Second-Hand, First-Class Performance
First published in the November 2025 issue of Quarry Management
Cornish used-equipment fleet showcases Liebherr longevity
When moving more than 1 million tonnes of material a year operators need to have faith in their equipment fleet – even if it is in the ‘previously owned’ category. Liebherr’s reputation for equipment that is built to last is put to the test every day at Brookland Sand & Aggregates, in Cornwall, who operate a fleet of 24 used machines from the German manufacturer.
The independent family business runs a comprehensive fleet of crushing and screening equipment and a wash plant to produce 75 grades of materials, all sourced from waste material taken from the adjacent china clay pits. Director Marshall Cleave explained: ‘We take the material the clay producers don’t use. This can range from the finest sands up to large rock armour-sized pieces, and that means we have to deal with a wide variety of material at any given time.’
Whilst most of the crushing and screening equipment has been purchased new, Brookland rely on a fleet of used Liebherr wheel loaders, excavators, and a solitary dozer to keep the operation working at full speed. The first loader was bought in the early 1990s, recalled Mr Cleave: ‘At the time we were running a variety of brands but the new arrival quickly impressed us with its class-leading low fuel consumption. That’s important to us as we are very keen to lower our environmental impact wherever we can.’
Most of the company’s operations centre around the main clay-producing areas, with the material tipped at a central processing location where a pair of L 566 XPower and a single L 576 XPower loader are stationed. That trio – part of a 16-strong wheel loader team – handle incoming and processed material and load the company’s articulated dumptrucks, which then haul the product to the stocking area. Dotted around the quarry are several satellite processing points, home to L 580 XPower and L 586 XPower loaders.
Away from the main operations, the company is removing one of the china clay’s former tip sites. With an estimated 20 million tonnes of material in the pile, the steady progress to lower the imposing mountain of material has been started using a recently acquired R 945 excavator and an L 586 XPower loader.
Mr Cleave is in regular contact with John Diggens, the manufacturer’s used equipment manager, and is alerted when ex-Liebherr Rental machines are becoming available. ‘We don’t have a strict replacement policy and run machines until there is a suitable replacement coming from John. While most of our loaders are XPower models, we still have a 2008 L 566 2 Plus 2 in the yard, which is used as a back-up machine should a front-line loader need attention.’
Keeping everything in working order is a team of in-house fitters. ‘We’re pretty isolated from the rest of the UK here and have learnt to be self-reliant when it comes to maintenance,’ said Mr Cleave. ‘Our fitters are experienced in handling almost any issues but on the odd occasion where a laptop is needed, Liebherr’s Weston-super-Mare branch is on hand. We get our parts delivered in the same way a home-based fitter would, making it easier to keep on top of maintenance.’
Keeping on top of costs is another crucial part of the equation. ‘The ex-rental machines are always well specified and available with reasonably low hours in some cases. We are saving in excess of £100,000 in fuel costs by running Liebherr machines; what’s not to like,’ said Mr Cleave.
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