The 45,000 people who live in the Town of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., can thank Superintendent of Highways Marc Pfeifer and his crew for snow-cleared streets and highways, trimmed trees and drained storm water. And Pfeifer can thank the department’s Hyundai 757-9 wheel loader—one of the tools that help his team maintain the streets and highways under his jurisdiction.
Background
The Town of Poughkeepsie purchased a Hyundai HL757-9 wheel loader in 2011 from A. Montano Co., in 2011. For more than a decade, A. Montano has rented Poughkeepsie two Hyundai wheel loaders for snow removal. When it came to making a purchase decision regarding a Hyundai machine, the value of the equipment was one of the selling points for the municipality.
“When purchasing equipment, it’s important that we remember we are protecting taxpayer dollars,” said Pfeifer. “Some of Hyundai’s competitors tried to convince us their value was in their product’s resale. However, we knew with good maintenance, we’d use Hyundai’s wheel loader for 20 years.”
Pfeifer and his team have not had any problems using their existing attachments, whether it’s attaching a cage that can raise a crewmember to trim trees or a fork to move branches or other debris during storm cleanup.
Pfeifer also points out that the bucket he purchased with the 757-9 has a lot of lifting power.
“We have no problem lifting 5,000-lb catch basins for rainwater,” he said.
The wheel loader also gets plenty of use loading trucks with salt, dirt, stone and broken blacktop during roadwork and street/highway cleaning.
Specs
Reliable, fuel-efficient, low-noise Cummins Tier-III QSB6.7 engines (173 gross hp) that are electronically controlled for optimum fuel-to-air ratio and clean, efficient combustion power the HL 757-9. Operators will appreciate the flexibility of three engine modes (power, standard and econo), which range from full power to reduced fuel consumption.
Hyundai offers the HL 757-9 in the following specialized models:
• Tool Master (TM) is appropriate for jobs requiring special attachments, such as forks, log grapples or hay handlers.
• Extend Reach (XTD) is for projects requiring a higher dump height, such as loading material into high-sided dump trucks or use in feedlot applications.
Operator comfort, stress reduction and improved efficiency all played important roles in the cabins of the HL 757-9. Advanced color monitors with 5.7-in.-wide color LCD screens, mounted on adjustable swivel-mounts for reduced glare, allow the operator to easily control the machine. Special attention was given to a comfortable and convenient interior with many standard amenities such as automatic air conditioning/heat, heated rearview mirrors, hands-free phone, personal storage space and AM/FM radio/MP3 interface/USB ports.
“My crew has mentioned the convenience of the scale…lifting up the bucket and knowing exactly how much weight it is carrying,” said Pfeifer. “I also like the backup camera.”
“Hyundai Construction is committed to design and engineering construction equipment that will not only offer the best available technology, but will [also] be durable and stand the test of time,” said Kirk Gillette, vice president of Hyundai Construction Equipment.
Like all the equipment in the 9 series, Hyundai designed the HL 757-9 to maximize profitability through improved efficiencies and extended life components. It comes standard with Hi-mate, Hyundai's proprietary remote management system that provides operators and dealer service personnel access to vital diagnostic information via an online portal. Hi-mate saves time and money for the owner by promoting preventative maintenance and reducing machine downtime. Additionally, the HL 757-9 is equipped with long-life hydraulic filters that have 1,000-hr service intervals, and Hyundai certified hydraulic oil lasts up to 5,000 hr before changing.
“After about a year, we have found the 757-9 easy to maintain, and have had no major repairs,” said Pfeifer.
