New Humma to Tasmanian contractor

The performance of Humma 25t meant James Bender Contracting didn’t hesitate to purchase the Humma 35t. Mk3.

JAMES BENDER CONTRACTING ADDS HUMMA 35 MK3

Major salmon farming contractor adds new 35t capacity Humma pick and carry to its fleet. Owner James Bender discusses the reasons behind the purchase.

JAMES BENDER CONTRACTING IS A

Tasmanian based operation. The organisation is approaching 20 years of operating a fleet of construction equipment including excavators, dozers, skid steers, trucks and pick & carry cranes. The business has been operating a Humma 25 for 10 years and recently took delivery of the new Humma 35 MK3.

“Early in our business we operated a Franna 15 tonne, which was the largest at the time, and it was not coping with the heavy loads we were required to move. I was interested in either an 18t or 25t both being available from Franna.

“When I sought further information, Franna was in transition with Terex purchasing the company. I could not get information from Terex and decided to look on-line to see what was available elsewhere. It was here I found DRA Engineering and made contact with both Peter senior and Peter junior. I found them very helpful to deal with and they invited me to Perth.

“I flew to Perth and checked out their facilities. At that time the 25t Franna and Humma were the largest

capacity pick & carry cranes available. DRA were about to test the prototype Humma 35 MK1 which later became the largest capacity pick & carry crane ever built which eight years later was displaced by Humma 55 with autolevelling invented by Peter A Dalla Riva the Engineering Manager of DRA Group,” said Bender.

Huon Aquaculture, one of the largest salmon farmers in Tasmania is a major client of James Bender Contracting with cranes and other plant working for them on an ongoing basis. As Huon began expanding everything was getting bigger, with boats and equipment larger and heavier at the fish farm. The Humma 25 could no longer safely handle the increased weights and it was then the decision was taken to purchase a Humma 35 MK3 and use the Humma 25 for general work for construction operations.

The Dalla Rivas are passionate about Humma and the way they go about their business and Bender is impressed

“The group are easy to deal with and DRA Engineering, being family owned with fifty years of manufacturing, take a lot of pride in what they do. It is obvious as they support Humma years after the warranty has expired. In my experience it does not matter how good the piece of kit is and how big the brand you need the support of the company supplying the equipment and you certainly get it from DRA,”

The new Humma 35 Mk3 has impressed everyone at James Bender Contracting.

with their approach to innovation and customer support.

“The group are easy to deal with and DRA Engineering, being family owned with 50 years of manufacturing, take a lot of pride in what they do. It is obvious as they support Humma years after the warranty has expired. In my experience it does not matter how good the piece of kit is and how big the brand you need the support of the company supplying the equipment and you certainly get it from DRA,” said Bender.

“When we bought Humma 25 we had a few teething problems but they were quickly sorted and we were probably using Humma 25 for jobs which were a little beyond the capabilities at the time so DRA helped design some chassis strengthening stiffeners. They completed all the design and engineering work and we then had the components fabricated in Tasmania. That was about ten years ago and the guys were really helpful with the modifications,” he said.

Bender talks about the performance and reliability of the 25t machine over the last ten years and his expectation for the Humma 35t MK3.

“We’ve been really impressed with the performance of the 25; it’s been super reliable over the last ten years. It hasn’t done a lot of kms because it has been mainly based on site, but it has racked up the hours. The guys do a lot of lifting with it and they have been very impressed with its capabilities and very happy with the crane overall.

“The new Humma 35 MK3 has wowed everyone; it’s a super lifter. It features all new updates with the lifting software and a number of other improvements, including the layout of the cabin and the improved visibility for the operator as a result of changes to the cabin design which is larger than Humma 25,” he said.

“The Humma MK3 is a versatile, high-capacity pick and carry crane. It has been designed, engineered, and manufactured with operator safety and comfort in mind, it is robust enough to work in the toughest of applications.

“Humma 25 and Humma 35 have the same footprint, the difference is the width allowing them to work safely in tight spaces, the AT40 requires a lot more space to operate, both Hummas are ideal for our type of work. The removable counterweight is also a good feature. When we do need to move the crane between sites, this is pretty handy.”

We couldn’t be more pleased,” says Bender.

The removable counterweight ensures the crane is equally at home either on a construction site operating at high capacity, or on the road at high speeds. Airbag suspension provides the operator with an extremely stable, safe and smooth ride while at the same time reducing maintenance costs as there is no articulation and boom pivot wear as absent on the 25t.

The automotive spec Cummins 8.3l engine is highly fuel efficient with up to 25 per cent fuel savings over comparable machines. As standard, the engine is fitted with a Jacobs exhaust brake which supplies greater stopping power and greatly reduces wear in the standard braking system. All these features combine to produce a very low maintenance machine. The same engine is used on both the 25T and 35T, being an automotive diesel the HP can be increased to suit the Humma model.

The Humma 35 MK3 has an advanced Load Moment Indicator comprising of Dynamic Load Charts. This system calculates the SWL for the operator for the exact boom angle and articulation angle which gives the operator their maximum capacity for each position. Stationary load charts are also standard. This provides the operator with a boost in SWL when the crane is stationary. The crane features a main boom of 20.9m with an optional telescopic fly jib of 5.2m.

“The 35 is based at the Huon Fisheries site where it needs to be ready for quick lifts,” says Bender.

“The 35 is constantly moving equipment around the farm and lifting boats in and out of the water. The additional capacity makes this type of work much easier and, of course, much safer for the crews. We are lifting and moving everything from nets to liners which are used for baiting fish, but predominantly lifting the boats out of and back into the water. Huon Agriculture operates a fleet of over 100 vessels which all need regular servicing, so there are plenty of lifts of this nature every day.

“With the new 35 featuring the updates to the computer and the various systems, and a lot of new safety features built in, the crews find the crane intuitive to use. The main advantage of the Humma is the rated lifting capacities it offers. It can lift to these capacities compared with some manufacturers’ lifting claims of their products which are not achievable.

“Humma 25 and Humma 35 have the same footprint, the difference is the width allowing them to work safely in tight spaces, the AT40 requires a lot more space to operate, both Hummas are ideal for our type of work. The removable counterweight is also a good feature. When we do need to move the crane between sites, this is pretty handy. We don’t drive that many kms in the Hummas but when we do the air suspension makes for a really comfortable drive. Humma is an excellent product, well built, safe, reliable and well supported by DRA,” said Bender.