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T[STERS' CHOKE MAN 17000 35.403

13th February 1997
Page 35
Page 35, 13th February 1997 — T[STERS' CHOKE MAN 17000 35.403
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RATHER A CASE OF chalk and cheese, this category: CM tested four tippers in 1996, from Seddon Atkinson's Strata 26.275L 6x4 to MAN's formidable 35.403—an 8x4 that boasts 400 horsepower.

The Seddon 26-tonner was creditably light, despite having a 10litre engine in a class where most most are smaller—this was a 275hp Cummins Li 0, the last of the Euro-1 line, which has now been replaced by the MI I We liked the low-stressed engine, which delivered fair fuel consumption at a good speed, and we liked the Seddon's Iveco-derived cab: "For those brought up on Cumminspowered Ford Cargos, the Strata offers a thoroughly modern variation on the same theme". Seddon's other offering in 1996 was an 8x4 Strato, again with Cummins Li 0 power, this time rated at 325hp. The 32-tanner, operated by Macclesfield tipperman Alan Kendrick, came with an Eaton Twin Splitter gearbox, and offered a terrific body/payload allowance, with a practical payload approaching 21 tonnes. Fuel consumption and average speed were fair rather than outstanding, but again we liked the cab, the ride, and the truck's manoeuvrability and handling. Seddon Atkinson's parent company Iveco Ford offers its own light rubber-sprung Eurotrakker, put together at SA's Oldham plant, but this year they presented us with the heavyweight alternative. The Madrid-built 340E34H is equipped with a steel-sprung bogie and intended for serious off-road punishment. But the ride (at least fully-laden) was quite acceptable, and the 340hp engine (again with a Twin Splitter) returned very fair fuel consumption and a good turn of speed—enough to compensate for the mediocre payload.

But for real weight you need look no further than the MAN 35.403: this beast's payload fell over a tonne short of the Seddon's, but in return it boasted a 400hp Euro-2 engine, matched to Eaton's 16-speed synchro box. But as we said, "all that beef hasn't gone to its head: the controls are light and the truck is easy to drive, __ an excellent recipe for fatigue-free driving". We reckon that with its considerable performance and MAN's home comforts, the 35.403 could be very productive—an opinion borne out by its competitive fuel consumption. Not many of those 16 speeds were necessary round our tipper route.

The MAN F2000 gets our vote because it shows that power and economy are not mutually exclusive, because of MAN's attention to detail, and because it bodes well for what a Euro-2 tipper can do.

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Locations: Madrid

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