Product Reviews Komatsu WA1200 Wheel Loader

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which delivers a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and a poweroutput of 1765hp. Tipping thescales at over 220 ton with abucket capacity between 18 to35m3, it is the perfect partner to load 320 ton capacity miningtrucks. It has been a long wait for a scale model of the WA1200to appear with various rumoursover the years that one was ‘inthe works’ with several modelmanufacturers believed to be producing the scale replica andfinally, the model was announcedby NZG early in 2014 with the model finally appearing inJanuary 2015. While the standard

hen it comes towheel loaders,they don’t comemuch biggerthan the

Komatsu WA1200-6, a giganticmonster designed for the efficientloading of large mining trucks.Following on from the successfulWA1200-3, the updated machinebenefits from Tier 2 emissionswith better fuel economy,increased safety features and a higher operation ratio. The powerplant for this behemoth is the Komatsu SSDA16V160E-2diesel engine with modular common rail injection system

WRight: Excellent

detailing across the articulation point.

Right: Multi-colouredcabin interior highlighting

the surrounds, controls and operators seat.

NZG 1:50th Scale

Komatsu WA1200 Wheel Loader

Above & Right:Exclusive Editionof 100 pieces finished in whitefor Modell-OVP.

w w w. p l a n t m o d e l w o r l d . c o . u k PMMW Magazine - Spring 2015 13

counterweight. The side enginepanels have fine printing of thesmall grill openings with metalrailings running around the entire upper deck and enginehousing. The upper engine bay is dominated with the air intakesand twin exhaust stacks rising upwith access to the cabin mainlyfrom the rear with steps inset into the wheel arches with anemergency ladder mounted tothe side of the chassis.

The articulating frame has avery good range of movementwith the drive-shafts andhydraulic hose connections crossing the articulation pointwhich is controlled by a pair ofcylinders which have smoothmovement. The cabin has a multi-colour interior which captures the surrounding panelwork along with the seating andoperator controls while rear viewand safety mirrors are integrated

version of the model has beenreleased in the corporateKomatsu yellow colours, an exclusive edition of the model has recently appeared fromModel-OVP, a German modeldealer in a limited run of only 100 pieces.

Out of the box, it is clear that NZG has done a fine job in recreating the imposing dimensions of the loader withplenty of detailing throughout themodel, starting at the rear withthe large photo- etched grill andmetal safety railings around the

into the railings. The tyres deservemention as they have a crisplymoulded tread pattern with gooddetailing of the hubs showing allthe bolt fixings, even on theinside surface of the wheelswhich is good to see.

The loader arms rise up to anauthentic height with a good tipping angle for the bucketwhich is superbly modelled withgood surface definition of thewear plating and contoured teethfitted to the angular cutting edge.The upper spill guard looks greatwith the numerous cast slots butthe only let down on the modelare the pair of silver headedscrews holding it in place. Itwould have been better to paintthe heads over with matchingpaint to help hide them. Thataside, NZG has done a fine jobbringing the Komatsu WA1200-6model to reality.

Model Details

Manufacturer / Scale

NZG 1:50th

Price / AvAA ailability

£300

The Good

Photo-etched grill, fully detailed bucket, replicated cabin interior.

The Not so Good

Visible unpainted screwson the bucket.

VerdictV

Left: The large photo-etchedgrill looks imposing.

Right: Komatsu WA1200-6 model.

Left: View from behind the cabinshowing the metal safety railingsand rear view mirrors.

Product Reviews Concrete Pump Replicas

Left: The model is a goodrepresentation ofthe full sized truck.

Above: The boom neatlyfolds up for transport.

Right: The placementboom is fitted with bothhydraulic hose lines and

transfer tubing.

The Cifa K45H is possibly one ofthe most detailed of the concretepump models on the market with great attention to detailthroughout. Based on the latest4-axle Mercedes Benz Arocschassis, the model has a pair ofsteering axles with a replicatedcabin interior highlighting the lefthand drive layout with pre-fixedwing mirrors, inset clear glazedlights and a silver finishedMercedes logo. The body features extending outriggers in an X-pattern with the frontones telescopically extendingtwo- stage while the larger rearoutriggers are hinged and foldoutwards into position before the jacks are lowered which isachieved by rotating the pads.Mats are included in the box and there is a storage frame integrated into the rear of thechassis where they can be positioned during transport to the job site. The rear hopper has a detachable cover which can bepositioned in the open or closed

Concrete Pump Replicas

NZG 1:50th Scale

position with a grate set into the lip of the hopper and pipingextending from the rear pistonpump assembly to the rotatingmounting for the placementboom.

The boom is constructed fromfive sections which are Z-foldingwith each section fitted withfixed tubing for the materialtransport. NZG has gone theextra mile here by adding all thehydraulic hose work which reallygives the model a realistic lookcoupled with fairly stiff cylindersthat allow the placement boomto be positioned without it falling down. The paint finish isexcellent throughout with lightgrey used for the body with awhite cabin and a contrastingorange and silver colour schemefor the boom. Markings havebeen accurately placed on theoutrigger arms, jack legs andboom with a printed numberplate rounding off the modelnicely.

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oncrete pumps are an essential machine used on a number of construction sites where concreteneeds to be placed in areas where the concrete mixers cannot reach. Typical applications includebridge and building foundations along with floor installations in multi-storey buildings. There havebeen a number of concrete pump models produced in the past from OEM’s including Stetter,

Putzmeister and Waitzinger, the latter now a part of the Liebherr group. Three new concrete pump modelswere announced at the Toyfair back at the end of January and I now take a look at the latest offerings

C

Cifa K45HConcrete Pump

At full extension,the model has animpressive reach.

Left: The boomunfolds authenticallywith stiff cylindershelping it remain inposition.

Above & Left: The rearhopper has a detachablecover and good internaldetailing with access upto the controls.

Model Details

Manufacturer / Scale

NZG 1:50th

Price / AvAA ailability

£150

The Good

Superb detailing of theplacement boom, workingoutriggers.

The Not so Good

none to mention.

VerdictV

w w w. p l a n t m o d e l w o r l d . c o . u k PMMW Magazine - Spring 2015 27

Above: The outriggers are fullyfunctional with lowering jack legsand separate mats.

Product Reviews Concrete Pump Replicas

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The acquisition of Waitzinger byLiebherr-Mischtechnik has giventhem a full portfolio of concreteproducts, from mixers and placement equipment to pumps, distribution systems and batching plants. Liebherr has commissioned a number of concrete mixer truck modelsincluding 3, 4 and 5 axle rigid andarticulated mixer trucks so it is no surprise that a model of theirnew range of concrete pumpswould follow. Based on the existing 1:50th scale Waitzinger42XXT model from NZG, theupdated version is mounted to a brand new Mercedes BenzArocs 4-axle truck chassis with a totally new colour decorationincorporating the Liebherr white,yellow and grey colours. The XXToutrigger system has been accurately captured and offersthe ability to set up in constrictedspaces while still providing a stable base. The 4-section R-folding placement boom is

now finished in the Liebherr greycolour with contrasting yellowtubing running along the boomsections where they terminate ina rubber discharge tube. The rearhopper has a detachable coverwhich can be fitted in either theopen or closed position withsteps integrated into the chassisto give access to the placementboom control panel. The newdecoration is complimented withcrisply printed Liebherr logos andmarkings on the outrigger armsand makes another great additionto the Liebherr model fleet.

Model Details

Manufacturer / Scale

NZG 1:50th

Price / AvAA ailability

£130

The Good

Working outriggers andfunctional placement boom,latest Arocs chassis.

The Not so Good

none to mention.

VerdictV

Above: The XXT outriggers allowfull operation in confined spaces.

Liebherr THP140H 43 R4 XXT Concrete PumpNZG 1:50th Scale

Left: Latest version of theLiebherr 43 R4 XXT concretepump from NZG in 1:50th scale.

Another impressiveconcrete pumpmodel from NZGwith a strikingLiebherr decoration.

Right: The 4-section R-folding placement boom has

a vertical reach of 42m and ahorizontal reach of 38m.

Above: The THP140Hpump has an output of138m3/h with a 600 litre hopper capacity.

Product Reviews Terex TL120 Wheel Loader

n the last issue, I took a look at the latest releasesfrom NZG in the Terex construction line and I nowround out with the TL120

wheel loader, another fine replicafrom NZG which is packed withdetail.

The TL120 is the largest modelin the Terex compact wheelloader line, tipping the scalesaround 7 ton with a bucketcapacity ranging from 1.2 to1.8m3 with a transverse mountedDeutz 4-cylinder turbochargeddiesel engine delivering 100hp.The independent hydrostatictransmission and 2 speed ranges

INZG 1:50th Scale

Terex TL120Wheel Loader

allow for a top travel speed of20km/h while an optional ‘highspeed’ derivative offers up to36km/h.

The 1:50th scale model fromNZG is typically full of great features and detail, from the surface engraving of the bodywork with highlighted grillslots, the articulating chassis andunderside drivetrain to the rollingrubber wheels that have an

Excellent range ofmovement of theloader arms andbucket.

Above Top: Good surface detailingon the rear bodywork.

Above Bottom: Good attention to detail inside the cabin

Above: NZG special issueversion shown alongside thecorporate white version.

authentic tread pattern. Silver finished steps are fitted bothsides leading up to the cabinwhich contains a nice mouldingof the interior, complete with allthe essentials including driver‘s

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Largest of thecompact wheelloaders fromTerex, the TL120.

Left: Excellent buckettip angle and addedhydraulic lines for realism.

Right: A special version of themodel has been produced in the

house colours of NZG as their toyfair 2015 model and one is up for

grabs in our competition (see page57 for more details).

seat and steering wheel. Externalcab detailing includes rear viewmirrors added to the frame andan amber beacon on the roof.The loader arms achieve a veryrealistic range of motion with the tipping angle of the bucketexcellently replicated. Flexiblehydraulic hoses have been added

for extra realism along withsmall front facing lights withpainted lenses. The paint fin-ish is flawless, as expected from

NZG with good replication ofthe Terex logos and markingsalong with various tiny safetylabels. For the 2015 toy fair, NZGproduced a special version of the

Model Details

Manufacturer / Scale

NZG 1:50th

Price / AvAA ailability

£80

The Good

Excellent fine detailingthroughout.

The Not so Good

None to mention.

VerdictV

model decorated in the red andblack NZG house colours withwhite printing which looks stunning, and for one lucky reader, there is a chance to ownone by entering the competitionon page 57.

Product Reviews Forklift Trucks

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Jungheinrich TFG 680The TFG 680 is a diesel drive lifttruck with a service weight of12.4 ton and a lifting capacity of 8 ton. A GM 5.7 litre V8engine provides power to the hydrodynamic drive system toallow a maximum loaded travelspeed of 22.4 km/h while a reachheight of 3.6 metres is possiblewith a fork pitch of up to 2metres. The model from NZG has captured the aestheticappearance of this powerhousevery convincingly, starting withthe good level of detailing of the cabin, complete with all theoperator controls and displayconsole with an opening sidedoor and diamond plate floorpanel. The double tyres at thefront have a very crisply mouldedtread pattern with the rear axleproviding the steering. The mast

has forward and backward tiltwhich is powered by hydrauliccylinders with an extending mastand sliding fork carriage whichholds the pitch adjustable forks.Two versions of the model have been produced by NZG,with both the standard forkedconfiguration and also with aspecial paper roll handling

grapple which features a smalllower and large upper clampwhich is functional, allowing it to grip the included plastic simulated paper roll. The grapplecan be rotated to transfer rollsfrom vertical to horizontal orientation and the assembly has some side-to-side movementfor fine positioning.

Jungheinrich DFG 425Another model from the counterbalance range of dieselpowered fork lift trucks is theDFG425, with a lifting capacity of 2.5 ton and a service weight of3.66 ton. The Kubota V2403-M-T4-cylinder combustion engine liesat the heart of the chassis withthe entire L-shaped panel tiltingupward for easy service access,

complete with detachable side panels.Conrad has done agood job of replicatingthis aspect on the

1:25th scale model, with bothside panels twisting free to reveal the nicely modelled anddecorated engine block withinwhile the entire upper panel ishinged and rises up for betteraccess. All the hand and footcontrols have been modelledwithin the cabin area with a contoured seat with good surface detailing. The rising single stage mast has angular tilt adjustment with pitch selectable forks, complete with a plastic pallet.

Above: Good cabin detailingwith opening side and uppercover revealing the replicatedKubota engine.

Right: The 1:25th scale

DFG425 has been repli-cated to Conrads usual

high standard.

Right: Good functionality

of the mast andfork carriage.

Forklift TrucksFork lift trucks continue to be a popular replica to be

produced in the larger 1:25th scale with both Conrad

and NZG releasing several new Jungheinrich models

this year.

Left: The 1:25th scaleJungheinrich TFG680 modelsfrom NZG make a great pair.

w w w. p l a n t m o d e l w o r l d . c o . u k PMMW Magazine - Spring 2015 67

Rounding off the new additionsis the Jungheinrich EKS 210aauto pallet mover, an interestingadaption based on a trusted vertical order picker design with the addition of electronicmonitoring and control systemsto allow the truck to be used in fully automated situationswhile controls allow for mixedoperation with an operator.Numerous sensors monitor thetravel route while laser navigationeliminates costly floor and conversion work, using reflectorswithin the warehouse. The 1:25th scale model from Conradhighlights all these technologicalaspects, from the laser systemmounted low down in the bodyto the various sensors on the top

of the mast. The operator areahas all the controls modelledalong with the finely printed display console which looks very authentic. The mast haspitch adjustable forks and can be raised for stacking operations.

Jungheinrich EKS 210a

Left: The roll grappleis fully functional withopening clamps androtation movement.

Right: All controls,

display screenand sensors have

been replicated

Above: The laser module isaccurately integrated into thechassis with a steering maindrive wheel.

Left: The 1:25thscale EKS 210Ahas a fine paintfinish with gooddetailingthroughout.

Above: The internalcabin detailing is to ahigh level with all the

controls replicated.Above: The forked versionis capable of lifting a heavyload, here carrying theDFG425.

Right: The roll carrier version is impressive with

good functionality throughout.