Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)

Search
Global website

Operator rates Hitachi excavators for reliability and comfort

News
06 Oct 2025
As soon as Karl Koppen finished school at the age of 15, he went straight to work on an excavator. Over the last 29 years, he’s gained experience with many different brands of construction machinery, but one has stood out in terms of reliability and comfort in the cab.

“My favourite machine is the Hitachi ZX225US with zero tail swing,” he says. “If I had the money, I’d buy one myself! It is powerful and does everything you want it to. I’ve mostly worked with 30-tonne models, and the ZX300 is also a great machine to operate.”

This summer, Karl has been using a Hitachi ZX135US-7, demobilising a site following the upgrade of a sewage and treatment works facility in Kent, south-east England. He works for Davey Civils, a specialist in below-ground civil engineering solutions, which hired the Zaxis-7 model from Synergy Hire.

default

Ideal for confined spaces

“We’re moving 15,000m3 of 6F2 crushed ragstone – sorting and loading eight trucks per day, so that will be a total of 90 loads over four to six weeks,” he says. “Sewage plants, such as this one, need short-tail swing models like the ZX135US because they are often in remote, rural locations with narrow access roads.” As a skilled and experienced operator, Karl’s preference for the 13-tonne Hitachi model was an important factor in the decision to request it from Synergy Hire, a Hitachi Construction Machinery company. Davey Civils Site Manager Keith Sturmer explains: “We usually hire 13-tonne Hitachi models, such as the ZX130-7 and ZX135US-7, as well as the 20-tonne ZX210-7. “Due to the larger counterweight, the ZX130 gives a bit more stability when lifting than the ZX135US, but it depends on operator preference. If they are happy, they perform better. And it’s important to give them what they need to make the job easier.”

Why stop reading now? Others liked:

Why UK civil engineering contractor trusts Synergy Hire to deliver

Davey Civils Site Manager explains why Hitachi excavators are rented from Synergy Hire to work on its below-ground civil engineering projects in the south-east of England.

default

Hitachi EX1200-7 is perfect for demanding underwater project

The largest excavator to be delivered by Hitachi Construction Machinery Netherlands last year, an EX1200-7, is now working on a demanding project in Germany.

Transforming construction equipment maintenance

As digital transformation becomes vital across the construction industry, we are at the forefront of developing smart maintenance solutions.