HARRYBILT ENGINEERING

December 2019

What do you get when you cross a Hitachi ZX170W-5 wheeled excavator and Harrybilt Engineering’s rail system technology?! One of the safest and most reliable rail machines on the market.

Harrybilt Engineering noticed the requirement for a rail machine that could withstand extremely severe working conditions whist also being safe, versatile, efficient and simple to operate. The team are not new to this type of innovative product design either, they specialise in the design and fabrication of advanced equipment for rail, transport and general commercial applications.

Established in 1985, the family owned business have become a supplier of choice throughout Australia for road rail trucks, excavators and trailers. With recent developments in their fabrication, machining, hydraulics and painting capabilities, they are more ready and capable than ever to take on new challenges, with the current challenge being the new S-Series rail machine.

“The partnership that Harrybilt has built with Hitachi has allowed the development of a new machine, the S Series, which has a focus on the operators,” States Managing Director Ernest Martino.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia (HCA) has a Safety First Priority, which means that all business decisions or actions are taken with safety in mind. This value placed on constant improvement within the area of safety is one that is shared by Harrybilt Engineering and aptly reflected with the development of the S Series Rail Machine, described by the company as one of the safest rail machines on the market.

What do you get when you cross a Hitachi ZX170W-5 wheeled excavator and Harrybilt Engineering’s rail system technology?! One of the safest and most reliable rail machines on the market.

Harrybilt Engineering noticed the requirement for a rail machine that could withstand extremely severe working conditions whist also being safe, versatile, efficient and simple to operate. The team are not new to this type of innovative product design either, they specialise in the design and fabrication of advanced equipment for rail, transport and general commercial applications.

Established in 1985, the family owned business have become a supplier of choice throughout Australia for road rail trucks, excavators and trailers. With recent developments in their fabrication, machining, hydraulics and painting capabilities, they are more ready and capable than ever to take on new challenges, with the current challenge being the new S-Series rail machine.

“The partnership that Harrybilt has built with Hitachi has allowed the development of a new machine, the S Series, which has a focus on the operators,” States Managing Director Ernest Martino.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia (HCA) has a Safety First Priority, which means that all business decisions or actions are taken with safety in mind. This value placed on constant improvement within the area of safety is one that is shared by Harrybilt Engineering and aptly reflected with the development of the S Series Rail Machine, described by the company as one of the safest rail machines on the market.

HITACHI AND HARRYBILT BRING THE S SERIES RAIL MACHINE TO LIFE

Harrybilt centred the development of the new S-Series machine on this concept of putting Safety First, installing a variety of features and options which enable this excavator to withstand the most severe working conditions without compromising on reliability or efficiency.

“We have found that the Hitachi excavators have been a great machine to work on and convert for our rail application. On this machine, Harrybilt installed a height, slew and load management system as well as a range of other features which allow it to be the safest rail excavator in the industry,” Ernest explained.

The Rail Guidance System for the S-Series machines allows wheeled excavators to travel on road as well as rail. Retractable rail wheel assemblies are installed on the excavator, positioning the vehicle on the rail while allowing the tires to continue to provide traction and braking.

An important feature of the development process is listening to their customers and utilising the feedback to further improve and increase their product range. Ernest spoke of the importance of safety and reliability for operators when using rail machines. “Operators need a machine that can withstand the most severe working conditions while also being safe and simple to operate.”

“It features a key lock out system for unauthorised actions, therefore ensuring the machine always works in a safe state and prevents movement into exclusion zone which could result in a collision. It also features fewer valves which makes it less complicated while still being a smarter proportional system,” said Ernest.

The S-Series machine isn’t the first Hitachi excavator that Harrybilt has converted into a specialty machine. Harrybilt have partnered with Hitachi previously to provide a turn key rail machine for the expanding rail industry.

Some of the machines that have been converted to date are the ZX65USB-5A mini excavator, ZX135US-5 mid-sized excavator and a number of the ZX170W wheeled excavators.

“We receive very positive feedback from our customers on the performance of the Hitachi’s we convert. Many of our machines are located Australia wide so reliability is important. Having a well-supported product with the many service centres located across Australia is critical to us.” Ernest also spoke highly of the support received from Hitachi sales representative Greg Priestly, “Greg has worked hard to support Harrybilt and our new initiative, the S Series, into the Rail Market.”

Harrybilt Engineering prides themselves on developing innovative and safe solutions for every project, something that Hitachi is proud to be associated with and look forward to continuing into the future.

One of the safest and most reliable rail machines on the market.





#TheOrangeFamily

Head to Head in Laverton!

A powerhouse delivery to @genesisminerals — the EX2000-7 and EX2600-7 standing tall at the Laverton Operations site. 💪🧡
These two mining giants are ready to move serious dirt and get to work.

Big thanks to the team at Genesis for choosing Hitachi.

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #HitachiMining #EX2000 #EX2600 #GenesisMinerals #HeavyMachinery #MiningLife #BuiltToPerform
📡 Maximise performance across your fleet—no matter the size.

LANDCROS Connect delivers operational, health, and location data, giving you the visibility and control to:

✅ Monitor mixed fleets from a single platform
📊 Track job site productivity at a glance
📍 Pinpoint performance with location-based insights
🔧 Stay ahead with daily machine alerts 
📱 Mobile Access Anywhere 

Smarter decisions start here.
👉 Learn more: https://hitachicm.com.au/landcros-connect
Missed us at DDT? No worries — we’re hitting events across the country all year long. Come chat with our reps, get hands-on with the latest machines, and stay up to date on what’s new.

📍Check out the wrap-up video and keep an eye out for where we’ll be next!
🚨 Applications are now open! 🚨

Are you ready to dare to be epic? 👷‍♂️💥
We're looking for motivated individuals to join our Apprenticeship Intake for 2026 across Australia!

Whether you're passionate about heavy machinery, love working with your hands, or want a future in a growing industry — this is your shot.

👊 Earn while you learn
🧠 Gain hands-on skills and formal training
🤝 Become part of the Orange Family

👉 Tag someone who should apply
👉 Share this post and spread the word
👉 Apply today at: https://hitachicm.com.au/orange-family/ai2026/

📣 Let’s build the future together!
📣 Exciting News! Foxleigh Mine has welcomed a brand-new EX1200-7 to their Mining Fleet!

Equipped with outstanding reach and bucket capacity this stunning 120 tonne mechanical marvel will get straight to work maximising  production.

💪 Refined Engineering and Proven Reliability #Hitachi Excavators are the go-to solution to meet the demanding needs of Coal seam mining!

Pictured: Peter, Maintenance and Engineering Manager at Foxleigh

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #Earthmoving #Productivity
Perth Tradie Expo 2025 – We're ready, are you?
Get up close with Hitachi’s game-changing machines this weekend and see how they can revolutionise the way you work.
💪 Built for performance. Come check us out!
🎉 Congratulations to Whitehaven Coal on the addition of their 2nd Hitachi EX5600-7 excavator to their Daunia Mine Operation.

Standing tall and poised to meet head on the demanding landscape of Queensland's Bowen Basin by embracing the Hitachi design philosophy of balanced reliability and productivity, the EX5600-7 optimises machine performance, providing a consistent and dependable solution to meet the demands of our customers in the Coal Mining industry.

Pictured from (left to right): Ben, Matt, Scott, Priscilla, Aaron and Heath.

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #Hitachi #Earthmoving #Whitehaven #Productivity
We are pleased to announce that Hitachi is once again sponsoring the AORA event, reaffirming our ongoing commitment to the Australian Organics Recycling Industry.  We are proud to continue supporting this exclusive event that brings together leading professionals and offers a platform for collaboration, knowledge- sharing and forward thinking dialogue. Looking forward to an inspiring event together!
Head to Head in Laverton!

A powerhouse delivery to @genesisminerals — the EX2000-7 and EX2600-7 standing tall at the Laverton Operations site. 💪🧡
These two mining giants are ready to move serious dirt and get to work.

Big thanks to the team at Genesis for choosing Hitachi.

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #HitachiMining #EX2000 #EX2600 #GenesisMinerals #HeavyMachinery #MiningLife #BuiltToPerform
📡 Maximise performance across your fleet—no matter the size.

LANDCROS Connect delivers operational, health, and location data, giving you the visibility and control to:

✅ Monitor mixed fleets from a single platform
📊 Track job site productivity at a glance
📍 Pinpoint performance with location-based insights
🔧 Stay ahead with daily machine alerts 
📱 Mobile Access Anywhere 

Smarter decisions start here.
👉 Learn more: https://hitachicm.com.au/landcros-connect
Missed us at DDT? No worries — we’re hitting events across the country all year long. Come chat with our reps, get hands-on with the latest machines, and stay up to date on what’s new.

📍Check out the wrap-up video and keep an eye out for where we’ll be next!
🚨 Applications are now open! 🚨

Are you ready to dare to be epic? 👷‍♂️💥
We're looking for motivated individuals to join our Apprenticeship Intake for 2026 across Australia!

Whether you're passionate about heavy machinery, love working with your hands, or want a future in a growing industry — this is your shot.

👊 Earn while you learn
🧠 Gain hands-on skills and formal training
🤝 Become part of the Orange Family

👉 Tag someone who should apply
👉 Share this post and spread the word
👉 Apply today at: https://hitachicm.com.au/orange-family/ai2026/

📣 Let’s build the future together!
📣 Exciting News! Foxleigh Mine has welcomed a brand-new EX1200-7 to their Mining Fleet!

Equipped with outstanding reach and bucket capacity this stunning 120 tonne mechanical marvel will get straight to work maximising  production.

💪 Refined Engineering and Proven Reliability #Hitachi Excavators are the go-to solution to meet the demanding needs of Coal seam mining!

Pictured: Peter, Maintenance and Engineering Manager at Foxleigh

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #Earthmoving #Productivity
Perth Tradie Expo 2025 – We're ready, are you?
Get up close with Hitachi’s game-changing machines this weekend and see how they can revolutionise the way you work.
💪 Built for performance. Come check us out!
🎉 Congratulations to Whitehaven Coal on the addition of their 2nd Hitachi EX5600-7 excavator to their Daunia Mine Operation.

Standing tall and poised to meet head on the demanding landscape of Queensland's Bowen Basin by embracing the Hitachi design philosophy of balanced reliability and productivity, the EX5600-7 optimises machine performance, providing a consistent and dependable solution to meet the demands of our customers in the Coal Mining industry.

Pictured from (left to right): Ben, Matt, Scott, Priscilla, Aaron and Heath.

#HCA #OrangeFamily 🍊#HitachiConstruction #Hitachi #Earthmoving #Whitehaven #Productivity
We are pleased to announce that Hitachi is once again sponsoring the AORA event, reaffirming our ongoing commitment to the Australian Organics Recycling Industry.  We are proud to continue supporting this exclusive event that brings together leading professionals and offers a platform for collaboration, knowledge- sharing and forward thinking dialogue. Looking forward to an inspiring event together!

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