ADTs - what's new on the market

If you want to know just how far the plant industry has fallen, a quick glance at the ADT sales figures is as good an indication as any. In 2007, there were 870 machines sold - 750 of which were above 20t. In the first quarter of 2009, there were only 50 machines above 20t sold and the most optimistic prediction is for a total market of 400 units. For those looking across the financial year, the figures are even worse - in the 200 to 300 region, with one commentator saying "we'll be lucky if we see 250".

From the manufacturers' point of view, the downturn has been made worse because it follows such a peak - caused in part by plant owners placing speculative orders on a long waiting list and then selling the machine at a hansom profit after just a few months' work. When the market dried up, it left many plant owners with young, low-hour ADTs for which they have little work and as a result demand for new machines is even weaker than it otherwise would have been.

JCB, which operates in the lighter end of the market, says UK ADT sales are 75% down compared to last year and customers are reluctant to buy new machines as they are continuing to run their existing units.

New to market

Despite the downturn, there is a clutch of new machinery on offer - and even a new manufacturer, Doosan Moxy, formed when the Korean giant swallowed up the Norwegian minnow. Doosan's national sales manager Kim Dudley says: "Moxy has always been a premium product, but has never achieved its rightful place in the market due to uncertainty. But now it has been acquired by Doosan this situation should change with greatly increased confidence in the brand."

The ADTs will be sold via Doosan's 13 UK dealers (which will also support existing machines) and it has spares stocks in both Cardiff and Belgium. The Koreans intend to continue production in Norway, where investment in the factory has seen the latest production machinery and robotics installed. But until the European market shows'strong signs of improvement, Doosan will leave the 50-tonner waiting in the wings.

Dudley says the range offers good ground clearance and independent front suspension, as well as superior weight distribution and tyre wear because the articulation joint is on the front chassis, not the rear. While there may be some relatively minor upgrades, Doosan sees no reason to re-design the range and Dudley says there is strong interest in the product with "plenty of quotes in the system".

Of the more established names, both Komatsu and Bell showed new ADTs at Intermat earlier in the year.

In Komatsu's case, it was the new HM250-2, which heralds its entry into the 25-tonner market. Perhaps because of the UK's underfoot conditions, the lighter 25t sector remains the most popular, accounting for something like 35% to 40% of the market - a fact not overlooked by the manufacturer. The new entrant has a 24 metric tonne payload in a 14.7m³ body and is fitted with a 232kW engine. However, UK buyers may have to wait some time before they can get their hands on an HM250 because Marubeni Komatsu is not planning to market the machine immediately as the weakness of Sterling means it couldn't currently do so at a competitive price.

For its part, Bell already has a 25 tonner but at Intermat it introduced a narrow version which is 2.55m wide on the optional 20.5R 25 tyres, meaning it is within the UK's Construction and Use width limit for use on the road. In keeping with its reduced width, the B25 has the option of a low-profile cab, bringing the overall height below 3.2m, which could be vital in applications with restricted headroom. Its bigger entrant, the B45 is based on the 50t unit with a shorter rear chassis and a 25m³ bin, but this isn't expected to be of great attraction to operators in the UK.

In the current market, Caterpillar importer Finning is looking to develop alternative uses for ADTs. Product manager Mike Sproston cites Caterpillar's 'hook and lift' ADT for waste and scrap applications and says a dedicated 'heavy duty' body is being developed for the steel industry. Such moves could ultimately redefine a much wider role for Cat's ADTs. Even in the traditional muck-shifting role, Finning is promoting the ejector body, which it says ensures every load is successfully unloaded. "The maths is simple, if you are carrying material back and forth that has stuck into the trailer, then you are ultimately wasting fuel and that can be extremely costly," says Sproston

While admitting the market is very poor, Terex says it gained some market share in Q1. It puts this down to a couple of factors: making independent front suspension standard on its TA30; and its twin promises on back-up for its new trucks. For trucks purchased between the beginning of March and end of the year, Terex is promising next day (Monday-Friday) delivery of parts ordered before 4pm and if it fails to deliver, the cost of the parts will be credited back to the customer's account. Furthermore, if it can't complete a warrantable repair in 48 hours, it will credit the owner with £300 for every weekday the machine is out of action. These pledges last for three years.

Market leader

Market leader Volvo has found that the UK isn't looking for the speed and comfort offered by its fully-suspended ADTs. "It's not about the price, but most of the bigger sites and quarries have a speed limit that negates the benefit of the additional speed offered by the suspension system," said Mark Gunns.

That's not to say Volvo isn't selling ADTs - in fact it has just signed a 19 machine deal with Sibelco, which operates a ball clay quarry in Devon, comprising 10 A30Es and nine A25Es. The replacement deal was clinched by the service back-up Volvo has provided for the quarry's existing fleet and its ability to tailor the machines to Sibelco's needs. Features offered include full overhung tailgates, Groeneveld Twin greasing systems, Simret brake testers, Volvo's Caretrack telematics and Prolec's on-board weighing that transmits data to a central point.

Case markets rebranded ADTs produced by its sister company Astra and while there is a 27t unit in the range, most effort for the UK market is concentrated on the 30t and 40t machines. Scott Freeman, business manager for Case, says the machines have good cycle times in comparison with the competition and win out on their single mid-chassis tipping ram design in terms of service and maintenance.

At the lighter end of the market, two players dominate: JCB and Hydrema.

JCB offers ADTs with nominal payloads from 14t to 22t, with the smallest unit, the 714, being the biggest seller. The company says its ADTs offer a niche solution to customers working on the likes of housing developments, landscaping projects and sewage treatments which may not need a 25t truck, but require more operator comfort and higher productivity levels than are available from site dumpers. The machines also benefit from low ground-bearing pressure (being relatively lightweight and using flotation tyres) and limited slip differentials.

New variants

Hydrema has just celebrated its 50th birthday and has done so with the introduction of two new variants on its lighter 912D machine: a suspended version and a low ground pressure option. The suspended version is called the 912DS and comes with hydraulic front suspension, which allows the machine to safely travel at higher speeds along haul roads while isolating the operator from the worst effects of the ground conditions. Sales director Tim Wadsworth expects the price premium to be in the region of 10%, but believes the increase in travel speed will pay dividends in productivity.

The low ground pressure variant is based on the suspended version and gets 800mm tyres, which reduce the ground pressure to around 8psi. "We have always been known as a light truck and this brings us into the region of a tracked dumper, but at around half the price," says Wadsworth, who expects the on-cost over the suspended model to be "a few hundred pounds".