100% UPTIME – RR DAVIES LTD SHOWS WHY SOUTH WALES IS GETTING HOOKED ON HARSH

17 March 2025

Long – established in its field, South Wales scrap metal merchant RR Davies Ltd of Pontypridd is another recent convert to HARSH hookloaders, with their first unit having notched up 100% uptime in its first six months.

“I know a good bit of metal when I see it” jokes company boss Rob Davies “and the HARSH hookloader is absolutely what we want. It’s robust, very well made and easy to operate – from ‘Day One’ it’s been entirely trouble – free, with no issues at all. This gives us great confidence that the unit will give us years of steady and reliable performance. HARSH is now getting a really good reputation in South Wales for its bodywork, so choosing their hookloader for our latest DAF chassis was an easy decision to make.”

Founded over 50 years ago in the heart of the Welsh valleys, RR Davies’ core business is processing scrap metal, a key component of which is the dismantling of all types of road vehicles. The company’s trucks, which also include skiploaders, collect life – expired cars and vans as well as bring in all types of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from local industries including aluminium, copper, brass and stainless steel.

Mounted on a 450hp 8×4 DAF XD chassis, the HARSH HH26 hookloader offers a big 26 tonnes lift capacity – more than enough for an eight wheeler with a maximum 32 tonnes gvw. First introduced to the UK over a decade ago, this range – leading HARSH model has benefited from continuous improvement in key areas such as the power of its lifting cylinders, speed and ease of operation, improved safety, simplified driver controls and reduced maintenance.

Perhaps most important of all is HARSH’s record for outstanding reliability and durability, which is now genuinely industry – leading.

“Hookloaders place very high demands on a truck chassis” adds Rob. “Aside from the added stresses of loading containers on and off the rear, boxes for carrying scrap are typically as big as possible so as to provide the maximum internal volume. In turn, these higher internal loads mean that a hookloader’s centre of gravity will be a lot higher than for a straightforward tipper, so on-road stability is very important. So you need a really good truck that delivers a top performance in every area.

In our operation, the combination of HARSH bodywork and the latest DAF XD chassis looks nigh on perfect. We also appreciate the fact that HARSH gives us a level of personal attention and all – round support that’s pretty well unique these days.”

Commenting for HARSH, Sales Director Harry Hustler notes “we’re naturally delighted that Rob has come over to HARSH for his latest hookloader, and indeed that it is working 100% as advertised! South Wales is becoming a strong market for HARSH, not just on account of the product itself but also because we put great emphasis on giving operators all the personal attention and long term service support that they rightly deserve.

That’s the HARSH difference!”