Last month we held our working demonstration event at Roan Edge Quarry and invited Nick Drew from Earthmovers magazine along to see what was going on.
Here is Nick’s report on the new Hyundai R25Z-9A:
‘Having not tried out any mini excavators in the Hyundai range, I was keen to get some stick time on one of the Korean company’s latest models the R25Z-9A. During my blustery visit to the Taylor & Braithwaite demo day in Cumbria last month, I took the opportunity to get out of the wind and rain and into the warmth of a heated cab, for spell on this cracking little machine. Looking around this true zero tailswing model, it’s clear to see there has been a lot of thought put into its design. Every aspect of the machine is neat, tidy and extremely well finished.
The Mitsubishi S3L2 18kw/24hp engine is easily accessible thanks to the large opening panel which also features the smart blue locking tab design that we have seen on the larger Hyundai excavators. Once open it’s easy to access your fluid filters and air filter for regular servicing and dipstick for daily checks. There is also an electrical isolation switch inside for improved overnight security.
The large opening hood on the offside allows access to the cooling pack, expansion bottle, hydraulic oil tank and the all plastic fuel tank. Topping up of fuel can also be performed by opening a small lockable hatch on top of the main hood. The fuel tank has a fuel level sight tube in addition to the in cab fuel gauge, which is always a handy feature when filling up from bowsers.
For such a small machine the cab was surprisingly roomy, but like most zero tailswing machines there is little, if any room for a lunch bag at the rear of the cab. This is the compromise you have to make with such machines. The controls are nicely laid out and simple in design. The throttle is a lever style with no electrics to potentially go wrong which makes it great for the plant hire sector. There is no air-con on this machine but a two speed heater is supplied which I was very grateful of on the day as I took shelter for a bit! This hot or cool air in the summer months is distributed via 3 vents on the right hand side of the cab interior. The up and over front window is easy to use and lifts up effortlessly for storage in the cab roof, two sliding side windows on the offside provide plenty of options for fresh air flow when required or for talking to ground crew. The floor area features two substantial track levers with foldaway pedals, an auxiliary pedal and an offset arm pedal. On the far left there is a static foot rest for improved comfort when not using the auxiliary pedal.
On the demo plot I decided to perform a bit of trenching work. I must be honest, I was very pleasantly surprised with how good this machine was, nice and smooth to operate and grading was also easy with it. It was a little bit slower than I expected on the slew considering the speed of some larger Hyundai’s but overall I was very impressed.
One thing I would like to see changed though is the PVC seat, as any operator will tell you sitting on one of those all day can be pretty uncomfortable, as they do tend to make you sweat. Of course on a canopy model you have to expect a PVC seat, but in a full cab machine, I would always like to see a cloth seat. Having said that, I do know of some dealers who will change the seat if you request it when you order the machine. Overall though a very good 2.5 tonne class zero tailswing machine at what I’m sure would be a very competitive price. If you get a chance to try one of these I highly recommend you do.’