The most visible distinctive feature of WL Straughan’s new Hyundai HX140A L excavator is the full-width painting by Mr Mural across its counterweight.
It is also the first excavator to be supplied to the company with a Rototilt tilt-rotator.
WL Straughan & Son, based in Bedlington, Northumberland, specialises in environmental projects, constructing tracks and paths, creating wildlife habitats and conservation works, alongside groundworks, civils projects and operated plant hire. Based on a farm, the family-run business also operates a green waste recycling company and an equestrian arena and livery stables.
WL Straughan has more than 25 excavators, from sub-one-tonne micros, through to a 15-tonne Hyundai HX145A. The company also operates backhoe loaders, wheeled and tracked dumpers, dump trailers and a wide range of agricultural tractors and compact equipment. It even has a motorgrader, for forestry and windfarm access work. Half of the firm’s excavators are now HD Hyundai machines, supplied by local dealer Taylor & Braithwaite.
“We started buying Hyundais in 2014 and we’ve been changing three or four machines a year since then,” says director Gary Miller. “We’ve tried them all but we always come back to Hyundai as one of our preferred brands. The service from Taylor & Braithwaite is second to none and we’ve just never had any issues with the machines.”
While the paintwork on the new digger would make it stand out on most construction sites, in WL Straughan's usual habitats, it is more likely to blend in.
Straughan undertakes a lot of work for the National Trust and the Wildlife Trust, but the company also works as a framework contractor for Scottish Power on windfarm construction and for Forestry England, where it is also a preferred contractor. To cope with these varied specialist contracts, the business operates its excavators with a range of attachments, including mulching heads, selector grabs, tree shears and flail mowers.
The HX140A L has been supplied with a Miller quick coupler to cope with regular changes of attachment. However, this can be removed and replaced with a Rototilt attachment that has been supplied by local dealer Stephen Pigg. To cope with the additional weight of the tilt-rotator, Straughan has specified the shorter 2.5-metre dipper arm on the machine, in place of the more commonly specified 3-metre arm.
“It’s taking a bit of getting used to,” says operator John Reed. “But once you get the hang of it, it’s really good. You don’t have to relocate the machine as much, which really speeds things up on site.”
The tilt-rotator also helps when landscaping. The new machine is currently working near a giant rock and soil sculpture called Northumberlandia, Lady of the North. Working on a former opencast mine reclamation contract, the excavator is creating wetland ponds and islands within new lakes, for birds and other wildlife to settle.
“There is no exact plan for the shape of the islands – John is just very creative and knows what’s needed,” says Mr Miller.
The new HX140A L, like all of the company’s equipment, is equipped with bio-oils to prevent any concerns in the event of spillage on sensitive soils. Straughan also specifies a brightly-painted upperstructure boxing ring of handrails, additional piping to power the attachments, additional work lights, flat beacons and 750mm track pads.
To keep the machine immaculate, Reed takes off his work boots before entering the cab.
“We normally change our equipment around at about 2,500 hours. John gets the latest excavators and then his older machines get handed down to other parts of the company, like the green recycling operation, for up to five years,” says Miller.
