by Nick Drew | Thu 12 Oct 2017
Quality in Black & White
Back in 2008 a lady who was at the time working for New Holland Construction Equipment sent me a grainy mobile phone photo of what she thought was a New Holland excavator working on the banks of the Bosporus River in Istanbul, Turkey, however on closer inspection I quickly discovered that the machine in question was actually a Turkish built Hidromek HMK220LC which was sporting the companies old yellow paintwork which was a similar shade to that used by New Holland.
It was that photo that ignited my interest in the Turkish machinery manufacturer, who’s conception and development is often compared to our own JCB brand in the UK and I have been following the companies rise and expansion ever since.
Having visited one of Hidromek’s factories in Ankara on a number of occasions I often asked the question about when they were going to enter the UK market, the general response was, when the time is right, well we are now seeing the distinctive looking black and white liveried machines arriving here in more numbers, thanks to Bradford based Bunton Plant Hire who became the first UK importers of the Turkish brand, having first seen and tried out the machines during a trip to the MaskinExpo show in Sweden of all places, one of 60 countries that Hidromek now export their machines too.
Since Hidromek’s arrival on the UK market via Bunton’s, a short while later another dealer was also revealed with Leighton Buzzard based TJC Plant Group Ltd taking on responsibility for sales and service in the South of England. In this time we have seen a lot of the new machines being put out on demonstration right across the UK and social media has been awash with positive comments about the machines overall quality, smoothness of operation and use of quality components, this came as no surprise to me of course, as I had test driven a number of the machines previously during visits to Turkey.
The Brits are traditionally a sceptical bunch when a new product enters the market, but you only have to look at some of the countries where Hidromek have a big presence to realise that their kit is reliable, durable and of top quality. Russia for instance, is one territory where Hidromek sell a lot of machines. The vast country offers some of the toughest working conditions on earth with long hot summers and freezing cold winters where temperatures often drop well below -38oc which can be a real test for any machine.
It is estimated that around 65% of Russian territory is underlined by permafrost which presents a real test for machines when digging, so it’s safe to say these machines are well prepared for anything the British climate can throw at them. Hidromek’s 14 tonne class HMK140LC was one machine I had not spent any time on so I was delighted when Buntons Plant offered us one to test drive for the first time in the UK in a quarry up in Bradford. I have to confess, I do like a 13/14 tonne hydraulic excavator, they are generally a bread and butter machine on sites right across the UK and it’s a size I have spent a lot of time on personally over the years, I enjoy the variety of work you get with them and the fact that you can often be one of the first machines on site and one of the last to leave.
The styling of the Hidromek machines and the unusual colour scheme catches your eye straight away but it was what’s lurking underneath the panels that I was keen to find out. Climbing up on top of the machine to check out the engine, I am guided by the standard fitted handrail to my left, once up on top of the upper-structure the machine has been retro fitted with a full boxing ring (Fall from Height Protection) framework supplied by Cab Care, who have also supplied the vandal screens and carrying cradle located on the roof of the machine.
The low profile bonnet opens up rather awkwardly to the left and once latched in position reveals the ever popular 4 cylinder Stage 3B emissions compliant Isuzu AJ-4JJ1X turbocharged diesel engine which offers a respectable power output rating of 100hp (74.9kw) @1800rpm, the big plus point that will appeal to many end users is that it requires no AdBlue fuel additive treatment. Daily checks such as engine oil, and coolant levels are easily checked from this point.
A decent sized front tool box is fitted and is also home for the standard placement of an electric refuelling pump and grease gun, there is also plenty of room inside for the usual bits and pieces like top up oil can, spare grease cartridges and tools. The offside rear panel door opens to reveal the industry standard oil and fuel filter housings all easily accessible from ground level. This is also home to the well-respected and highly efficient Kawasaki hydraulic pump which works at the heart of the system with other hydraulic components from another Japanese favourite Kayaba.
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Over in the near side rear panel we have the usual fare of cooling packs, air filter, batteries and a really decent sized screen wash bottle. For such small sized machine there is a fair bit of room inside this compartment and you could easily find room for storing a few cloth strops if needed. If I had to be picky about something here it would have to be the door stays which look a bit cheap by today’s standards but it’s a minor detail really.
And so to the cab, Hidromek’s in house design team have put a lot of effort into their cabs, which are built by Turkish cab specialists Yaris Kabin. The design and resulting ergonomics are the result of extensive consultations with operators in the field and evaluation of working conditions to offer the best solutions in cab design. This same cab is fitted to most of the machines in the Hidromek Gen Series excavator range and they have been well received by operators and after spending time in one it’s not hard to see why!
The large cab door allows for easy access to the seat which can be adjusted in 9 different positions and also features very welcoming heating for those cold frosty mornings or on this occasion a cold rainy day in Yorkshire. The joystick consoles are easily adjusted independently to suit the operators required preference by means of a latch mechanism on the front of each pod. There is plenty of legroom for even the tallest of operators and the track pedals are a decent size and sit at a nice comfortable angle. There are also two foot rests either side of the track pedals.
At the heart of the Gen Series excavator cab is Hidromek’s OPERA operator interface which is located on the right hand console, linked to the machines Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the full colour display monitor the operator is able to manage and adjust the machines functions including, engine RPM, selecting power and work modes, lights and wiper functions, manage radio and MP3, engine start and stop, set for rear view camera or machine status on monitor and for viewing the machines status such as fuel level, hydraulic oil pressure and fluid temperatures to name a few.
A quick scan around the rest of the cab and I was delighted to find a decent number of hot/cool air vents located in the all the usual areas offering a wide variety of air flow options which are controlled by the main air conditioning control bank on the left hand side console, which is slightly obscured by the arm rest. There are a couple of 12v plug sockets one at the front right hand side of the cab and one to the rear which doubles up as a cigarette lighter for those that are still smokers. There is also a USB point at the front to enable the operator to play content from a mobile phone or tablet device via the colour monitor screen. There is also a decent sized parcel shelf to the rear.
Having settled into the machine, checked out the excellent all round visibility and familiarized myself with the controls I was keen to put this 14 tonner to work. I cranked her up and following a 10 minute warm up period I tracked the machine down into the quarry. Setting the machine up on a bench I started to shift a bit of limestone about. The machine was in its default Eco mode setting to start with which runs around the 1200rpm mark, this is fine if you are looking to save money on your fuel bills, but like most of these machines today, I feel they operate better in the HP (High Power) which on this model runs at around 1900rpm, I quickly opted for the higher power setting and the machine instantly became more lively in every aspect.
It was a miserable day and the rain had made the exposed limestone I was sitting on very slippery, this was noticeable when I was pulling in a full bucket full of material as the machine demonstrated its awesome power by pulling itself towards the edge of the excavation, this was quickly remedied by taking the top off and exposing some dry material to sit on, having said that I was very impressed with the power this little machine demonstrated.
The use throughout of quality blue chip hydraulic components is instantly noticeable as the machine is silky smooth in operation, has plenty of digging power and at 13rpm is very fast on the slew. I then put the machine to work reinstating the track down into the quarry which had become deeply rutted by articulated dumptrucks and wheeled loading shovels, this gave me a great opportunity to try out its grading capability. There is no hesitation or cavitation when using a number of services together and it was a real pleasure to operate. It will come as no surprise that this machine was first class in every aspect and will give any of the perceived “big players” machines a run for their money.
The HMK140LC tips the scales at 14,900kgs in standard configuration, 15,900kgs when fitted with the optional dozer blade, while those who opt for the two piece boom and dozer blade option will be getting a machine that weighs in at 16,300kgs. Our demo machine was fitted with the UK favoured 3m dipper and a Tefra quick hitch from Hill Engineering and sitting on 700mm track pads was very well balanced overall no matter what load you put her through.
If you are expecting a bargain basement Chinese machine style price for one of these 14 tonners then you are going to be disappointed, the Turk’s know they have put together a quality machine and indeed a range of machines using some of the finest components on the market and the price reflects that, my advice would be if you haven’t tried a Hidromek yet make sure you put it on your to do list and I promise you will not be disappointed!