Let’s paint a picture: it’s 5:55pm on a rainy Wednesday. The site’s wrapping up. Everyone’s tired. And your dumper? It’s sat across the site entrance like it’s staging a protest. Why? Because it’s missing a part that it needs to be able to move safely. You either fix it, or you become that person blocking the entire crew’s exit.
Here at PES Plant, we’re not just the UK’s leading dumper parts specialists — we’re also here to save your bacon with some blunt advice. If you don’t want your dumper throwing a tantrum mid-job, stock these bad boys in your van at all times.
🔟 PES’s Top 10 Dumper Parts (a.k.a. Your Van’s New Best Friends)
- PES00011 Steering Wheel
Yes, we know. It sounds obvious. But you’d be surprised how many of these go missing… or meet an untimely end at the hands (or buckets) of diggers with no sense of personal space. Pro tip: keep at least 2. One to use, one to mourn.
- PES00008 Round Handbrake Pads
Used every time your dumper stops — which is a lot — these pads get absolutely rinsed. Especially if the operator treats the handbrake like a brake pedal. Used on Terex, Mecalac, and Barford machines. Stock up.
- Thwaites 53800 Handbrake Pads
The chunky cousins of the above. These fit 6-10t Thwaites dumpers (post-2005) with the old-school manual handbrakes. If your machine has one, you need at least two sets. Why two? Because one will break at 4pm on a Friday. Guaranteed.
- Thwaites 100015 Short Steering Column
A classic. Fits the majority of Thwaites dumpers roaming around UK sites like caffeinated rhinos. Yes, it’s been beefed up over the years, but it still wears out. Add one to the van.
- Terex/Mecalac 1583-1046 Steering Column
Like the above, but for the Terex and Mecalac crowd. Fast-moving part which you won’t get far without.
- Master Cylinders (Thwaites 100410 & Terex/Mecalac 1583-1060)
Master cylinders are like your dumper’s ability to say “Whoa!” when it’s about to smash a porta-cabin. No brakes = no machine = no good. Stock both if you work on multiple brands.
- Ignition Switches
We don’t know what it is about ignition switches, but they live a hard life. Whether it’s wear-and-tear or someone slapping it with a gloved fist after too much tea, they go.
- KIT320 – Smaller Thwaites
- 104633 – Larger Thwaites
Keep ‘em both, trust us.
- 101070 Handbrake Cable
This cable sees more tension than a Monday morning safety briefing. Found on most 6-10t Thwaites dumpers, and often on its last legs. If you don’t have one in your van, you’re gambling with karma.
- Bonus Round: Lighting, Mirrors & Random Brackets
Look, they’re not glamorous. But one cracked light lens and you’re being chased down by site safety faster than you can say “risk assessment.” A few extras won’t hurt.
- Your Secret Weapon: PES Plant’s Stock
We get it — your van’s not a warehouse. That’s why we keep thousands of parts ready to ship, including all the above and everything else your Terex, Mecalac, Thwaites, and Barford dumpers might need when they start acting up.
Final Thoughts: Be the Hero, Not the Headache
We can deliver fast — that’s our job. But a well-stocked van is your first line of defence. Whether it’s a worn pad, a snapped cable, or a wheel that mysteriously vanished (again), a few spare parts could save the day.
