Hampshire-based R Collard Ltd has taken delivery of the first demolition specified Volvo EC750E to be sold in Great Britain.

Managing director Robert Collard said that the choice of Volvo was mainly down to its availability for the start of the contract, but it has worked out well. “We were impressed with the specification and build quality of the EC750E when we went to Rotterdam to inspect the machine at Volvo’s European machine receiving centre,” he said. “And watching it go to work on its first day on site, I’m equally impressed with the machine’s performance and very satisfied with our purchasing decision.”

Collard’s new machine is the prime demolition tool on a project in west London, dismantling four-storey buildings and multi-storey car parks on a 20-acre site. The machine has been specified with 7.7-metre boom, a 3.55-metre dipper arm and a Hills hydraulic hitch for fitting of a 4m³ heavy duty bucket and a range of demolition tools including a 7.5-tonne Verachtert shear.

In order to operate a range of hydraulically powered attachments, the EC750E has been equipped with both hammer/shear lines and an X3 rotation circuit. The machine can be programmed with pre-set flows and pressures for the different attachments being used. The 7.5-tonne shear operates at 800 litres per minute and a working pressure of 350bar.