UK launch for Bell loaders

Bell first came to notice in Europe at the Bauma 1998 show in Munich, Germany, where it exhibited for the first time with its range of articulated dump trucks (ADTs). Since then the South African manufacturer has made strong inroads into the market, and has demonstrated its commitment to the region by opening a factory in Germany in 2003.

But while the ADTs have been popular, the problem for Bell has been that these were the only products it could offer its customers. It is a different story elsewhere in the world thanks to an agreement with John Deere, which owns 32% of Bell.

Under this agreement Bell manufactures Deere's backhoe loaders, wheeled loaders and graders under licence in South Africa for sales on "international markets," which is to say the world's emerging economies. The same agreement allows Deere to manufacture Bell's ADTs under licence for the North American market.

Although it may be known in Europe just for its ADTs, Bell is keen to stress its experience with other products. CEO Gary Bell said, "We have nearly 1000 backhoes and front-end loaders in the field. We understand these machines well."

By way of extending the two companies relationship, Bell is now offering wheeled loaders in the UK built in the US by Deere to Bell's specifications. The E-series range comprises seven models from 95 kW to 248 kW, with standard buckets from 1,9 m3 to 4,6 m3, which covers the majority of construction and quarrying applications.

Bell breaks these down into the four smaller machines - the L1204E, L1506E, L1796E and L1806E - which it describes as "utility class loaders," and which come with the option of a quick-hitch and parallel lift front end instead of a Z-bar linkage. Above the 3,3 m3 L1806E are the three production models, the L2106E, L2606E and L2706E, with their Z-bar linkages and the option of high-lift arms.

High standards

One of the areas Bell is keen to stress is how much comes as part of the standard package. Ride control, rear radar object detection, reversing camera, on-board weighing system, a heated seat and armrest-mounted controls are all included in the basic price.

Other features of the E-series machines include a keyless start system, protected by security codes and an automatic engine idle and shutdown fuel saving system. Power comes from Stage IIIA-compliant John Deere PowerTech engines, and its QuadCool radiators cool these. The system includes an automatic reversing fan to clear debris from the radiators, and the radiators also swing out to give access to both sides.

Bell's enthusiasm for these products is clear, and the company clearly believes they will help it make further in-roads into the UK. "What we see here in the E-Series is a more refined product offering more value than before," said Mr Bell. "We've grown our market position over the years and we believe this product has the bones, stamina and value to increase that," he concluded.

In addition to the pure specifications of the E-Series, Neville Paynter, managing director of Bell UK, was keen to stress that they will be well supported in the field. "The key reasons hwy you'd buy from Bell rather than one of our competitors is our support and reliability," he told CE.

Where next?

Bell has set a modest target of selling 60 machines in the UK next year. But whether they are then rolled out to the rest of Europe is a moot point. According to Mr Bell, many of the company's distributors in mainland Europe are also Liebherr dealers, so the Bell wheeled Loaders would present a direct conflict of interests.