ATLAS 165W Excavator Delivered to Sutton and Mepal Internal Drainage Board

• The ATLAS 165W model excavator, the first of its kind in the UK, was delivered to Sutton and Mepal Internal Drainage Board for land drainage applications.

• Designed specifically for land drainage, the 165W features 4-fold extra wide 710.40 Nokian tyres on 2,750 mm wide axles for minimal ground pressure and optimal stability, a long boom for over 9.50 m of reach, and a wide dozer blade.

• Sutton and Mepal IDB, a long-time ATLAS customer with a history of nearly 50 years and about 10 machines purchased, operates in an area reliant on artificial pumped drainage to manage water levels.

ATLAS delivered the first 165W model in the UK to a long-standing ATLAS user in the Land Drainage sector. Sutton and Mepal IDB took delivery of a new ATLAS excavator on 26th January 2024.

Sutton and Mepal operate around the village of Mepal, 36 km north of the historic City of Cambridge. Water Level Management organisations such as the Internal Drainage Boards play a very important role in the land drainage systems of low-lying areas of the UK. These ancient systems provide vital protection from flooding of communities and farmland. Sutton and Mepal IDB are responsible for 40 miles of major watercourses, dykes and drains. The area covered is dependent on artificial pumped drainage to evacuate excess rainfall.

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Building machines for drainage boards has been a particular strength of ATLAS for many years. The basic specification for a machine, which operates in a specialized market such as land drainage, is reach and stability without the need for stabilizers.

This excavator is the first of the new model series 165W delivered to the United Kingdom. The machine is equipped with special 4-fold extra wide 710.40 Nokian tyres (“balloon tyres”) mounted on 2,750 mm wide axles, which only exert minimal ground pressure for the perfect balance. The combination of these special tyres and the wide axles provide the stability, whilst the 4,100 mm intermediate boom and 3,550 mm dipper arm provide the reach. This long boom combination for more than 9.50 m of reach is perfect for applications in ditch cleaning, since its operating range reaches across the ditch. It also features a wide dozer blade of 2,750 mm. For fast road travel to a different work site, this “sprinter version” is set for a maximum speed of 36km/h.

Sutton and Mepal IDB are a long-time ATLAS customer. Although only a small Internal Drainage Board, they have taken delivery of about 10 machines over a period of almost 50 years. David Stimson, their only employee, has been working with Sutton and Mepal and driving an ATLAS for 30 years. Since he is going to retire in the first quarter of 2024, Brahim Stitou, CEO of ATLAS, invited Matthew Latta, Chairman of the Board, and David Stimson to visit the ATLAS factory at Ganderkesee in November 2023 to thank him personally for his many years of service and view his new machine. It was an altogether pleasant visit with good talks, a tour of the factory and a nice conclusion of the day in the historical centre of Bremen.

This customized 165W excavator was delivered and put into operation by TDL Equipment, the official sole distributor for the market leading ATLAS material-handling excavators, serving the scrap metal and waste recycling industries, Railroad, and Internal Drainage Boards right across the UK. The TDL goal is to provide a top-quality brand with a class-leading service.