Rochdale-based Cooney Construction has added two Hyundai HW65A wheeled excavators to its fleet.
The contractor says that 6.5-tonne machines deliver the ideal combination of power and compact dimensions for its highway construction and repair contracts.
Formed in 1984, Cooney Construction began as a subcontractor to larger civil engineering contractors in the West Yorkshire area. But as the company expanded, it moved to Rochdale and took on an increasing volume of work as a main contractor for local authorities in the area.
“We cover a 40-mile radius of Rochdale and employ 35 people,” says founder James Cooney. “We are directly involved in highway improvement works, from small residential roads, to major new traffic junctions and signals. We are also working on incorporating cycle schemes into the local road network.”
The pair of wheeled excavators are the latest models to have been supplied to Cooney by Hyundai Construction Equipment’s Manchester dealer HES Enterprises. The two companies have a built a relationship over more than 25 years of doing business and Cooney now operates Hyundai excavators from 1.5-tonne to 8-tonne operating weight.
“We like the personal approach that we get from HES. Like us, they are a family business and they are very easy to deal with,” says Cooney. “We also get an excellent level of service and aftercare.”
Traditionally, the company had used backhoe loaders for much of its highway work. However, these have been replaced by the versatility and manoeuvrability of the compact wheeled excavators. Being able to work within a single carriageway, rotating to load or unload material without having to leave the working lane, makes the wheeled excavator a more useable machine, he says.
“Working in confined spaces and under temporary traffic lights, trying to manoeuvre a machine like a backhoe was a nightmare,” says Cooney. “With the wheeled excavators, we can stay within the works to service the job. We can use the machine to service the site with stone, tarmac and other materials, not just for digging. We’re still one of the very few that operates like this, but the wheeled machines are absolutely key to our business.”
Weighing in at 6 or 6.5 tonnes, depending on specification, the HW65A is powered by a 48.5kW (65.9kW) EU Stage V Hyundai diesel engine. This engine delivers 248Nm of torque and drives through a two-speed powershift transmission, with a four-wheel hydrostatic travel motor providing rapid travel speeds and 3,042 kgf of drawbar pull. Twin wheels are standard, though singles can be specified as an option, while a dozer blade provides additional stability when digging and lifting.
Despite its compact dimensions – the machine has a wheelbase of just 2.1 metres and an overall width of 2.1 metres – the HW65A provides the operator with a full-size cab and ‘all-day comfort’. A seven-inch touchscreen monitor delivers access to all operating data and allows the operator to set working modes and hydraulic settings for attachments. Proportional joysticks, air conditioning and a Bluetooth radio are all standard, along with a rear-view camera an Auto Safety Lock and LED working lamps.
The HW65A wheeled excavators are certainly being kept busy, as Cooney Construction has a full order book of work. Along with the local authority and highways contracts, the company is branching out into property development, where the machines will be equally at home.
“We’re as busy as we want to be,” says Cooney. “We are well established now and we can pick and choose the work that we want to carry out.”
