HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

Two Florida Companies Discover the High-Production Capacity of the EX1200.

"We have to move 3.058 million m3 between December 2005 and December 2006," says Shawn Fields, general superintendent for Hydro Rock, a contractor based in Fort Myers, Florida. "We're getting this site ready for a golf course and new homes, and they want the front holes grassed by September 2006."

To meet the bulk excavation challenge, Fields brought in an EX1200 with a 7.11m3 bucket. The big machine keeps busy digging lakes, working 6-7.6-meters deep. Groundwater runs high in these parts and has to be pumped out of the lakes and away from the excavation - which is why Fields likes the long reach of the EX1200. "You have to take a 6 meter cut all at once because of the water," Fields says. You can't dewater fast enough to bench down for a shorter-reach machine." In all, this project has 67 lakes that average 0.6-0.8 hectares in size, but one covers 10.1 hectares. The EX1200 will dig about half of the lakes. Hitachi Zaxis 800 Excavators will dig the rest.

"On an average 10-hour shift, the EX1200 can move 4,587-5,352 m3, digging in this water-saturated rock," says Fields. "And it uses 795-852 liters of fuel per day, which is about 227-303 liters more than a Zaxis 800," he says. "But the EX1200 gives me one-third more the production of the 800.

Fields is one of several South Florida contractors who have discovered the high-production
earthmoving ability of the Hitachi EX1200. Twelve have been sold to various South Florida contractors in recent years. Residential developments and golf courses are popping up like tulips in spring, and hard-working EX1200s have helped create many of them.

Another example can be found at Southwest Florida's new 404.7-hectares Ave Maria University, which will be set in a new 1,618.7-hectare city, also called Ave Maria.
Jimmy Thompson is operations manager for Lee-Mar, a contractor charged with moving 2.447 million cubic meters of Florida's water-saturated lime rock. In the year previous to
May 2006, Lee-Mar's EX1200 logged 2,300 hours digging 13 lakes at Ave Maria.

"We needed a machine that could dig 7.62-meters deep in one pass," says Thompson.
"Our dewatering capacity is limited by our permit, so we couldn't dig down in two levels.
We can only dewater a certain amount every day." Average production with the EX1200 is 5,734 m3 per day, and Thompson says he is 'absolutely happy' with that number. He chose the Hitachi EX1200 largely because he liked the production and reliability of
the 800s.

"The efficiency of the hydraulic system is great," says Thompson. "It's a very smooth machine, and multifunctioning of the hydraulic system doesn't detract from any one function. You can lift, curl the bucket, and swing, all in one smooth motion."