Tayside Contracts Purchases First Doosan Machines

Tayside Contracts, based in Dundee in Scotland, has purchased the organisation’s first new Doosan wheel loader and excavator as part of a fleet of machines used in its quarrying, recycling and construction operations. The new Doosan DL350-5 wheel loader and DX255LC-5 crawler excavator were purchased from Balgownie, the local Authorised Doosan Dealer, with headquarters in Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.

The Construction Division of Tayside Contracts is the largest civil engineering construction organisation in the Tayside area employing over 400 people with a turnover in excess of £34 million. The new Doosan machines work mainly at the two quarries owned by Tayside Contracts and operated by the Construction Division - Boysack Quarry near Friockheim in Angus and Collace Quarry in Perthshire.

Boysack and Collace Quarries

Boysack Quarry produces Type 1 materials which are used internally and are also available for sale to external customers. Much of the product from Boysack Quarry is destined for Collace Quarry, which manufactures a range of asphalt mixes in accordance with EN standards, including hot rolled asphalts, asphalt concretes, stone mastic asphalts, pre-coated chips and cold mix for base/binders.

Bob Ritchie, Transport Services Manager for Tayside Contracts, said: 

“After a competitive tendering process, the new Doosan machines came out best and this has been reflected in how well they have performed since they arrived. The back-up and support from Balgownie has been first class as well - we have a great relationship with David Moir on the sales side and we have one of Balgownie’s service engineers based right on our doorstep, which is a fantastic aspect for us. All our operators are very happy with the new Doosan machines.”

As part of the Tayside Contracts fleet managed by Bob Ritchie, the Doosan machines can be moved around the various facilities run by the organisation, including both the quarries and the four recycling centres located in Arbroath, Forfar, Dundee and Collace. A key objective of the Construction Division is to maximise the use of recycled material and minimise waste to landfill. As a result, all the recycling centres accept construction waste to produce a recycled sub base and a recycled crusher run for further use.

Doosan DL350-5 Wheel Loader

With a bucket capacity of 3.5 m3, the Doosan DL350-5 wheel loader is intended to meet a wide range of material-handling needs from loading and transporting granular material (such as sand and gravel) to industrial, mining and quarrying applications. The DL350-5 wheel loader is powered by a Doosan DL08 diesel engine, with an output of 202 kW (275 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. In addition to the fuel efficient Doosan engine with SCR technology, the DL350-5 at Tayside Contracts has a 5 speed ZF transmission with lock-up and a hydraulic differential-lock front axle for low fuel consumption and good productivity in all conditions.

The cab on the DL350-5 places operator comfort at the very centre of its design priorities. Offering generous headroom and an ultra-comfortable, fully adjustable, heated Grammer air suspension seat, the cab features a steering column design giving more clearance for the operator’s legs and knees. The steering wheel can also be tilted and moved telescopically to match the operator’s preferred position.

Doosan DX255LC-5 Crawler Excavator

The Doosan DX255LC-5 excavator also offers comfort and controllability with a focus on increased power, robustness and agility. While overall dimensions are similar to the previous DX255LC­3 model, the DX255LC-5 combines greater power with a 500 kg increase in operating weight. This results in up to 17% more lifting capacity over both the front and side and a 1 dBA reduction in sound levels.

Powered by the well­proven 6­cylinder, turbocharged Doosan DL06P watercooled diesel engine, providing a high power output of 141 kW (190 HP) at 1900 RPM, the DX255LC­5 combines plenty of power with high torque at a lower RPM, ensuring smoother, high torque performance and longevity than some competitors using 4­cylinder engines which run at higher revs.

Doosan Dealer for the North of Scotland

Balgownie is responsible for sales and servicing of the Doosan crawler, wheeled and mini/midi excavator, wheel loader and articulated dump truck ranges in Perthshire and Kinross-shire, Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Angus, Fife, the Highlands and the Scottish islands.

Customers like Tayside Contracts benefit from a superb on-site service network, covering everything from emergency repairs to routine maintenance. Balgownie‘s factory-trained engineers have many years of hands-on experience of repairs and servicing of plant and machinery.

As well as covering existing contracts, Balgownie provides flexible service agreements, depending on the requirements of the customer. The company offers service and warranty work on all existing Doosan machines in its area, backed by a full selection of genuine accessories and parts. Balgownie also holds a stock of new and used Doosan branded machines, to respond quickly to customers’ needs.

Tayside Contracts

Tayside Contracts is a commercially based local authority contracting organisation providing catering, cleaning, roads maintenance, vehicle maintenance and winter maintenance throughout the Tayside area of Scotland. The organisation is the commercial trading arm of the Councils of Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross and employs approximately 2500 people operating out of in excess of 300 establishments. Tayside Contracts has a wide range of both public and private sector clients.