TIPPERS
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
8x4
01 here were so many outstanding eight-leggers to choose from last year that our testers had to go over them with a fine toothed comb to come up with a shortlist which, for the first time, included an Oriental truck.
The front of Hino's FY1P-UKA bore the legend "Dynamic". Its acceleration and average speeds failed to live up to that boast, but the 295hp (220kW) electronic-injection 8.8-litre straight-six certainly surprised us with its parsimonious fuel consumption, especially over the motorway section where it nudged ERF's superb EC10.35 into second place in the mpg stakes (albeit at a far slower pace).
On overall productivity the Hino showed itself to be a strong competitor, with a body/payload allowance of nearly 23 tonnes. This was on a par with Leyland Daf's 324hp (242kW) FAD 85.330 which recorded high average speeds with fuel consumption to match.
Another shining star was Foden's 325hp (242kW) 3325 eight-legger which, at 23.3 tonnes, had the highest body/payload capacity of them all and matched the Scania's fastest overall average speed.
However, on overall productivity the ERF edged in front with its fast, fuel-efficient journey times and a 23.12-tonne body/payload.
For fleet operators we felt that Foden's 3325 deserved top marks for its much lower price tag, cheaper spares and competitive contract maintenance charges. Even the best tippers develop problems, however, so the dealer network is vital in this sector.
Of this group, Leyland Daf has the most dealers with 116; ERF was next with 78, followed by Foden (54) and Scania (45). Hino has some work to do here with only a dozen to cover the whole of its sales territory.
From a driver's viewpoint the top marks were shared out among the ERF EC10.35, the Leyland Daf 85.330 and, not surprisingly, the Hino. The Japanse-built cab is one of the newest around and has a lot going for it, including its looks.
Hino is still the only manufacturer to fit an electrohydraulic cab tilt mechanism. There's only one wheelbase but it comes with a sleeper cab which is roomy and offers much more space in the footwell than most, particularly the Foden's 3350 which has saved weight by using the smaller 3000 cab. When it came to ride and handling our testers were impressed by both the EC10.35 and the FAD 85-330. The latter's revised back bogie, two-spring rear suspension and parabolic sprung front end gave a surprisingly easy but well controlled ride. So too did the ERF, which had its own two-spring steel suspension at the back in preference to its standard Hendrickson Norde rubber arrangement.
The Hino fought its way into second place, slightly ahead of some very well established 8x4 competitors.
But in the end the majority view was that the best of the bunch was ERF's superb EC 10.35: a good all-round buy with a well earned reputation of value for money.