Brand-new to the North American market, the HX-4000 hydroexcavator from LMT Inc., in partnership with Smart-Dig of New Zealand, is designed on a rigid sub-frame that can be mounted to a variety of truck chassis. The unit garnered plenty of attention at the 2015 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show.

“The customer gets to choose the chassis they want. We don’t lock them into a particular make or model,” says Mike Fenneman, owner of LMT Inc. “If they have a brand preference or local truck dealer, they can select something — new or used — that they are comfortable with. It is compatible with any 33,000 GVW chassis. A lot of people were pretty excited to see a unit that provides full hydroexcavation functionality on a smaller scale.”

The complete unit on display at WWETT was available on a Freightliner M2 106 day cab with 300 hp Cummins engine and Allison 3000 RDS automatic transmission. It has an auxiliary 83 hp Kubota diesel engine; 1,500 cfm Tuthill 6015 blower with exhaust silencer; 3,000 psi, 7 gpm Udor waterblaster with retractable reel; 50 feet of 3/8-inch hose; and a 6-cubic-yard debris tank with side-mounted level indicator.

Other features include four side-mounted, rotary-molded water tanks totaling 396 gallons. The water filter includes an inline 80-gauge stainless steel strainer with 1-by-50-micron 10-inch pleated cartridge filter. The 2,200 cfm full-flow filtration system is housed in a 0.98-cubic-yard pressure-drop unit and has four washable, PTFE-coated, pleated vacuum discharge filters. Assembled in the U.S. by LMT using New Zealand components, the HX-4000 is one of three models (HX-3000 and HX-5000) offered by Smart-Dig, but the only one currently available in North America.

“These have been extremely popular in New Zealand, and the end users that have had the chance to look at it believe it will be a great fit for the U.S. market,” Fenneman says. “It will be the fourth quarter of 2015 or early 2016 that we’ll have the other models available here.”

The wireless, remote-control telescoping boom rotates 270 degrees horizontally and 25 degrees vertically. It extends to a working range of 31 feet with two floodlights on the end of the boom. The hydraulic rear door with sight glass lifts 90 degrees, while auto-hydraulic-locking adjustable plates ensure an optimal seal.

The 5-inch rubber main dig hose has an over-center clamp-lock fitting. A 30-foot-4-inch suction hose provides extended digging access. Safety features include an automatic vacuum release and an internal stainless steel float ball with a seal that shuts off the vacuum when the tank is full, preventing debris or liquid from entering the filtration system. Roller doors on both sides of the unit provide access to the engine, blower, filter unit, silencer and storage area. Accessories include a digging wand and head. Options include a 400,000 Btu AquaBlast, a fuel-oil-fired water heater for cold-weather operation or breaking up hard soil.  

Fenneman says he decided to feature the HX-4000 in Indianapolis to help determine where the U.S. market would develop. “Hydroexcavation is obviously a growing market, especially with younger businesses,” he says. “I see this unit as a fit for public utilities and municipalities, and private contractors that perform potholing. In New Zealand, they are being used a lot for running underground fiber-optic cable.”

Fenneman says that the market reaction to the HX-4000 will help the company determine the target market for its modular hydroexcavator line in the coming years.

“They are using the HX-5000 in New Zealand, and that is more of a larger, traditional-sized hydroexcavator that’s still a modular unit,” he says. “We’re excited for the HX-4000, and you’ll be seeing the larger model next year.” 800/545-1074; www.vaxteel.com.