When I heard the new Wacker Neuson Zero Emission battery powered Single Direction Vibratory Plate and Rammer were on my list to test for this issue, I figured showing you a couple of variations for end users that could be an interesting way to go.
The best way to showcase the benefits of this impressive emission free and powerful system was in a traditional landscaping environment and then changing the pace a little, heading to Bare Creek Mountain Bike Park (Australia’s first professional world class Mountain Bike track) would also be an interesting angle, as Vibratory Plates and Rammers are what keeps this place in tip top condition.
So, LCM enlisted Matt Riley from Form Landscapes, who had a cliff top, residential landscaping job under way and from Bare Creek Mountain Bike Park we caught up with designer of the park and maintenance manager, Matt Ward. Both the lads had some great things to say about their experience with the zero emission Wacker Neusons, but we will get to that in a bit.
FEATURES
• 100% emission free
• Low operating costs
• Maintenance free
• Reliable start
• Modular battery for all other Wacker Neuson battery construction equipment
AP1850e Single Direction Vibratory Plate
The first machine I wanted to discuss is the Wacker Neuson AP1850e Single Direction Vibratory Plate. This machine operates entirely free of emissions making it the perfect choice for sensitive work areas. This could be a tunnel project, inside work or in a confined area, and just because the machine is battery powered, don’t make the mistake of thinking it is less powerful than the petrol-powered relatives. As Wacker Neuson have gone to great lengths to ensure the battery powered workhorse packs the same punch as its rivals. The two variants of this machine weigh in at 97kg and 107kg depending on the model type and if the water tank is included.
In terms of workload, you are going to get a large area of compaction capacity, of up to 800 square metres.
The proven electric motor without V-belt has significant cost savings due to its maintenance-free operation, and when paired with the BP1000 battery operators, you are getting an hour of continual use. But if you are stopping and starting like many do with this machine the battery could last several hours or more, depending on the project type. The BP1000 battery weighs in at 6.35kg, is a 51V unit which produces 1008Wh. The battery and charger are modular so in addition can be used on the battery Rammer products.
The Single Direction Vibratory Plate comes both with or without a water tank making it a perfect choice for asphalt and additionally operators will enjoy a cost savings of around 70 per cent compared to a petrol plate of the same class.
Battery Rammer AS50e
The next machine I looked at was the zeroemission battery rammer. This compactor/trench rammer enjoys most of the same features of the vibratory plate, being maintenance free and enjoying a 55 per cent reduction in energy costs compared to its petrol counter parts. You can also forget about the drama involved with trying to start a petrol motor on a cold winter morning or when at altitude. The rammers weighs in at 71kg with the battery and produces 680 blows/minute and in terms of metres, an operator should get up to 342m when using the AS50e per charge. With a re-charge time of 80 minutes, most operators will find that by alternating between two batteries, you should be able to get through a full day’s work by recharging on the go and swapping between the two batteries.
Matt Ward from Bare Creek Mountain Bike Park has put hundreds of hours of compacting into both helping to build as well as maintaining the bike park. With all compacting done up until now on a petrol Wacker Neuson, he is no stranger to the performance of the conventionally powered unit. When discussing the performance of the zero-emission Vibratory Plate he shared, “These battery units pack a serious punch. If anything, it is probably hitting harder than the old petrol machine we have here for our maintenance. The fact I do not have to worry about servicing and doing a last-minute fuel run when someone forgets to refill our jerry cans is amazing and not breathing in fumes or occasionally burning myself on the exhaust is the best.”
Being keen to also get a more traditional landscaping perspective, I asked Matt Riley from Form Landscapes, about the smoothness and glide of the machines. “The plate almost seemed to glide like Teflon on our road base. Both machines felt great to control with ease and did an excellent job at preparing our area that is to be paved in the upcoming weeks. Changing over the battery was easy and giving it a solid push locked it into place,” said Matt.
The wrap up
As it happened both Matt Riley from Form Landscaping and Matt Ward from Bare Creek Mountain Bike Park own and use petrol Wacker Neuson machines in their day-to-day operations, so they were both very well placed to comment on just how powerful and easy to use these two new zero-emission Wacker Neuson machines are. With both Matts commenting on the battery powered machines being either equally matched or even slightly more powerful than their own petrol-powered machines.