Irish contractor looks to the future with Zaxis-7

Ireland’s Shannon Valley Group has taken delivery of its first Zaxis-7 large excavator, a ZX690LCR-7. Equipped with a hydraulic breaker, its first task was rock extraction at the Central Park residential and commercial development in Sandyford, 10km from Dublin city centre. It spent five months on the project, working alongside the company’s ZX690LCH-6.

A long-term investment

It’s easy for Shannon Valley to draw comparisons between the new Zaxis-7 and the earlier Hitachi models in its fleet. Managing Director Michael English says: “It’s quieter, a little faster, and lighter on fuel than previous models – the fuel economy is a big plus. The cab is also more comfortable, so our operators are happy.”

Shannon Valley Group invested in the latest model as it prepares for Stage V emissions regulations. The ZX690LCR-7 complies with these thanks to the combination of the selective catalytic reduction system, diesel oxidation catalyst and catalysed soot filter.

“We decided to invest in the Zaxis-7 model, because we are looking to the future. Stage V emissions are a factor for rock extraction on urban sites, so the decision was taken from an environmental point of view.”