A once challenging task to move tonnes of material to maintain miles of one of the world’s most famous coastal paths has been made “effortless” by Hinowa minidumpers.
Access Platform Sales has supplied the National Trust with two Hinowa H701 minidumpers that are being used to maintain stretches of the South West Coastal Path in Devon.
Now located at a National Trust maintenance base at Woolacombe, North Devon, they can be deployed to maintain around 75 miles of the South West Coastal Path and a nearby historical house.
Logistically demanding
National Trust Ranger Stuart Ayres is thrilled with the difference the Hinowa tracked minidumpers are already making for his small full-time team and the dedicated volunteers who help with its work.
He said: “Moving loads of aggregate up to half a mile to repair footpaths can be a significant logistical and physically demanding challenge, but these Hinowa minidumpers are now making the process effortless.
“We had a very old tracked barrow that came to the end of its working life. The only alternative has been wheelbarrows and muscle power, but that isn’t really an option given the scale of the task.
“Fortunately, some money could be released. I did a careful review of the options and Hinowa minidumpers came out on top.”
Improved productivity
He added: “What’s ideal about them is that they’re rugged and reliable and very compact, which helps greatly with the terrain we work in.
“They’re also very simple to operate, so they can be used safely by every member of the team, including volunteers, after some basic training.
“It means that we can be flexible with the way the minidumpers are used, which improves productivity and everyone gets to operate them, which is good for team morale. Everyone does every job.”
APS is the UK and Ireland authorised distributor for all Hinowa products, which also include market-leading tracked spider lifts and a range of tracked forklifts, also known as pallet jacks.
Safety advantages
APS Regional Sales Manager Jonathan Wiseman said: “We’re very pleased Stuart and his team are looking forward to getting such good use from their Hinowa minidumpers.
“The productivity and safety advantages of moving materials in this way are telling. The National Trust does brilliant work to look after some of our most precious landscapes. Helped by Hinowa, their resources will go much further and all of us will benefit.”
Stuart Ayres selected the standard version of the ride-on Hinowa HS701, with a maximum capacity of 700kg and fixed height tipping. Other versions have self-loading shovels plus high and extra high-tip capabilities.
The National Trust’s minidumpers have diesel engines and extending width tracks which can be hydraulically moved between 758mm, the narrowest width of the machine, and 1058mm to provided enhanced stability.
Narrowest footpaths
Stuart Ayres said: “The extending tracks are very useful given the rough and often sloping ground along the coastal path. With tracks closed the Hinowas can be driven along the more narrow paths along the route. We only have to transfer materials to wheelbarrows or buckets for the most inaccessible stretches.”
One load of aggregate is sufficient to maintain up to 15 metres of path. With both minidumpers operating in tandem, work teams can repair significant lengths of path per shift.
Stuart Ayres believes they will even assist in lifting the overall standard of footpaths. “The Hinowa minidumpers improve our productivity and our ability to respond more flexibly and to maintenance priorities,” he explained.
Improved visitor experience
“This should mean we can carry out repairs in a more timely way, so paths will be easier and safer to walk along, with less risk of slips and trips, and visitors can spend more time enjoying the wonderful views.”
The National Trust will use the machines to maintain 15 miles of coastal path west of Woolacombe and a further stretch between Westward Ho! and Bude.
Teams in West Exmoor and at Arlington Court, a nearby National Trust house with extensive gardens, will also use them.
The South West Coastal Path is the UK’s longest sign-posted path. It runs for 630 miles from Minehead, Somerset, to Poole, Dorset. When the final section was created in 1978 it was designated as a National Trail.
With over 70% of the path in a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the path regularly features in lists of the world’s best walks, helping to attract 9 million visitors to sections of the route every year.
Hinowa minidumper range
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Hinowa HS701 Extra High Tip |
Hinowa HS1103 with swivel bucket |
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There are five models in the Hinowa minidumper range from the HS701 to the TX3005, which can carry up to 2,875kg.
Two Hinowa minidumpers, the HS701 and the Hinowa HS1103 (maximum capacity 1,200kg) can be supplied with lithium-ion battery electric power.
There are options for high-tip and extra-high tip loading (HS701), for swivelling the bucket through 1800 (HS1103) and for minidumpers with flat skips (HS701 and TX3005).
Find out more
Talk to APS about how Hinowa minidumpers can make material moving safer, more productive and more sustainable. See also our range of Hinowa tracked forklifts (pallet jacks).
Telephone: 01480 891251. Email: sales@accessplatforms.co.uk.
