Chinese-made dump trucks are increasingly filling the modern car market. The most famous brands are HOWO dump truck, Shacman dump truck, Shaanxi dump truck, and many others.
Chinese dump trucks are adapted for Russian weather conditions, so they can be used even in winter frosts. These cars are of high quality and are in no way inferior to the quality of cars made in Europe. At the same time, their cost compares favorably with European ones.
Chinese dump trucks - operation
The demand for equipment from China increased significantly during the construction of the Chita-Khabarovsk road link, which took place in 2004-2005. The load on domestic cars was so high that they could not cope with the volume of work and often broke down. All this required an urgent renewal of the vehicle fleet. The closest place to this construction site was the Chinese border, so it was from China that the rapid delivery of the required amount of automotive equipment began, which included Chinese-made dump trucks. After this, Chinese special equipment took its permanent place in the Russian transport market.
Initially, the import of Chinese dump trucks to Russia was accompanied by some problems, but gradually the situation improved, and manufacturers from China began to seriously develop this market.
Large Chinese transport companies today supply only high-quality dump trucks to the Russian market. Although, once upon a time, Chinese dump trucks purchased from small companies caused many problems for their owners. They were practically unprotected from corrosion, had low-quality tires, frames and electrics. But, currently, Chinese companies have official representatives in our country who vouch for the reliability and quality of their dump trucks.
The main breakdowns and disadvantages of Chinese trucks
Owners of dump trucks from Chinese manufacturers may encounter the following typical problems:
- Load capacity. Carriers often overload vehicles, and they are not afraid of fines and breakdowns, since these amounts are already included in the cost of transportation. For this purpose, the sides of domestic trucks have always been extended. The situation became significantly worse with the advent of dump trucks from China. The problem is that the rated load capacity is exceeded due to the placement of a disproportionately large platform on the vehicle.
For example, a Chinese three-axle truck with a platform volume of 18 m3 can transport 29 tons of sand, but its permitted load capacity is only 22 tons. Or a four-axle dump truck with a body of 25 m3 and a load capacity of 25 tons can accommodate 40 tons, resulting in an overload of 15 tons.
- Unreliability of individual components and parts. Some car models have a disproportionately weak engine, or the unit itself contains low-quality parts, for example, friction linings that crumble during operation. On the first batches of Hovo, after several tens of thousands of km. The brake drum could fail, and the system itself could leak.
Shanxi's starter broke down after 10 thousand and the body lifting mechanism stopped working. If the truck had Chinese tires, they quickly failed and swelled from overload.
- Short service life. Cars break down quite often, and although this factor depends on timely maintenance, working conditions and the professionalism of the driver, in comparison with new European trucks, breakdowns occur more often. This is especially noticeable after two years of operation.
- Low speed indicators. The operation of Chinese trucks leads to their rapid wear. They are not designed for high speeds; moreover, under such operating conditions, the car begins to overuse fuel (up to 40%).
- Poor quality spare parts. Spare parts purchased in stores last much less than original ones. This applies to bearings, rods, bushings, fasteners, and other consumables. Some carriers find analogues to Chinese spare parts from European manufacturers.
- Weak electrics. The electrical systems in some trucks are not designed to withstand harsh climates, and they use iron wiring (instead of copper), which rusts and fails.
- Low residual value. A used truck cannot be sold for a high price, except to an inexperienced buyer.
Chinese Howo dump trucks
The main manufacturer of Chinese dump trucks is the Howo brand. It was the first to appear on Russian roads and received positive ratings in a number of tests, including head-on collision testing. Hovo dump trucks consume an average of 30 liters of fuel per 100 km, and their main engine components are manufactured at famous factories around the world.
The convenient control panel of these cars, where the control devices are located, has a liquid crystal display. The cabin of Hovo dump trucks is equipped with a high-quality sound insulation system, air conditioning and a comfortable seating area.
Service issues
But where Chinese dump trucks are definitely inferior to Russian and Belarusian ones is in service maintenance. If minor repairs of some MAZ and KamAZ can be carried out on your own in your own garage, since the fundamental design has not changed since the times of the USSR, then in the event of a large-scale breakdown of Shaanxi or Howo (or damage to any “exotic” part), you will have to call the dealer.
On the other hand, such a difficulty should not be too depressing. Most service work can be carried out “in the field”. Also, you can easily find any spare parts and components for Chinese dump trucks, fortunately there are many dealers in the Russian Federation, and many of the functional units are interchangeable. However, there may be problems with service technicians.
Image source tespa.ru
Therefore, when choosing a Chinese dump truck, you should also pay attention to the remoteness of the service center from the place of operation. Ideally, the nearest one is in a city or regional capital. It’s a little worse if it’s in a neighboring region.
Chinese dump trucks "Shaanxi"
The small Chinese plant Shaanxi produces dump trucks that are widely known among Russian consumers. Its models, somewhat similar to MAN, are equipped with a Euro-2 engine and a cabin with good sound and heat insulation. In addition, these cars consume little fuel, and their steering will please any driver. The six-cylinder engine has a volume of 10 liters. The body of a Shanxi dump truck can accommodate 19 m3 of cargo. Chinese Shanxi dump trucks are equipped with electric torch fuel heating, air floating cabin suspension and comfortable driver's seats with a place to rest.
Export and domestic version
Most models of Chinese dump trucks are produced in two versions - export and for the domestic market. And they differ quite a lot. The cars can be adapted to Russian climatic or road conditions.
Image source ru.wikipedia.org
For example, we can consider Shacman dump trucks, the most popular Chinese manufacturers in Russia. In the export version they are equipped with anti-roll bars, but in the version for the domestic market they do not have such parts.
Export versions are usually a little more expensive than domestic ones, but more reliable and practical. It is not difficult to recognize dump trucks manufactured for the foreign market - it will be extremely difficult to find hieroglyphs on the body and in the cabin; all the main inscriptions, from the manufacturer’s logo to the indicators on the buttons, are made in English.
Chinese dump trucks "Shacman"
The Shacman dump truck brand is another well-known Chinese-made automotive brand. Having a rather simple appearance, Shakman dump trucks are very popular due to their optimal price-quality ratio. The production technology of trucks of this brand is similar to that of Mercedes cars. These are multifunctional dump trucks with a standard engine capacity (9.7 liters), a six-cylinder diesel engine with turbocharging and a manual gearbox. Car seats with air suspension can be adjusted to suit the driver's body shape. The maximum speed that Chinese Shakman dump trucks can reach is 80 km/h, but they accelerate to it very quickly.
Today, many Russian construction companies have appreciated the quality of Chinese dump trucks. This equipment has a relatively low cost, is quickly repaired and is unpretentious to use. All Chinese dump trucks purchased from large, trusted companies are not inferior in quality to European cars and are made using Western technologies.
The market decides everything
Today, the clear leader in the Chinese dump truck market is Howo. To some extent, this is natural, since this company was the first to enter our market. Naturally, superiority is not the only advantage of their products, but the affordable price, which even KAMAZ gives in to, is a significant argument. Also very popular, especially in Siberia, are the Nord Benz and Shaanxi brands, although their prices are somewhat higher than those offered by Howo.
Here it is worth highlighting the vehicles manufactured by Dong Feng. You can’t call it cheap; even a visual inspection will be enough to notice a fairly high level of quality. Therefore, all statements about supposedly high-quality and at the same time very cheap Chinese technology are naturally nothing more than statements. Market laws are the same everywhere and no one has repealed them; expensive things will always be of better quality than cheap ones.
The introduction of a recycling fee in Russia has sharply increased the import of Chinese trucks
High-quality Chinese equipment is often produced by those manufacturers who have already had experience in producing licensed equipment or who buy the right to produce it and completely copy the entire model range of a large manufacturer. The most prominent representative of this niche is the Beifang Benchi company, which exports cars under the louder well-known name Nord Benz. Doesn't remind you of anything? Yes, this equipment is an analogue of that produced by the German concern Mercedes-Benz.
Of course, these are not analogues of the modern technology of the German giant, because the license was acquired quite a long time ago, but nevertheless it continues to be successfully assembled in China, having somewhat modernized the main components and assemblies.
Of course, the statement that a Chinese dump truck for 1.5 million rubles has the quality of a German car, to put it mildly, is not true. There are a certain number of shortcomings, but in general, several years of operation on Russian roads have not revealed any serious complaints. And if there are any, then this is often due to a violation of operating technology.
For example, quite often you can see that a dump truck, which according to its passport has a carrying capacity of 25 tons on three axles, transports all 30, because the 18 cubic meter body easily accommodates this volume.
As for the attitude of the Chinese towards the Russian market, it has recently undergone significant changes. Our neighbors began to take comments and operational problems much more seriously and with greater attention, because... Russia is a unique place for testing. You can already notice how additional units appear on cars that are supplied to Russia that take into account climatic conditions, namely: additional heating of the interior and body, installation of a pre-heater.
Some manufacturers install hydrophobic filters and heating systems for the fuel tank and channels to prevent diesel fuel from freezing. However, even this set of additional functions is quite enough for comfortable work in harsh winter conditions.
HOWO dump trucks
HOWO dump trucks are quite advanced and independently developed equipment. Among their classmates, these dump trucks are distinguished by good ergonomics, fairly well-balanced basic characteristics and good layout. It would not be amiss to note that in crash tests conducted in China, these dump trucks received excellent ratings, especially in frontal collisions.
HOWO Mining Truck
As for operating comfort, it is largely ensured by the 4-support floating air suspension. A cabin suspension has been implemented, which allows to a large extent to compensate for the shaking transmitted to the cabin. The steering wheel has a pleasant appearance, is soft to the touch and can be adjusted both vertically and tilt.
Modifications of Howo dump trucks with an engine power of 290 hp. come in a base with an air conditioner with heating functions. On even more expensive modifications, it is possible to install climate control. A pleasant surprise for the buyer will be the presence of a fairly large sleeping space, designed for a person of quite European height. And excellent sound insulation, the quality of which is comparable to advanced European analogues, is responsible for noise comfort.
HOWO dump trucks are equipped with a standard dashboard that displays key indicators such as coolant temperature, average and current fuel consumption, correct operation of electrical equipment, fuel system, and operating pressure level in the air suspension system. All this data is displayed on a large liquid crystal display.
HOWO ZZ3317 dump truck panel
For ease of operation, HOWO dump trucks are equipped with a self-diagnosis system that operates fully automatically. It is also important that in the latest versions of dump trucks, more and more attention is paid to the comfortable position of the driver. Thus, all cars now have new orthopedic heated seats, which can be fine-tuned to suit you. Convenience in operating such large equipment is provided by large mirrors equipped with heating and electric drive.
Dump trucks of the 7th series have a range of engines from 266 to 420 hp. For the domestic market, the manufacturer produces equipment that meets EURO 2 standards. For export, after replacing some key components, equipment that meets EURO 3 standards and with an average consumption, which ranges from 30 liters per 100 km. On all machines, water separators are installed in the fuel system, which allows you to safely use the equipment, even if the fuel is of low quality and contains impurities.
The ergonomics of HOWO A7 series dump trucks are performed at a fairly high level
As mentioned earlier, most HOWO dump trucks are equipped with a 9-speed gearbox, but modifications are possible that can be equipped with 8- and 6-speed gearboxes produced by the same Fuller or the world-famous ZF. All gearboxes work smoothly, gears do not “knock out”. The gear knob is small and easy to use. By special order, HOWO dump trucks can be equipped with an automatic transmission made in the USA.
Chinese Shaanxi dump trucks
The production of Shaanxi equipment cannot be called large, given the scale of other Chinese brands. The company chose the MAN platform of the F2000 model range as the basis for the production of its dump trucks. In purely external terms, the difference between Shaanxi and MAN is insignificant and lies only in the different shape of the radiator grilles: the first one is rectangular, while the second one is trapezoidal.
The power unit is a standard 6-cylinder, 10-liter turbodiesel engine, made for the domestic market in accordance with EURO 2 environmental requirements and is a complete analogue of the German-made engine from STEYR MOTORS GmbH. Modified equipment that meets higher environmental requirements is exported. Like other manufacturers, Shaanxi installs the time-tested Bosch fuel system on its cars.
The basis of SHAANXI trucks is the German MAN F2000
Installed turbine manufactured by Schwitzer (better known as KKK). The unit is also equipped with filters manufactured using FleetGuard technologies. The installed gearbox is standard, manufactured by Fuller, has 9 stages and a divider. The clutch with pneumatic booster is supplied from Germany, manufactured by SACHS. Steering elements made entirely from ZF components.
All dump trucks are quite economical. Equipped with reinforced suspension, ABS system, heating systems for operation in low temperatures (interior heating, electric torch fuel heating and engine pre-heater).
The cabin is completely copied from the MAN F2000, equipped with the same sound insulation, floating air suspension and even a separate suspension for the driver's seat.
SHAANXI was founded in 1968 as a manufacturer of trucks for the Chinese army.
The supporting frame is created by single pressing of a “channel” (double nested metal profile). The dump truck body can accommodate 19 cubic meters of cargo.
Salon Dump truck Shaanxi Shacman
The standard equipment of the Shaanxi dump truck includes air conditioning, a radio, a sunroof and a single berth.
Since 2008, Shaanxi has been exporting its equipment, which is already under the SHACMAN brand.
In addition to rebranding, the company also made significant efforts to improve the quality of its products, including the cabin was modified, a heater was installed, and the body and all electrical equipment were changed.
Beifang Benchi dump trucks
The equipment produced by Beifang Benchi is a joint brainchild of FIRMAKO and DaimlerChrysler. The name of the company translates as “Northern Benz”. Back in 1988, this company acquired a license to produce trucks of the Mercedes SK model range. However, only eight years later, when these models had already been discontinued in Europe, the first analogues of these machines, made in China, appeared.
Already in 2003, the contract expired and the company switched to the development and production of machines from components of its own production. As a result, Baotou North-Benz (Beifang-Benchi) Heavy-duty Trucks Co. appeared on the market. In terms of their exterior, Beifang Benchi dump trucks cannot be called attractive, even compared to their competitors. Externally, it is an angular cabin, with a simple bumper, more like a piece of rails, a wide radiator grille, that’s all that can be said about the designs of these cars.
As they say, fashionable design does not even smell, however, trucks of this brand are among the most popular in all of China. Having Mercedes as its basis, the company made a lot of efforts to bring its products to an acceptable price-quality ratio, and also fully provided itself with the production of its own parts.
The Beifang Benchi cabin has two seats. Everything looks quite nice inside. The chairs are ergonomic and have a wide range of settings. The seats have separate air suspension. The steering wheel can be adjusted vertically and tilted. The plastic doesn't look expensive, but it looks good. There is enough space. The main part of the space is occupied by the stove. The central control panel has many standard buttons, as well as three special buttons that control the locking of the center and center differentials.
The power unit installed on Beifang Benchi dump trucks uses a 6-cylinder turbodiesel (WD615), based on a diesel engine produced by Steyr. With a volume of 9.7 liters, this unit produces 280 hp. and 1460 Nm of torque. High torque allows you to accelerate quite quickly even when the car is loaded, but its maximum speed is limited to 80 km/h. On hills with poor or slippery surfaces, locking the center differential helps a lot.
Leaving design behind, Beifang Benchi focused on the quality of their trucks
The gearbox is installed mechanical, 9-speed, manufactured under a contract with ZF. Steering gear is also produced under license from the same company. All fuel equipment, according to the ancient Chinese tradition, is manufactured by Bosch, the turbine is manufactured by Schwitzer (KKK), Fleet Guard filters are installed.
Foton dump trucks
Foton (Beiqi Futian Motor Co., Ltd) is a state-owned company that was formed in 1996 through the merger of more than a hundred other, smaller industries and today is the parent automobile company in China and has an exceptional reputation.
Chinese Foton dump truck
Since 1998, Foton Motors has adhered to a policy of compliance with international quality standards “ISO 9001″, based on the German quality control system “VDA 6.0″
The company has long occupied its niche and today actively produces AUMAN dump trucks.
Dump trucks are produced in the heaviest of three main modifications, which vary in load capacity, namely: light (from 4 to 7 tons), medium (from 16 to 18 tons) and heavy (from 18 to 35 tons).
The AUMAN series of trucks appeared in 2002, and already in 2004 it received an award as the best commercial vehicle with the best safety performance. Technologically, AUMAN is almost identical to technology from Shaanxi. The same “Shtaer” 10-cylinder diesel engine (WD 615.46) is installed, with a manual 9-speed gearbox and with a power of 290 hp.
For many years, Foton has been ranked 1st in China in the production of heavy trucks
All Foton dump trucks are equipped with an anti-lock wheel system (ABS) and a mountain brake function. The cab is the same as Shaanxi dump trucks. The body volume of AUMAN series dump trucks is average and is 15.5 cubic meters.
Dump trucks manufactured by DongFeng
The DongFeng automobile company is one of the oldest in China, because they began their activities back in 1969 and to this day are one of the leading manufacturers in the country's automotive industry. The company's activities are closely connected with the American company Cummins, whose engines are already well known in Russia. The result of their cooperation was the creation of a new design bureau and enterprise, Dongfeng Cummins Engine.
Dong Feng released their first truck in 1975 for the Chinese army
It is the newly formed enterprise that develops power units for truck tractors and dump trucks. Already today, DongFeng dump trucks are equipped with engines from the new line: C300 20, L340 20, L375 20. The base of all modifications of dump trucks is the same, wheelbase 6x4, towbar, body volume of 16 cubic meters, engine pre-heater, autonomous interior heating , climate control, sleeping place, etc.
However, this is where the similarities end. Dump trucks on which the Cummins C 300 – 20 engine is installed has a power of 300 hp. with a central location of the hydraulic cylinder. More powerful modifications, L 340-20 and L 375-20, respectively, have a hydraulic cylinder position shifted forward. Accordingly, the power of these modifications is 340 and 375 hp.
Fuel system manufactured by Bosch. As for the turbine and filter, they are completely designed and manufactured in China. Traditionally, a 9-speed manual transmission manufactured by Fuller is installed, which is an analogue of the RT-11509C.
The braking system and steering are developed by DongFeng, but they clearly show solutions developed by third-party, more famous manufacturers.
JAC dump trucks
Jiangtiuat Automobile Co, Ltd (JAC) is a famous Chinese automobile company founded in 1991. In fact, it was one of the pioneers in the global truck market. The company's ideology is to create cars for the whole world, using global experience, i.e. choosing the best for your equipment.
Dump trucks produced by JAC have similar features with two machines at once. If you look from the front, you can find the clear outlines of a Scania Griffin. If you look from the side, we will see an almost exact copy of Hyundai.
The same is true on the inside. There is a support for the left leg (the so-called “dead pedal”), adjustable anatomical seats, an instrument panel, and an equipped “sleeping bag”. The steering wheel can be adjusted both in height and tilt. Unfortunately, you still won’t find such amenities from domestic manufacturers.
One of the most important advantages of JAC dump trucks is excellent visibility, which became possible not least thanks to the large rear-view mirrors.
The basic configuration lacks electrical adjustments and electrical heating, but the window lifts are electrically driven. The frame of these dump trucks deserves special consideration. It is a double channel, consisting of two 5 and 8 mm, inserted into one another. Obviously, in this way the developers tried to strengthen the strength of the structure.
An analogue of the Steyr engine, a 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine with a volume of 9.7 liters, is installed on the dump truck as a power unit. The three-axle dump truck is designed for a load capacity of 20 tons.
All JAC dump trucks were certified in Russia in 2012
At the customer's request, the machine can be equipped with an electro-hydraulic drive for tilting the cab, electric heating and electric mirrors, autonomous heating, central locking, air-suspended seats, etc.
FAW dump trucks
FAW (First Automobile Works) is the first automobile corporation founded on July 15, 1953. It was this event that can be considered to mark the beginning of the Chinese automobile industry.
Today, FAW owns more than 30 companies, as well as 16 companies managed by subsidiaries.
FAW J6 heavy dump truck
For the dump truck market, FAW produces the CA 3252 model (which, by the way, is also assembled in Ukraine). This dump truck has a load capacity of 18 tons and a body volume of 18 cubic meters.
FAW CA 3252 is equipped with a 6-cylinder turbodiesel engine producing 310 hp. Almost all parts and assemblies for this model are supplied from Europe and the USA.
For example, the production of the cylinder block is carried out by the Austrian company AVL, the turbine is also of Austrian origin and is manufactured by the Holset company, the fuel system is standard, manufactured by Bosch, the brake system elements and gearbox are manufactured in the USA, and the well-known German company Mahle is engaged in the production of pistons.
About the construction business
Now about the nature of the construction business during that wonderful period. It can be briefly described as “big money, but short.” The construction magnate lived one day at a time and ended up being right. Having snatched the project, he was faced with a choice: which dump trucks to take as cheaply as possible, as efficiently as possible and only for the life of the project. There was no point in investing in used European dump trucks - it’s very troublesome; in new dump trucks too - this is “long” money, and what will happen tomorrow is unknown. If you invest in KamAZ at the same operating costs, then the return is less than that of the “Chinese”, due to its lower load capacity and speed. In addition, the “Chinese” can withstand overload better. So it turned out that in such conditions the “Chinese” turned out to be the optimal solution. They did not require a large resource from it, the lifespan of the project was about a year or 100 thousand kilometers, and during this time the dump truck completely paid for itself, and it was sent to the secondary market and a new one was bought. Thus, the properties of the Chinese dump truck coincided with the short-term requirements of businessmen, which activated rapid demand for it.
* * *
In a short time, Chinese dump trucks have become very popular. Large national projects will support the demand for them at some level, but one can only guess how the overall situation will develop in the Russian construction business, as well as in the Russian and European auto industry, because it will directly affect the demand for Chinese dump trucks. The Russian automobile industry, having consolidated the efforts of KAMAZ and the GAZ Group, is able to create competitive heavy-duty trucks with a second-generation Mercedes-Benz Actros cab, YaMZ (Renault) engines, and ZF gearboxes. It is possible that the vector of the construction business will turn towards long-term investments, and European and Japanese trucks assembled in Russia will receive preference.
