel or by the joystick.