In a move that reflects its confidence in Bell Equipment’s machine quality and competency, steel rolling mill and limestone quarry operation, Ben Bennett Jr., has announced its most recent acquisition of a new L2606E Loader that was secured to replace an existing machine.

Ben Bennett Jr, a family run company founded in 1883, comprises both a steel rolling mill in Rotherham, Yorkshire; a junior hacksaw blades manufacturer in Rotherham; and a limestone quarry in Matlock, Derbyshire; and is firmly placed as Bell Equipment’s longest standing client in the UK.

The company’s relationship with Bell began back in the late 1990s when the firm, which prides itself on its ability to achieve ‘never ending improvements in quality and productivity’, purchased its first Bell Equipment Articulated Dump Truck – a B25C model.

Since then over 12 Bell machines have been put through their paces in the company’s Matlock quarry, extracting high quality grades of calcium carbonate of various grades, including a recycled filler suitable for use in applications such as food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, glass and sealants.

Three Bell B30E ADTs are currently providing impressive levels of performance onsite, loading material from the Matlock quarry face before transferring it to the primary crusher, as well as relocating waste to the quarry tip. However, Andrew Rawson, Director at Ben Bennett Jr., and his team were still keen to add a further Bell machine to the fleet; a wheeled loader that would be assigned to loading stock aggregates and plant stone to HGV lorries and dump trucks.

“We needed a machine that would be completely reliable,” Andrew explains, “and of a brand that could offer excellent service back-up within close proximity to our quarry operation.”

Having built a sound relationship with Bell Equipment and using his personal knowledge of many of the company’s ‘quarry capable’ machines, Andrew looked at bringing a new L2606E wheeled loader on board, using an attractive trade back package to spring-board the purchase.

Designed to perform within a variety of applications, the Bell L2606E features on-board weighing as standard and, by including hydraulic ride control, increases site safety while affording improved operator comfort and maximum in-load productivity.

Its extra heavy-duty axles are factory approved for solid or PU foam filled L5 pneumatic tyres, and by featuring a cyclonic pre-cleaner as standard on the engine, the life of the air filter has the potential to be considerably extended, while extra engine protection is achieved.

“The L2606E’s Quadcool system is well-regarded as being the best on the market for combating radiator clogging,” added Nick Learoyd, Managing Director at Bell Equipment UK. “It makes the vehicle an ideal choice for use in notoriously dusty environments such as the quarry face, as Andrew and his team have discovered.

“We’re delighted that Ben Bennett is choosing to continue its relationship with the Bell team and its evolving machines, and we look forward to meeting their fleet needs again in the not too distant future.”

With the new L2606E already set to task in the quarry, Andrew confirms that he’s extremely pleased with machine performance to-date:

“It’s a great model,” he concludes, “and exactly what we need. It’s stable when a full bucket is at maximum lift, and the driver comfort during operation is second to none.

“The service from Bell has once again been excellent and I won’t hesitate to return when we look to replace further machines over coming months.”