MARKET GUIDE: Long Reach Excavators

Peter Anderson reviews the current offering of factory-built long reach excavators, with an introduction by Graham Black

There was a time, not that long ago, when designing and fitting long reach working equipment was commonly undertaken by third party engineering firms, converting a standard excavator to meet a particular application. To be fair, a few European manufacturers offered special adaptions of their excavators, but this was the exception rather than the norm. This route also tended to be more expensive than opting for a local company to engineer and fabricate long reach working equipment.

Of course, there is far more to such a conversion than providing a longer boom and dipper, as the load must be appropriately counterbalanced, together with working equipment and its load creating a higher demand on the machine’s hydraulic system. All of which puts greater stress on the machine’s undercarriage, slew ring mechanism and other structural components. Times change and today most excavator manufacturers offer a factory-built range of long reach excavators, typically providing a working range of up to 18m on a 30-tonne class machine. However, much larger long reach excavators are also available from selected manufacturers.

This change has largely been driven by customer demand, on two fronts. If something broke, the users would have to deal with two entities, one for the base machine, the other for the working equipment, each side blaming the other for a serious failure. One point of contact for all maintenance and warranty purposes was needed. The change in attitude was initially evident in the quarry sector, where long reach excavators are commonly used as production machines to extract sand and gravel from lagoons. A more active approach to site safety has largely driven the use of factory-built long reach excavators in the construction/civil engineering sectors, where clients and main contractors want assurances that all the kit used on site is certified as being fit for purpose.

Like their standard counterparts, long reach excavators are increasingly being fitted with 3D GPS systems, handy for grading the bank of a motorway cut, performing deep drainage work or extracting gravel.

LIEBHERR
When it comes to offering long reach excavators, Liebherr, the traditional market leader in providing custom-spec excavators, takes a different approach than the rest. Their Multi User long reach attachment configuration can be specified on all seven of their core tracked excavators, from the 24-tonne R922 right up to the R976, which has an operating weight approaching 100-tonnes.

The long reach R922 is powered by an in-house engine rated at 120kW. This is usually configured with an 8.9m boom and 6.3 arm, providing a dig depth of 11.77m, a dumping height of 11.11m and reach at ground level of 15.5m.

The massive, long reach R976 features a 400kW Liebherr engine. Configured with a 12m boom and 9.50m arm, it is capable of digging down to 18.5m, offers a dump height of 15.56m and a reach at ground level of 23.25m.

KOBELCO
Kobelco currently offer two long reach excavators, the 25-tonne SK210 and the 28-tonne SK260, powered by a 127kW Yanmar and a 155kW Hino engines respectively.

Equipped with 9.9m boom and 7.90m arm, the SK210 has a maximum digging reach of 18.18m and a maximum digging depth of 14.11m. The SK260 is fitted with a 10.35m boom and an 8.25m arm, providing a reach of 18.53m and a 14.73m dig depth.

HITACHI
Hitachi offers four long reach excavators, the ZX130, ZX250, ZX300 and ZX350, which have operating weights from 15- to 40-tonnes. The smaller models is powered by a 74kW Toyota engine, the others use an Isuzu powerpack rated from 140kW to 210kW.

Monobloc boom lengths range from 7.7m to 12.3m with arm lengths between 5.3m and 9.45m, providing maximum digging depths from 10.16m to 16.43m and load over heights from 9.88m to 16.36m.

HIDROMEK
Tipping the scales at 55-tonnes, the HMK520LR is the largest in Hidromek’s four-model range of long reach excavators, which starts with the 26-tonne HMK230LR. Together with the HMK310LR and HMK390LR, this range provides maximum digging depths from 11.45m to 14.25m and maximum reach at ground level of between 14.96m and 20.3m.

Achieved by booms lengths from 8.5m to 11.4m and dipper arms between 6.1m and 8.2m. These are based on the Turkish manufacturer’s current H4 series of standard excavators and are powered by ultra-low emission Isuzu engines rated from 128kW to 270kW.

CATERPILLAR
Caterpillar produce the long reach 340LRE and 352LRE models, together with four so-called super long reach excavators, the 320SLR, 323SLR, 326SLR and 330SLR.

Intended for lighter-duty, long-distance applications, such as dealing with ditches, slopes and waterways, the four smaller super long reach models have operating weights from 24- to 31-tonnes, powered by a Cat C7.1 engine with outputs from 122kW to 205kW. Maximum digging depth extend from 11.4m to 14.61m, while maximum reach at ground level is between 15.7m and 18.29m.

The two long reach excavators weight 44- and 58-tonnes, are powered by a Cat C9.3B engine delivering outputs of 234kW and 317kW respectively and feature a heavy-duty, high and wide undercarriage. Equipped with an 11.5m boom and an 8.5m arm the 352LRE, which is equipped with a variable width track frames for easier transport, is capable of digging to a depth of 13m and has a maximum reach at ground level of 19.64m.

KOMATSU
A four-model line-up of factory built long reach excavators is available from Komatsu, comprising the short radius PC138US-11, together with the counterbalance PC210-11, PC240-11 and PC360LC models. All are powered by in-house engines, rated between 72.6kW to 202kW.

The working equipment for these long reach excavators consists of booms from 6.49m to 12.4m and dipper arms between 4.93m and 10.7m. These provide maximum dig depths from 9.19m to 17.49m and dump heights spanning 9.56m to 13.8m.

DEVELON
There are four long reach excavators in the Develon range, the DX225-7SLR and DX300-7 SLR, together with two versions of the DX530-7SLR, with operating weights from 25- to 52-tonnes. The two smaller models are powered by six-cylinder engines, rated at 129kW and 202kW respectively. The DX530-7 versions get a 294kW Scania DC13 powerpack.

The working equipment for this range consists of boom lengths from 8.5m to 11m, with arms spanning 6m to 8m, offering dig depths from 11.66m to 15.13m and digging heights from 12.8m to 14.4m.

VOLVO
Volvo offers an innovative modular boom concept, allowing the excavator’s working equipment to be swapped between a standard digging configuration and long reach boom and dipper. This facility is available on the EC220ELR, EC250ELR and EC300ELR models, with operating weights in long reach mode, of between 26- to 37-tonnes, powered by in-house engines rated from 129kW to 189kW.

Two long reach booms are available, 8.85m and 10.2m, matched with 6.25m, 7.85m or 7.9m dipper arms. When fitted with the longest working equipment, the EC300ELR model has a dig depth of 14.75m, a load over height 12.6m and a maximum digging reach of 18.59m. 

HYUNDAI
Hyundai offers two factory-built long reach excavators, the 25-tonne HX220ALR and the  33-tonne HX300ALR, powered by Cummins engines rated at 129kW and 194kW respectively.

The 25-tonner is configured with an 8.2m monoboom and a 6.3m dipper arm, delivering a maximum digging depth of 11.76m and a reach of up to 15.22m. The larger model has a 10.2m boom with a 7.85m dipper, taking maximum digging depth to 14.74m, with a reach of 18.53m.

This article featured in the May 2024 issue of Earthmovers Magazine. 

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