31 years and are often preferred by their customers. Paul says, “Our small trucks are a discreet size, usually people don’t mind them turning up in narrow lanes in residential areas as they don’t displace the ground and easily fit into small spaces and driveways. For this reason they’re our preferred delivery method and will deliver two tonnes of material in one load. While we do also have large trucks available, they are often not manoeuvrable enough for our customers’ sites.” Paul was therefore looking for a smaller sized loader, but also one that could lift two tonnes of material – which is how he came to find the BM621. “I needed something reliable and capable of lifting. Most of the loaders capable of lifting two tonnes were too big for our small yard. The BM621 was a perfect size and having hurt my knee shifting gears on other older machines, the Powershift feature on the BM621 was a definite bonus for me.” Cab safety was also a factor for Paul. “Volvo has a good reputation for safety, and from watching video footage of the machine online I could see that safety tests had been carried out by Volvo on the cab of this machine. The chassis is that little bit thicker than other manufacturers and a hatch in the roof means I can still get out of the machine should the door become blocked.” Paul spotted the machine on eBay for just £1,000 and thought it’d be snapped up fast, so without viewing the BM621 he bought it immediately and enlisted George Webb Recovery to bring it from Manchester to the family home and business site in Alconbury, Huntingdon.


C


ambridgeshire Sand and Gravel supply aggregates which are delivered in both small and large trucks. Their smaller trucks have been in the business for


Paul says, “I was told that the machine would start and would not leak oil. Without too much fiddling, it did start but it only didn’t leak oil because there was no oil left in it! It went forwards but not backwards, and the bucket was bent, as was the top of cab and the door. The interior was also wrecked and one of the front tyres had a puncture.” Paul’s wife, Jeni, comments, “We all just thought that Paul had bought a complete wreck. It looked as though someone had sat on the machine as it was bent completely out of shape.” The more Paul looked into it, the more he saw what


needed working on. “I did at one point think it had got the better of me, “ he says, “but when I start something, I like to see it through and do it properly. Some small victories spurred me on – I got the engine running and with the addition of hydraulic oil, I started to get the arms moving, so I knew the machine was fixable.” Paul got to work stripping the machine and began to identify the parts needed. He also took the engine apart and found that the radiator had split. The inside workings of the machine were covered in cement powder and both front tyres were riddled with nails. Paul says “Aspects of the machine were really well thought out in terms of build. Once the bucket was removed and the chassis was propped, I was surprised at how easy it was to remove the front axle.” A friend was able to provide Paul with a manual for the machine and he used a variety of methods to track down the parts for the loader. Paul took pictures of parts as he removed them and then would either contact Traktordelar, a parts supplier based in Sweden, or search online to find the parts needed. He wasn’t able to find like-for-like replacements for everything, but used this as an opportunity to make some improvements.


CONTINUED OVERLEAF a THE VOICE MAGAZINE No30 2017 19


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