Bell help spearhead UK resurgence in scraper tractors

THE latest convert to Bell Equipment’s high-powered scraper tractor has predicted that UK demand for the machine is about to take off. Nigel Thompson, owner of Leeds-based NPT Plant Hire Ltd, who recently purchased a Bell 4206D scraper tractor and two Bell 1810E scraper pans, says he has seen a major sea-change in attitude among his customers.

‘Customers were initially quite sceptical when I told them we would be using the new 4206D on their projects,’ said Mr Thompson. ‘However, there hasn’t been one person who’s seen this machine in action that wasn’t impressed. The machine will work exactly where a dumptruck will work. I’m totally convinced by it and believe it’s just a matter of time before a lot of other people are convinced.’

Scraper units were once used quite widely in the UK, but unpredictable weather meant the original front two-wheel drive formats were not ideal for year-round use; in wet weather they often had to be helped along by a bulldozer. The later introduction of a four-wheel-drive scraper worked well, but this proved expensive as it was powered by two sets of engines.

Bell say the 4206D, which based on their 40-tonne B40D articulated dumptruck, provides the solution in terms of both cost and productivity. The machine also features four-wheel-drive, but operates with a single turbocharged V6 Mercedes Benz OM501LA engine, giving it a high power-to-weight ratio and making it a much faster and more efficient muck shifter.

Mr Thompson says the scraper makes good sense financially as only one machine is used rather than three or four. The pair of scraper pans collect the ground material in one action, removing the need for an excavator or loader, while at the same time the ground is left levelled when the 4206D pulls off, removing the need for a bulldozer. Not only does this save money on machine hire, it also saves on fuel costs and the cost of employing additional driver operators.

NPT’s new 4206D scraper has recently been working on a landfill operation near Scunthorpe, where it has been moving clay to cap the site and then covering it with 1m of topsoil. The work has also involved the creation of a 4m high earth bund to act as a wind shield on the site. Mr Thompson believes the fact that his part of the job was completed well ahead of schedule demonstrates the efficiency of the 4206D scraper and pans.

NPT Plant Hire Ltd made one alteration to their 4206D machine. Instead of retaining the fitted quad tracks, the company decided to replace them with standard wheels. This has worked well, although Mr Thompson is now considering buying a set of quad tracks as well (these can be fitted in less than a day if necessary), allowing him to select the optimum method of traction for the underlying ground conditions all year round.