Komatsu, Hymac, FAI or what?

[RichardJW~]

Can anyone make out what model this is......did Komatsu make such a machine and were they any good......is this worth a bid???

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/komatsu-fai-595-turbo-wheeled-digger-4x4-articulated_W0QQitemZ110245460742QQihZ001QQcategoryZ95493QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[IBH]

The FAI 595 model number seems right, it is definitely an FAI (but not FAI-Komatsu)articulated backhoe loader but it has the Hymac name on it as Hymac during the Brown Engineering era (from 1988) sold Italian FAI backhoe loaders, crawler and wheeled excavators under the Hymac name in the UK.
I've only ever seen the rigid 180C models in photos sold under the Hymac (and Moxy- also owned by Brown) name and never these articulated models so it must be quite rare.

FAI were bought out by Komatsu in 1995 after Komatsu had been marketing FAI machines under the Komatsu name since 1991, the Italian factory currently produces Komatsu's Utility Equipment products. I'd think that some parts will be available form your Komatsu dealer if needed?

Hymac 180c:
http://www.album-mmt.it/details.php?ima ... ode=search

[Nick Drew]

I thought it looked like a Schaeff style machine

But I could be wrong I usually am !!

Nick

[IBH]

Definitely not Schaeff but I see where you are coming from.

[RichardJW~]

so 'scuse my "higgereance" but who was FAI?
Most importantly where would you go to find spare parts?

[Martyn Henley]

Its amazing who Komatsu own, Dresser, Hanomag, Cummins, although Cummins is a joint venture so far, Demag, and Marubeni Fai, company, company moto, Magu c. (encircle Caterpillar), but enough ramblings. found this little pic of the 590 in its FAI colours.

fai_590_sbau-portal.jpg

[IBH]

so 'scuse my "higgereance" but who was FAI?
Most importantly where would you go to find spare parts?

FAI was an Italian company (similar to JCB) started by one Giovanni Bettanin in Noventa Vicentia near Vicenza and began building backhoe loaders and rigid loaders followed by excavators, articulated backhoe loaders, skid steer loaders and mini excavators.
In 1991 Komatsu became a large shareholder and began to market FAI compact products under the Komatsu name in Europe, in 1995 Komatsu took full ownership and the company was renamed FKI FAI Komatsu SpA, the products were then painted Komatsu yellow and sold as FAI Komatsu until 1997 when the FAI name was removed and products sold as Komatsu Utility Equipment instead.

The UK dealer Mareubeni Komatsu Ltd (www.mkl.co.uk) used to sell FAI products in the UK.