According to Ottenbüttler Sand managing director Jonny Peters, the new DL-7 machines compare very well against their DL420-5 predecessor, one of which is still in service at the company. "The new generation machines represent a clear improvement in several areas, providing very high performance and excellent driving comfort that more than matches the other top brands."
The two new DL420-7s are currently in use in the company's sandpits at Ottenbühl and Peissen, where they are used to extract fill sand and process it into different grain size groups by dry screening.
"The previous DL-5 wheeled loaders from Doosan offered outstanding performance in the sand pits with low fuel consumption. We are getting the same or better output with the new machines, with the ergonomics for the operator and the driving comfort being taken to new levels," explains Peters.
The two wheeled loaders are in operation in the sand pits for around ten hours a day. Their main tasks involve removing material direct from the walls of the pits, feeding the screening plant and then loading the graded sand onto the trucks. The machines are also used in construction waste recycling.
Peters adds: "We are very satisfied with the machines and the drivers are enjoying working with the DL420-7s. "One of the drivers adds that the new DL420-7 model always offers excellent traction thanks to its automatic limited-slip differential. This is particularly evident in the fact that none of the wheels slip when pushing the standard 4.5m3 bucket into the sand faces. The DL420-7 wheeled loader also climbs the steep inclines effortlessly owing to its torque converter lock-up system."
Before Jonny Peters ordered the wheeled loaders from his dealer, Atlas Hamburg, he had the opportunity to test a pre-series DL420-7 model in a sandpit for two months. During this period, the wheeled loader operators were able to try out the Doosan machine extensively. All agreed that the DL420-7 is exactly the right machine for use in the sandpit, so the first was ordered from Atlas Hamburg as the test machine was returned.
The DL420-7 is powered by the new Scania DC13 Stage V 6-cylinder engine producing 257kW of power at 1800rpm and providing an impressive maximum torque of 2196Nm at 1100rpm.
The new engine meets Stage V emission regulations without the need for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) through the use of selective catalyst reduction, diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter (DPF) after-treatment technologies. The ash cleaning cycle on the DPF has been improved to over 6000 hours, and the operator is fully informed about the status of the DPF via a soot level indicator on the new 8-inch touch screen display in the cab.
A major feature of Doosan DL-7 wheeled loaders is the completely redesigned cab. The latter offers greatly improved visibility, the use of touchscreen displays and much more space for the driver. In addition, the new EMCV (Electric Main Control Valve) joystick fully integrated in the armrest is another standard feature in the cab, providing the operator with smoother and precise controllability of the wheel loader. The wheeled loaders at Ottenbüttler Sand are also equipped with a full light package and a compressor for cleaning the cab.
Ottenbüttler Sand has been relying on Doosan machines for more than ten years, all of which he has purchased from the dealer, Atlas Hamburg, from the very beginning. Peters says: "With Atlas Hamburg, we have a top local dealer we can always rely on. We also use machines from other manufacturers, but we mainly rely on Doosan for our machinery fleet." In addition to the DL-7 and DL-5 wheeled loaders, Ottenbüttler Sand currently has Doosan DX255LC-5 and DX180LC-5 HT excavators, a DX19 compact excavator and another DL250 wheeled loader in operation.
Atlas Hamburg is part of the von der Wehl group of companies, as are Atlas von der Wehl, BLS Bau- und Landmaschinen Service and Westphal Baumaschinen. The von der Wehl group of companies has its origins in Atlas von der Wehl, founded in 1965. Now in its third generation, four employees have become more than 200, one location has become four covering the whole of northern Germany and grown into a comprehensive rental and construction machinery sales business.
