Doosan is a South Korean company which was founded in 1896 and today employs 43,100 people across 34 countries. The company is involved in many different manufacturing businesses – from chemical process equipment to construction machinery.

The DX160W-5 is the newest arrival in the Doosan range of wheeled excavators. The range starts at the 14t DX140W-5 and goes up to a 21t DX210W-5, with four other models ranging in size between the two.

This machine is the first DX160W-5 to be sold in Ireland. It was supplied by Adare Machinery to Allman Contracts, who are based in Listowel, Co Kerry.

Allman Contracts is a busy company, involved in all areas of plant hire. The mainstay of its business is sports pitch preparation, but it is also involved in civil engineering works. Delivery of the Doosan was planned to coincide with the beginning of a 4.5km road improvement scheme which they are undertaking. The ‘rubber duck’, as it is known, was seen as essential for this job so as not to damage the existing road surface.

The digger is powered by Doosan’s own six cylinder power plant which produces 137hp at 2000 rpm – this is class leading and is the only six cylinder available in this size of machine. Doosan claim that this gives greater driveability.

Speaking to Tim Allman, he said that his operator has found the machine to have plenty of power. Tim also mentioned that the machine was very stable, both on the move and at work. This is due to the extended wheel base of the DX160W-5. Hydraulic power is supplied by two 170l/min pumps, giving the machine plenty of digging power.

Comfort

Sitting in the cab of the Doosan is a very comfortable place to be. All the controls are easy to access and user friendly. Allman’s operator said that even coming from other manufacturers’ machines there was no problem getting up to speed with the Doosan’s controls.

All the main settings on the machine are accessible from the 7” Thin-Film-Transistor (TFT is a technology that improves image quality) LCD panel and Doosan’s exclusive jog shuttle switch. The TFT technology does seem to make the screen very clear even on a bright day. There are both day and night settings on the display.

The main functions that are accessible on the screen are:

  • Fuel consumption level: current, total and daily average fuel consumption.
  • Fuel level.
  • AdBlue® level.
  • Eco symbol: changes colour when operating conditions change (idle, normal or loading).
  • Eco gauge: shows the average fuel efficiency.
  • Engine coolant and hydraulic oil temperatures.
  • Warning symbols.
  • New shortcut menu: displayed on the right for rapid access to main functions.
  • Anti-theft password-controlled starting.
  • Oil filter information.
  • Attachment management: stores up to 10 different attachment presets, enabling the operator to set hydraulic flow and pressure according to his needs.

    • These functions allow the operator to set up the machine to their liking and get the most from it.

    When working, the noise level in the pressurised cab is very low and makes for a very agreeable work space for the operator.

    One neat touch on this machine is that there is a photo sensor that detects the amount of heat being added to the cab by the sun and adjusts the heating/cooling accordingly.

    As a complete package this new ‘rubber duck’ from Doosan seems to be a very well-specified machine and from talking to its owner it seems that it will be a more than capable addition to his fleet.

    Specifications

    Engine power:

    102.2 kW / 137hp at 2000 RPM

    Engine:

    Doosan DL06P

    Operating weight:

    16,000 kg

    Maximum traction force:

    8,100kg

    Overall width:

    2,500mm

    List price:

    €140,000 plus VAT