The new L70H loading shovel was chosen by Proprietors Will and Gill Osgerby, following a successful, competitive demonstration and appraisal of the machine along with a competitive package on offer from SMT GB.
“In fact we first saw the machine on the SMT stand at last year’s Lamma show and considered the L70H to be well built and well specified with a comfortable operator’s environment,” says Will. “Taking the machine on demonstration endorsed our opinions and we were pleasantly surprised with its capabilities. Even our seventy one year old machine operator Mick Danby had no problems getting to grips with the CDC (Comfort Drive Control) and certainly appreciates the comfort of the L70’s cab,” he continues.
The Volvo L70H benefits from a Volvo designed and purpose built powertrain including the latest Stage V 6 litre 173hp engine, transmission and axles. The machine also benefits from energy efficient devices such as the Volvo Eco pedal encouraging the operator to run the machine at its optimum rpm in the engine’s torque curve. The machine supplied to W M Osgerby sports additional optional features including boom suspension, a reversible fan which ensures the engine’s cooling components are kept free of dust and debris, optional external axle cooling and a powershift transmission with lock up to give maximum rim pull. In addition, the machine has Volvo’s rim pull assist feature whereby the amount of rimpull can be controlled by the operator when working in first speed.
The most striking feature of the new resident loading shovel is the large Michelin 750/65 Mega X Bib wheel and tyre assemblies. These transform the operating characteristic of the machine and are ideally suited to the typical muck spreading applications W M Osgerby undertakes across the whole of East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. “The overall finish of the machine and high quality of paintwork is another important factor since the very nature of the material we handle is highly corrosive,” says Will as he reckons the machine will handle somewhere in the region of 130000 tonnes of muck per annum. “Machine reliability and uptime are equally important as the loading shovel is the keystone of our muck spreading team of three tractors and spreaders – especially during our busiest time of the year between July and October and we know the Volvo product comes highly recommended in this regard,” he continues.
Coming from an agricultural background farming 220 hectares of arable land and raising ‘bed and breakfast’ pigs, W M Osgerby Ltd is a family run contracting business specialising in muck spreading across the whole of East Yorkshire and into North Lincolnshire. The company has its headquarters located at Sunk Island to the east of Hull.