UK-based articulated water tank manufacturer Hydex is set to enter the U.S. market through a partnership with Case and Hitachi dealer Hills Machinery.
The tanks will be sold and supported through a new entity – Hydex USA – at Hills Machinery’s 14 U.S. locations in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
The tanks are designed to integrate with the chassis of another brand Hills Machinery carries, Scotland-based Rokbak articulated dump trucks. However, they can be upfitted to any customer’s ADT brand of choice and even on old articulated truck chassis. Integration of the tanks and chassis will be handled at Hills Machinery’s Wilson, South Carolina, store and at a joint upfit/manufacturing center in Seattle, Washington.
Two specific combos are the Hydex 6,000-gallon AWT6 and the Rokbak 370-horsepower RA30, and the Hydex 9,000-gallon AWT9 and the Rokbak 444-horsepower RA40.
Some features and specs on the Hydex tanks include:
- American-made Elkhart water pumps and water cannons – shoot water to more than 213 feet, and water pressure can be manually adjusted to flow rates of 320, 480 or 630 gallons per minute.
- Front bumper sprayer, vertical side sprayer and rear spray bar – more than 82 feet of coverage.
- Electric Hannay hose reel – holds 100 feet of 1 ½-inch diameter hose, with an available adjustable nozzle for hard-to-reach areas.
- 3-inch heavy duty sprayers – controlled from the cab and a rear dribble bar.
- 3-inch coupler – for easy loading from hydrants. An optional suction loading system and a rear lighting kit with a rotary beacon are also available.
- Optional rear backup camera and top-of-tank safety rails.
“Dust suppression and access to water is a growing demand throughout North America as jobsites get bigger, mines and quarries get busier, and as local regulations become more restrictive,” says Jim Hills, president Hills Machinery and Hydex USA.
