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The Wacker-Neuson 50Z3
There was a time when Robbie McCann didn’t have a Wacker-Neuson about him – but now he’s got three mini diggers and a couple of skid steers, and he wouldn’t be without them. Plant & Civil Engineer has been finding out why.
In our regular ‘View from the Cab,’ David Stokes has been to the site of the impressive new £39m library under construction at Queen’s University in Belfast where family owned Coalisland based sub contractors R J McCann & Sons are carrying out the ground works.
 The contractors have been on the site for the past year and a half, with the project due for completion next year. The present library hasn’t been changed since 1969 when it was serving a student population of 6,000; today that figure has risen to 24,000, so the new development to be named the Sir Anthony O’Reilly Library is clearly much needed.
It will provide 2,000 reader places, will hold 1.5 million volumes and will cover 17,600 sq metres.
“Obviously, we are delighted to be involved in such a prestigious project,” says Plant Manager Robbie McCann junior, “and working to tight schedules it is important to have machinery, equipment and men that you can rely on; we cannot afford unnecessary downtime.”
A long established and successful company, R J McCann & Sons operate a mixed fleet of 12 machines on contracts across the Province.
So why Wacker-Neuson? “I have to be honest, we got a good package from dealers Alexander Mills, and the after sales support is excellent,” says Robbie. “The mini diggers themselves have also lived up to our high expectations.”
Versatile
We were particularly interested in the five tonne 50Z3 model which has been operating on the library site since it was purchased a couple of months ago. It’s clearly a versatile machine, efficient and effective, ideally suited to a wide range of applications – from ground works and road building to demolition debris handling and landscaping – and can operate in all sorts of weather conditions.
The rubber tracked 50Z3 is a zero tail swing model, and is powered by a Yanmar water cooled four cylinder diesel engine. It has a good travelling speed, plenty of digging power and long reach and lifting height.
“It is ideal for this type of busy site where operating space can be restricted, and it is very quiet in operation which is also good because we are working very close to residential areas.”
Not only is it easy on the eye, the tiltable cab of the 50Z3 offers plenty of space, creating a comfortable working environment that complies with FOPS and TOPS regulations. “It’s a very roomy cab, with easy entry and exit, a comfortable seat and flooring that is easy to keep clean.”
It features safety glass, a side sliding window, windscreen wiper and, in this particular machine, a CD player.
“All the levers and controls are easily accessible, and attaching the buckets is hassle free; it is a really simple machine to operate, and there is good all round visibility, essential when working on a busy site like this, where health and safety issues are major concerns,” says Robbie. “We could also have specified air conditioning as an optional extra, but decided against it.”
 Servicing
Servicing, too, is made easy, with all the vital service points readily accessible. By mounting the engine on the side and enabling the cab to tilt, Neuson engineering ingenuity has solved the problem of conventional zero tail swing excavators. On the 50Z3, for example, the cab is larger and service access is superior to many conventional excavators, but there is still no overhang during superstructure rotation.
“We’ve had this particular machine for a few months, and it has been worked pretty hard on site; it hasn’t let us down and with minimal maintenance required, it’s exactly what we need,” comments Robbie. “And like I said, the back-up we get from Alexander Mills is first class; we know if ever there is a problem, they’ll be on hand to sort it out quickly.”
The library contract will last for about another year, but when the time comes to move on to another site, transporting the digger will not cause any difficulties. “Because of its compact size, we can easily load it up on to a trailer, and that was another attraction.”
Verdict
If you want a no nonsense machine that you can depend on day after day and can cope with anything that this ‘summer’ weather throws at you; if you want a machine that packs plenty of power, offers a comfortable working environment and is easy to operate, easy to service and cost effective to run, then the Neuson has to be a serious contender.
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