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The Digger Man


Liebherr fan looks back at some of his past mounts (Blog Re-Visited)

Nick Drew : 06/10/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
When I recently announced that I was going to be test driving a Liebherr machine, I was inundated with messages via my Facebook and Twitter accounts, from machinery men who were keen to hear my thoughts on them. One of more »

Classic Cats down under (Blog Re-Visited)

Nick Drew : 05/10/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Our regular reader and Englishman Down Under Michael Bullock, was so inspired by our previous blog posts featuring old tractors that has been out on a walkabout in search of some old classics around the Perth area. Michael had seen more »

Classic muckshifting photos of C. A. Blackwell kit in action (Blog Re-Visited)

Nick Drew : 04/10/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I came across some of these photos on one of the forums I frequent, so made contact with Alan Ross who had posted them, to see if he would share them with us here on the blog. I’m delighted to more »

Memory of the month the way things were (Part Five)

Nick Drew : 03/10/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Continuing with our series featuring memories from retired plant man William (Bill) Peters as he recalls his time on the Plymstock/Pomphlett Gas works site, featuring archive period photos from various sources. At this site there was a pinnacle of solid rock, more »

Classic plant pair put on a show at steam event

Nick Drew : 30/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Here’s a great video I came across over the weekend featuring two classic pieces of kit from different eras. This Erie steam shovel was first built in 1915 making the machine 101 years old. The machine was capable of shifting more »

Digger’s flying visit to Finning

Nick Drew : 29/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I was recently up at Finning headquarters in Cannock doing some filming for our latest batch of videos and as usual when I visit this place, it’s great to do a quick tour of the yard and snap a few more »

All about the earth

Nick Drew : 28/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Like so many in the earthmoving plant & machinery sector, Steve Wormell originally came from an agricultural background. Steve grew up on his father’s farm in Colchester and was naturally surrounded by machinery from a very young age. In many more »

Old Hymac mount re-appears

Nick Drew : 27/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I was astounded recently to see some photos appear on Facebook courtesy of Chris Maginnis featuring an old Hymac 580D that I used to operate back in the early 80’s through to early 1990’s; so much so that it has more »

Case diggers form guard of honour for the Lifton Bikers

Nick Drew : 26/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Two Case mini excavators formed an arch to welcome home a charity bike ride team in Devon on the penultimate stage of an epic 1000 mile journey from John O’ Groats to Lands End. Describing themselves as 8 middle aged more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #12

Nick Drew : 23/09/2016 15:45 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking our now regular look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members from the past week. Digger Man Blog reader Ben Watling posted a photo more »

Win a Cat phone!

Nick Drew : 23/09/2016 12:49 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
It’s time for another amazing Digger Man Blog competition and what a prize we have to giveaway this time! I recently met up with Peter from Cat Phones, to talk about the brand new Cat S60 smart phone. I have more »

A day in the woods at the APF Forestry Show (Part Two)

Nick Drew : 23/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Rounding up my visit to the APF Forestry show in Warwickshire last week, with a look at some more of the plant and machinery highlights around the showground. Exc@v8 Managing Director Tom Lomax had a trio of Menzi Muck machines more »

Building the M1 motorway

Nick Drew : 22/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Many of us hurtle up and down the M1 these days and rarely give it a second thought that it was in fact the first motorway to open in the UK. Major motorway building work was all new in those more »

K-Tec scrapers tackle big job in Texas

Nick Drew : 21/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The K-Tec scraper design might look a bit strange but they appear to be a good alternative to the conventional motor scraper. In this promotional film from K-Tec we see the company’s 1263 and 1233 scraper models, which are capable more »

Potter Plant Hire’s Magic Formula

Nick Drew : 20/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Bringing another of my old Earthmovers articles to life on the internet now featuring alternative photos, with this story on Potter Plant Hire, a great company and a classic example of how, from little acorns, big acorns grow.  Giles Potter more »

A day in the woods at the APF Forestry Show (Part One)

Nick Drew : 19/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The APF Forestry show is without doubt the highlight in the calendar for those who work in the forestry, woodland, arboricultural and associated industries. Held within the grounds of the Ragley Estate in Warwickshire there is always something interesting for more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #11

Nick Drew : 16/09/2016 13:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking our now regular look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members from the past week. This past week the Digger Man Blog has experienced more »

It’s always JCB for owner/operator NCS

Nick Drew : 16/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I must say I’m really enjoying JCB’s latest series of testimonial videos featuring the JS range of excavators, especially this one which also features another tilt-rotator adopter. Owner operator Gary McKay, who trades as Northern Contracting Solutions, had no hesitation more »

Veteran Euclid scraper is a star attraction

Nick Drew : 15/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Came across these You Tube clips recently and it inspired me to post them here on the Digger Man Blog for all the scraper lads to enjoy. This Euclid S7 single engined motor scraper is often a star attraction at more »

A visit to Wacker Neuson in Linz

Nick Drew : 14/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Our friends from Icelandic Wacker Neuson dealership Thor Ltd have just returned from a visit to the stunning factory facility in the Austrian town of Linz and they have kindly shared some photos with us from the trip. I have more »

“IronPlanet Auction: Analysing used equipment fluid samples with Nick Drew.”

Nick Drew : 13/09/2016 16:33 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Here we go with part two of my fluid sampling videos. After Bev and I had taken the fluid samples from the used Cat 966K, I went to see Gavin at Finning’s Lab in Leeds, to talk about exactly what more »

The Cream of Cornwall

Nick Drew : 13/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Continuing with our series bringing articles which I have previously written for Earthmovers Magazine, with different photographs to life on the internet, with this story on Cornish company Wagner Plant. Tony Wagner spent much of his formative years living next more »

Groundforce gets to grips with trench sheets with SheetMaster

Nick Drew : 12/09/2016 09:56 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Handling and installing trench sheets is now quicker, more controllable and safer thanks to SheetMaster, the new three-in-one revolutionary trench sheet handling tool from Groundforce Shorco. SheetMaster is a multi-function sheet handling and installation attachment that connects to an excavator more »

HHI and CNH form exclusive strategic alliance for mini excavator business

Nick Drew : 12/09/2016 01:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world’s largest shipbuilder and a leading construction equipment manufacturer, announces today that it is entering into an exclusive strategic alliance agreement with CNH Industrial, one of the world’s largest capital goods companies, for the compact more »

PLANTWORX 2017 – On the Runway to Success – 76% Sold!

Nick Drew : 11/09/2016 11:06 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The PLANTWORX team are preparing to put on an impressive exhibition when the biennial show returns to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire, from 6 -8 June 2017.   The UK’s Largest Working Construction Equipment Show, hosted by the CEA (Construction Equipment Association), will be the more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #10

Nick Drew : 09/09/2016 15:36 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking a look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members from the past week. The subject of grime laden joysticks was a popular topic of more »

Digger Man Blog gets “hand’s on” with fluid sampling

Nick Drew : 09/09/2016 09:12 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Ahead of the upcoming Cat Auction Services and IronPlanet auction on 18th October at Rockingham I take a look at fluid sampling. I recently visited Finning’s Leeds branch to speak to Used Equipment Specialist, Bev Walker. Ahead of the IronPlanet more »

Intelligent Machine Control – It’s clever stuff!

Nick Drew : 09/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Following on from my factory tour at Komatsu UK’s facility in the North East as featured in last week’s blog post, I was invited to take a look at the machines fitted with the companies Intelligent Machine Control. Like many more »

Jim Davies Hymac Memories

Nick Drew : 08/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Readers may recall my recent visit to South Wales where I was invited to see Jim and Dean Davies stunning restoration of a Hymac 580C, well Dean has kindly sent in some archive photos showing a small selection of some more »

The rise of Bauforum24 a class act

Nick Drew : 07/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I have watched the rise of German website & social media platform Bauforum24 since its early days during which time I became a member of its forum and I still am to this day. As someone who likes to give more »

Are you ready for the next IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services unreserved public auction?

Nick Drew : 06/09/2016 17:09 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Following the success of the very first UK auction in April, Finning UK & Ireland will host the second event on 18th October 2016 at Rockingham Speedway. Take a look at what happened last time in the video below. We’re more »

Memory of the month the way things were (Part Four)

Nick Drew : 06/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Continuing on now with our regular monthly trip down memory lane with retired plant man William (Bill) Peters, as he recalls the time he spent on the Plymstock/Pomphlett Gas works site in Devon, with words and some photos from Bill more »

Once a plant man always a plant man

Nick Drew : 05/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Bringing another one of my previously published Earthmovers Magazine articles to life on the internet now, with this story on Gary Down, using a selection of different photos most of which did not appear in the original feature. Like so more »

Hitachi’s EX1900-6 proves its metal as prime mover in UK quarry

Nick Drew : 04/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Tarmac has invested in a Hitachi EX1900-6 ultra-large excavator for its Swinden Quarry in North Yorkshire. The site’s new primary mover is helping to reduce operational hours at the site by increasing productivity and efficiency. The EX1900-6 is used to load more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #9

Nick Drew : 02/09/2016 16:16 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking a look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members from the past week. Last week the news and chat on the plant and machinery more »

Digger Returns to Komatsu UK

Nick Drew : 02/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
It had been around five years since I last visited the Komatsu UK manufacturing facility in the North East when I visited representing my old blog host. It was an absolute delight then to return last week for a flying more »

French contractor chooses Liebherr’s R 918 for inner city demo work

Nick Drew : 01/09/2016 10:42 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
French demolition company ECD (Etude Conseil Démolition) recently invested in a new Liebherr R 918 crawler excavator specifically for demolition work. In addition to a R 924 and a R 944 C, with the R 918 the company now operates three more »

25 Hyundai’s and counting for Emmitt Plant

Nick Drew : 01/09/2016 08:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Hyundai dealer Willowbrook Plant Services, based in Corby, Northamptonshire has been supplying Hyundai excavators to plant hire company Emmitt Plant since 2013. The company now run a 25-strong fleet of Hyundai machines ranging from 12.5 tonnes up to 22 tonnes.  more »

Old Girls on Display at Bunton Plant Hire

Nick Drew : 01/09/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Last week I was on a bit of an epic tour of the North East and Yorkshire for Earthmovers Magazine, but on the way back down I called into Bunton Plant Hire’s depot ahead of my test drive on the more »

Liebherr set to deliver new wheeled loader models

Nick Drew : 31/08/2016 18:18 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
At Bauma 2016, Liebherr presented the new generation of mid-size wheel loaders that fulfil the emissions guidelines of emission stage IV/ Tier 4f. By the end of this September, Liebherr starts to deliver the first machines to customers. With the L 526, more »

Woods ring the changes with new Bell wheeled loaders

Nick Drew : 31/08/2016 17:19 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Continuing investment in its industrious crushing and screening division, plant hire and contracting firm Woods, has chosen to update two of its Bell Equipment L2606E Loaders with like-for-like models of the well-regarded and extremely productive machines. Having developed its crushing more »

FORGING A CAREER WITH MILLER

Nick Drew : 31/08/2016 09:30 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The debate around the skills gap in the construction industry continues to dominate the headlines. One way to bridge the divide is by investing in apprentices – something that Miller has proudly been doing for generations. We caught up with three more »

A case of economics

Nick Drew : 31/08/2016 05:05 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
In this post I’m bringing yet another one of my Earthmovers articles to life on the internet, with this feature on Helston based H.G Thomas Plant Hire Ltd.  Harold Thomas has been something of a trailblazer with many things in more »

Pink Digger for a Girl

Nick Drew : 30/08/2016 15:40 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
After fathering three boys, digger company boss Scott Hardwick is so ecstatic at the prospect of finally becoming a dad to a baby girl that he has added a pink JCB mini excavator to his fleet. Scott Hardwick, 33, who more »

Exclusive Digger Man Blog reader’s offer for Earthmovers in Scotland

Nick Drew : 30/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
We are delighted to announce a special 20% discount for all Digger Man Blog readers for David Wylie’s new book – Earthmovers in Scotland: Mining, Quarries, Roads & Forestry. As previously reported on this blog, highly respected Scottish correspondent for more »

Komatsu’s underwater marvel: Re-Visited

Nick Drew : 29/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I was reading a post on Linkedin during this Bank Holiday weekend, where surprisingly someone had put out a shout for anyone selling a Komatsu D155W dozer, which reminded me of this post I wrote last year. I was never more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #8

Nick Drew : 26/08/2016 15:28 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking a look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members from the past week. JCB’s revolutionary Hydradig remains a hot topic on the Digger Man more »

Fifty Shades of Grey… The problem of non-compliant imports.

Nick Drew : 26/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The UK statutory obligations on emissions, safety and noise – which are in turn based on European Union directives, effectively regulations – apply to anyone selling machines into Europe.  They are equally applicable to individuals placing machines on our domestic more »

Scrapers for Dummies

Nick Drew : 25/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Came across this video clip the other day and as I know we have a lot of the old scraper boys who read this blog, I figured it might be of interest to you all. The video from the Vehicle more »

Great Expectations for Hybrids

Nick Drew : 24/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
It’s widely being predicted that 2017 is going to be the year of the Hybrid excavator with most manufacturers now offering competitive versions of these machines which can deliver outstanding fuel economy. Japanese brand Kobelco claim to be one of more »

Poclain spotted in Wales is “well tidy”

Nick Drew : 23/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Incredibly just a mile down the road from where I visited the stunning Hymac 580C restoration recently in Blackwood, South Wales, I was able to view another classic machine this time from the Case-Poclain stable. The model of this extremely more »

Canary Island Hyundai’s

Nick Drew : 22/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I have visited the Canary Island of Fuerteventura on many occasions since my first visit in 2003, during these visits I had witnessed a lot of construction work going on especially on major infrastructure jobs like the up-grading to dual more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #7

Nick Drew : 19/08/2016 14:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking a look back now at some of the highlights of the Digger Man Blogs social media activity and interaction with our readers and members. Proving that Digger Man Blog members have a good sense of humour Jeremy Smith posted more »

Hymac saved, restored and back in its homeland

Nick Drew : 19/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
During my recent trip to South Wales I was contacted by Ieuan Griffiths who gave me a heads up to visit Jim & Dean Davies of Blackwood based family business Jim Davies Civil Engineering Ltd to check out their stunning more »

Cat’s first ever hydraulic excavator the 225

Nick Drew : 18/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Sticking with the retro theme this week, I came across this great video clip from the Caterpillar archives recently featuring what many regard as the finest excavator ever built by the American giant the 225. The Caterpillar 225 was the more »

Driverless trucks: Taking out the human element

Nick Drew : 17/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
While the global mining industry is in the doldrums at the moment there are still some fantastic innovations going on like the driverless trucks in this video. There is no doubt about it, running any kind of dumptruck can be more »

Going Underground with Terex

Nick Drew : 16/08/2016 10:30 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Irish Salt Mining and Exploration’s Carrickfergus mine plays a vital part in keeping the UK’s road network open during winter, with Terex Trucks surefooted articulated dump trucks hauling extracted salt – whatever the weather. Salt has been among the earth’s more »

Hitachi UH restored to its former glory

Nick Drew : 16/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Our Finnish friend Arto Turpeinen who writes for plant and machinery publication Koneviesti has kindly shared some photos of a fantastic restoration job of a 1983 Hitachi UH081 courtesy of Finnish Hitachi importer Rotator Oy. There’s a bit of a more »

Hire Spec Special

Nick Drew : 15/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I’m often asked if my articles in the magazine are available online, well I thought it would be a good idea to bring some of them to the pages of the blog, which will enable people to share them via more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #6

Nick Drew : 12/08/2016 16:48 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Time now for our regular weekly look back at some of the hot topics on our ever expanding and popular social media channels. Earlier this week Digger Man blog Facebook page member Ollie Drewett post a photo of his laser more »

Row, row, row, the bagger!

Nick Drew : 12/08/2016 04:59 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Another look now at one of the digger related challenges from the German TV show Wetten Dass. We have shown a number of these clips over the years from Wetten Dass the German version of that now long gone British more »

D6N Slope Assist technology

Nick Drew : 11/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Sticking with the dozer theme from yesterday’s blog now, with a look at the latest technology advances on the ever popular Cat D6N LGP. It’s fair to say that the Cat D6 sized tractor in its various guises is without more »

130 Liebherr’s in the green

Nick Drew : 10/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Following on from a significant order of Hidromek hydraulic excavators the Turkish General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSi) placed an order for 130 Liebherr crawler tractors all in the distinctive green livery. Turkey’s General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works more »

WD Lewis and Hill Engineering get attached with 100k deal for buckets and hitches

Nick Drew : 09/08/2016 17:06 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Civil engineering company, WD Lewis based in Mid Glamorgan, Wales has recently signed a deal worth over £100K with Northern Ireland based attachment manufacturer Hill Engineering for 20 TEFRA Quick Couplers and 60 Titan Buckets.  Hill Engineering have been supplying more »

Shoring up the beaches

Nick Drew : 09/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The battle to prevent coastal erosion around the UK continues unabated as Mother Nature does her very best to wash away large swathes of the coastline. The work to turn back the tide can be extremely challenging and requires the more »

The Silver Spade an earthmoving legend

Nick Drew : 08/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Mining techniques have changed a lot in recent years, but back in the glory days of strip mining one machine dominated the sector, the giant Silver Spade. Officially known as the Bucyrus-Erie 1950-B model, the Silver Spade as it was more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #5

Nick Drew : 05/08/2016 14:13 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Time for our regular Friday look back at some of the topic highlights from the past week on our social media platforms. Last Tuesday we saw a post which attracted over 70 replies from readers who were, lets just say more »

Draining the land

Nick Drew : 05/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
In this blog post I’m taking a look back at my visit to a couple of land drainage projects I went to see in Lincolnshire, where I saw a number of specially modified JCB excavators. The devastating floods that took more »

Bell’s Big Boy Impresses

Nick Drew : 04/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Since it’s unveiling at Bauma 2016 Bell’s all new B60E dump truck has been impressing customers during a series of demonstration run outs at quarries up and down the UK. Despite some initial scepticism from tough to convince UK end more »

Man Engine Powers its way into Cornwall thanks to Volvo

Nick Drew : 03/08/2016 11:16 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The world has now seen the UK’s largest ever mechanical puppet, an epic 10 metre plus Cornish Mining Man Engine, who has awakened on Monday 25 July and set off on his historic summer journey the entire length of the more »

Oh those Russian dozers

Nick Drew : 03/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
There a lots of different Russian dozer manufacturers but we rarely get to see any of them in Europe, I have delved back into the Digger Man Blog archives and come up with a couple of examples of machines from more »

Euro Auctions hosts full off site clearance sale for UK Coal

Nick Drew : 02/08/2016 10:07 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Euro Auctions, the UK’s leading auctioneers of industrial plant, construction machinery and agricultural equipment, has been exclusively instructed to put under the hammer the entire plant manifests of two UK Coal operations in Northumberland in an ‘everything to be sold’ more »

Open and shut Case

Nick Drew : 02/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Case Construction Equipment’s Japanese Sumitomo inspired hydraulic excavators are certainly attracting a lot of attention these days, with many high profile end users purchasing them and its not hard to see why. Smoothness of operation, reliability and industry leading fuel more »

Memory of the month the way things were (Part Three)

Nick Drew : 01/08/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
In part three of William Peters memory of the month series Bill tells us about a small demolition job he worked on and a near miss on another job. Text from Bill with period photos from the Digger Man Blog more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #4

Nick Drew : 29/07/2016 12:38 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Taking a look back at the week’s social media interaction highlight’s on the Digger Man Blog with our loyal band of readers and followers.  Earlier this week Peter Neil Bayley posed the question, what’s the difference between the Engcon Steelwrist more »

Liebherr invites you to “Experience the Progress at MINExpo 2016

Nick Drew : 29/07/2016 10:35 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
At MINExpo 2016 from September 26-28, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Liebherr will showcase the latest technology from its mining product range. Covering a total area of more than 28,000 sq. ft. (2,600 m²), Liebherr’s stand #7627 will present new more »

“Down the glen came Whitnell’s men”

Nick Drew : 29/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
As reported in my recent article in Earthmovers Magazine, reservoir construction has become something of a speciality for Colchester based Whitnell Contracts, we visited the site of their latest job last week. The initial Whitnell team have started this job more »

Hydradig takes on the competition

Nick Drew : 28/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Trawling the web as I often do looking for videos of interest I came across this clip which is one of a series videos which I believe were filmed by a JCB dealer in France. This is yet another video more »

Kirk Hough goes high tech with HX

Nick Drew : 27/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Cornish based Kirk Hough has recently upgraded his 22 tonne class machine with the arrival of his new HX220L model which once again features and Engcon tilt-rotator. Having seen the HX models during a customer visit to Hyundai in Korea more »

Terex keeps on trucking in Jordon

Nick Drew : 26/07/2016 15:29 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Longstanding customer COMEDAT calls on 50 Terex Trucks rigid dump trucks to work in phosphate mines in Jordan. With a partnership that dates back to the 1970s, Jordan’s largest phosphate mining contractor, COMEDAT, called on Terex Trucks once again to more »

Alpine Digging & Mountain Bike Riding with Ben Miller

Nick Drew : 26/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Reader’s digger related holiday photos have always been popular on the blog, although we have not had so many in recent years for some reason. I was delighted then to receive a batch from well-known owner operator Ben Miller on more »

Enjoy a walk around Liebherr’s big dozer

Nick Drew : 25/07/2016 11:43 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
As a guest of Liebherr during their social media influencer’s event at Bauma 2016 we were treated to an extensive walk around of the new PR 776 Litronic which is the world’s first hydrostatic dozer in the 70 tonne class more »

Hyundai dealer celebrates the sale of 500th new machine and donates £500.00 to cancer charity

Nick Drew : 25/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Hyundai dealer Taylor & Braithwaite, based in Cumbria in the heart of the Lake District, has recently sold its 500th new Hyundai machine since taking on the dealership in 2010.  Civil Engineering company, L & W Wilson, based in Kendal more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #3

Nick Drew : 22/07/2016 15:20 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
It’s time to take another look back at some of the highlights from the Digger Man Blog’s social media interaction with our readers and followers. Earlier this week Dale Gilbertson posed a question on the Facebook page asking where was more »

JCB JS220LC’s get to grip’s with Dorset clay

Nick Drew : 22/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Regular readers of Earthmovers Magazine may recall my visit to Dorset Based Andrews Plant to see their fleet of machines which is dominated by the JCB brand. I was delighted to see that they have recently been starring in one more »

Earthmovers in Scotland a stunning new publication

Nick Drew : 21/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I hate to mention it but Christmas is only just over 5 months away so with that in mind it’s time to take a look at a great new book which is definitely going to be on my Christmas present more »

Swedish Blue Duck

Nick Drew : 20/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Owner operator Ollie Kitchin has graced the pages of this blog on many occasions as he has added various new toys in the form of attachments to use in conjunction with his Engcon equipped Komatsu “rubber duck”. It gives me more »

How to use Cat Grade with Assist

Nick Drew : 19/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The Age of Smart Iron, as Caterpillar likes to call it is definitely here, in the same way as other technologies like smart phones and the like have moved on, so too has earthmoving equipment and the way we use more »

Poclain HC300 in America (Archive Footage)

Nick Drew : 18/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
The late 1960’s through to the mid 1980’s was probably French excavator manufacturer Poclain’s heyday, back then the machine’s featuring the company’s high pressure hydraulic systems were to be found in all parts of the globe including America. The Poclain more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #2

Nick Drew : 15/07/2016 12:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
It’s been another busy week on the Digger Man Blog’s social media channels which continue to go from strength to strength, giving like-minded plant and machinery enthusiasts the chance to engage in a whole host of industry related topics. Once more »

Benati another taste of Italy

Nick Drew : 15/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
On the Digger Man Blog last week we took a look at the latest Italian excavator manufacturer to enter the UK market Eurocomach. As I mentioned in that post there has been a long standing association with building hydraulic excavators more »

The theme tune for thousands of muckshifters!

Nick Drew : 14/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
I came across this video the other day on You Tube and figured we could all do with some black smoke and the sound of raw power which is offered to us by this classic Cat D8. So many of more »

Diggers Hillhead 2016 Highlights (Part Four)

Nick Drew : 13/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Ok, so many of you have been asking for more Hillhead photos and there was me thinking we had all seen enough of them. But I aim to please so here is the final post on the event that this more »

Getting attached at Hillhead

Nick Drew : 12/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Attachment manufacturers and dealers were once again out in force at Hillhead and in this post we will take a brief look at some of them. Sean Heron and the crew from Worsley Plant were once again to be found more »

Komatsu’s PC138US is a bit of a looker

Nick Drew : 11/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Of all the compact radius excavators on the market today, for me the Komatsu PC138US is the best looking machine of the whole bunch, it’s been a while since I last operated one, but in recent weeks I’ve spotted some more »

Digger’s weekly social media round up #1

Nick Drew : 08/07/2016 12:06 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Since its inception as a stand-alone blog in 2008 the Digger (Man) Blog has always had a large following on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, but in recent years this connection with our readers has become ever more »

Diggers Hillhead 2016 Highlights (Part Three)

Nick Drew : 08/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Continuing with a look back to our recent tour around the Hillhead Quarry looking at some of my personal highlights spotted at the show. Hyundai continue to have massive success in the European and UK markets with the new HX more »

New Italian player takes to the UK pitch

Nick Drew : 07/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Italy has a long and illustrious heritage for producing excavators, who could forget the famous Bruneri brothers Carlo and Mario, who designed their first wheeled hydraulic excavator back as far as 1948. It was often said that Mario Bruneri was more »

Diggers Hillhead 2016 highlights (Part Two)

Nick Drew : 06/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Back now to the Digger Man Blog’s look around the showground at Hillhead starting off on the Finning Cat stand. Dominating the Finning Cat stand on static display was the 352F XE hydraulic excavator which is fitted with Caterpillars Grade more »

Memory of the month the way things were (Part Two)

Nick Drew : 05/07/2016 05:00 : DIGGER MAN BLOG
Part two of our new memory of the month feature with retired plant man William Peters telling us how things used to be in his own words with period photos from the Digger Man Blog archives. Rock armour at Oddicombe more »
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