Rippa R322L

The R322L is the long-boom version in the series, and the figures show it straight away: it digs down to 2,525 mm at a reach of 3,804 mm, lifts up to 3,310 mm and dumps from a height of 2,300 mm. That means complete foundations for small houses and outbuildings, sewer trenches dug to a fall from a single position, septic tank pits, tanks, drainage and topsoil stripping — jobs for which a machine of the same weight but with a short boom has to be moved several times.

The engine is a Kubota D902 diesel, three-cylinder, 0.898 litres, water-cooled, with 11.8 kW (16.1 PS) at 2,300 rpm, certified to Euro V and EPA. The hydraulics are built for a machine that works continuously: a variable-displacement piston pump with a max. flow of 41.4 L/min and a 9-section hydraulically operated control valve. The charge valve and accumulator make the pilot controls respond more promptly, while the pilot lock prevents movements from starting accidentally.

Two design features are worth a look before you buy. First: the boom cylinder is mounted on the back of the boom, protected from knocks when you load earth over the side of a tipper truck. Second: the tracks are extendable — retracted for travel and transport, widened for work, for stability — and the dozer blade has its arm extended by 320 mm, so you can work more comfortably right at the digging face.

With an operating weight of 1,800 kg, 31.4 kPa ground pressure and transport dimensions of 2,321 × 1,008 × 2,416 mm, it fits through domestic gates despite having the boom of a larger machine. The max. digging force is 10.4 kN, and the operator is protected by a four-post ROPS/OPG canopy rated Top Guard Level I — a detail that matters if you work beneath embankments or on sites with access rules.

Standard equipment

• Kubota D902 diesel engine, 3 cylinders, 0.898 L, water-cooled, 11.8 kW (16.1 PS) at 2,300 rpm
• Euro V and EPA certification
• Long boom: depth 2,525 mm, reach 3,804 mm, max. digging force 10.4 kN
• Extendable tracks — retracted for transport, widened for work
• Dozer blade with its arm extended by 320 mm
• Four-post ROPS/OPG protective canopy (Top Guard Level I), hydraulic pilot controls with lock
• Variable-displacement piston pump, 41.4 L/min, 9-section hydraulic control valve