by Nick Drew | Sun 11 Aug 2013
MJL Group takes its first Case C series excavator
With an ever expanding workload ahead of them, Helston & Exeter based MJL Group, continues to invest in new plant & machinery, with the latest addition being a Case CX130C hydraulic excavator.
Having heard about the considerable fuel savings that can be achieved from the latest C series Case machines, MJL Groups Managing Director Matthew Lugg has made a departure from his usual choice of machine for this latest addition to the fleet. Supplied by local Case dealership M&M Plant Sales, the machine is fitted with a Strickland fully automatic quick hitch, and comes with three new buckets and two used ones. This machine is part of a two machine order, with a 21 tonne CX210C expected to arrive over the next couple of weeks.
The Case C series machines were launched at Intermat in Paris during April 2012, as the replacement for the highly popular B series. These machines are fitted with the latest Tier 4 Interim engines, which use cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) to provide a cleaner burn. According to Case, customers with B Series models will have already seen up to a 20% fuel improvement over older models. With the C Series excavators they can expect up to a further 10% efficiency improvement.
As an operator I have always rated the Case CX range, a great all round machine with smooth hydraulics and plenty of power. I have spent time on many of these machines from the first series through to a very brief spell on a CX210C last year, and found them all to be a delight to operate, with no jerky movements that some machines suffer from.
The Case Intelligent Hydraulic System fitted to these machines incorporates five energy saving systems. Boom Energy Save lowers engine revs during boom lower and swing operations, while the Auto Energy Save system cuts engine revs when the joystick control levers are inactive. Swing Relief Control manages the hydraulic power distribution at the start of a slewing operation to provide the most efficient use of hydraulic flow and pressure. Spool Stroke Control automatically adjusts the hydraulic pressure during digging operations. Lastly, Idle Shutdown turns the engine off after a preset time has elapsed.
Case claims that cycle times on the new C Series models are up to 5% faster than on their B Series predecessors, though with smoother and easier controls.
The machine only arrived on our site on Friday, so I haven’t been able to grab a drive on it so far, the machine has been assigned to a new operator on the company, who said the last Case machine he had operated was an 888 model. One can imagine he will find this modern piece of kit to be in a different league! It’s unlikely that I will get a chance on this machine, but I do however have a test drive on the new CX75C SR lined up with my good friends at M&M Plant Sales, of which a full report will probably feature in Earthmovers Magazine later this year, so another one to look out for.