Hitachi offers flexibility to MJ Hickey

UK-based MJ Hickey Plant Hire and Contracts has been making use of the flexibility offered by Hitachi Construction Machinery’s (CM) wheeled loader buy-back scheme.

Over the past couple of years, the company has bought two Hitachi ZW310-6 wheel loaders through the scheme.

The first ZW310-6, fitted with 4.5m³ general purpose bucket, was delivered in 2018 and is working in one of England’s largest limestone quarries, located in Leicester. The second model was delivered in October 2019 with a 6m³ high-tip bucket and is being used at a site in Wales.

Anthony Hickey, Managing Director of MJ Hickey Plant Hire and Contracts, said, “We ordered these models specifically for these projects and to meet our customers’ requirements.

“There is a good residual value on Hitachi machines, so therefore it’s commercially viable for us. If the work dries up, and you’ve purchased an asset, then you have to consider what to do with it. However, this kind of buy-back agreement lends a degree of flexibility and is suitable for short-term contracts.”

The Hitachi buy-back scheme applies to its ZW150 to ZW550 wheeled loaders. Among other conditions, the machine must be in good working order, less than five years old and have worked a maximum of 2,000 hours per year.

As part of the buy-back arrangement, both wheeled loaders are covered by a 6,000 hour or three-year warranty, and they are maintained by Hitachi CM’s UK arm, HCMUK.

Hickey said, “So far, the machines have proved reliable and any minor points that have arisen have been sorted quickly by HCMUK.”

“The buy-back was important in our decision to invest in the two wheel loaders, and it enables us to calculate our costs over three years. It’s a good overall package, with a strong residual, and it proves to us that Hitachi has confidence in the reliability of its products.