Heritage Quarry Group Invests In Hitachi ZX890LCR-7 BER For New Skillington Quarry

Heritage Quarry Group (North) Ltd has made a major investment in heavy earthmoving machinery with the arrival of a Hitachi ZX890LCR-7 BER at its newly opened Greenfield Quarry in Skillington.

The independent British stone business, which specialises in the supply of premium natural stone products, already operates across Rollright Quarry, Daglingworth Quarry and Great Tew Quarry. The new Skillington site marks an important step in the company’s growth, with Heritage Quarry Group (North) making one of its largest machinery investments to date.

For a quarry operation built around demanding extraction work, the choice of excavator was always going to be critical. Steve Johnson, who oversees the northern site alongside Di Johnson, wanted a machine with the strength, digging power and reliability needed to meet the demands of natural stone production.

After assessing the requirements of the new quarry, Steve selected the Hitachi ZX890LCR-7 BER, working closely with Hitachi Construction Machinery UK to bring the machine into the fleet.

The 90-tonne Hitachi large crawler excavator has been specified for serious quarrying work. Supplied in BER specification, the ZX890LCR-7 is fitted with a 7.1m BER boom and a 2.95m BER dipper, a configuration designed to deliver high breakout force, strength and stability in tough quarry applications.

Speaking about the new machine, Steve said its power and performance had gone beyond expectations. He praised the machine’s breakout force and fuel economy, commenting: “It feels like you could stop the world turning when it’s digging.”

That sort of performance is essential in a quarrying environment where productivity, uptime and total cost of ownership all have a direct impact on the business. The Hitachi ZX890LCR-7 BER has been designed for heavy construction, quarrying and extraction work, using a Stage V Isuzu engine producing 382kW, or around 512 to 519hp.

The machine is also equipped with Hitachi’s high-pressure HIOS V hydraulic system, giving the operator responsive control and the hydraulic performance needed for heavy digging, ripping and loading duties. With bucket capacities up to 5m³, the ZX890LCR-7 is built to move serious material while maintaining efficiency across long working shifts.

On the Heritage Quarry Group machine, productivity has been further supported by HSM attachments, including a specially designed ripper tooth and rock bucket. These have been manufactured to suit the application and help maximise durability, penetration and output on site.

For quarry operators, the attachment package is often just as important as the excavator itself. The right boom, dipper, bucket and ripper combination can make a big difference to cycle times, fuel use and wear costs, especially when working in hard stone.

Operator comfort has also been considered. As with the wider Hitachi Zaxis-7 excavator range, the ZX890LCR-7 places emphasis on visibility, control and cab environment. In large-scale quarry and heavy equipment applications, reducing operator fatigue is vital, particularly when machines are working long days in challenging ground conditions.

The investment also reflects the ambition behind Heritage Quarry Group (North). Steve and Di Johnson bring years of quarrying experience to the business, and the new northern operation follows discussions with a previous owner about establishing a quarry further north to build on the success of the group’s southern sister company.

Although the northern project only launched in September 2025, progress at Greenfield Quarry has already been significant. The arrival of the Hitachi ZX890LCR-7 BER gives the business the production muscle needed to support that growth and develop the site further.

For Hitachi Construction Machinery UK, the deal represents the start of an important relationship with Heritage Quarry Group (North) Ltd. The company says it is looking forward to supporting the business as the new quarry operation continues to expand.

The move also shows the continued importance of large crawler excavators in British quarrying. While technology, emissions requirements and fuel efficiency are all becoming increasingly important, quarry operators still need machines that can deliver raw digging power, hydraulic performance and reliability in some of the toughest working environments.