“In-use performance also needs to be matched by excellent aftermarket support and spares availability”, says Toby Wilson, product manager at Pioneer Pump Ltd. “While the purchase price may make a low-cost pump attractive initially, that enthusiasm often wanes when someone discovers there’s no technical support for engine maintenance and hunting down spares means searching obscure corners of the internet and questionable quality.”

It's not a problem faced by Pioneer Pump Ltd customers as a solid relationship with Perkins distributor DiPerk Power Solutions means robust servicing and technical support. “Coupled with the exceptional Perkins spare part service, with next day availability on most items, our sales and rental customers all enjoy complete peace of mind and some of the lowest operational costs of any diesel pumping equipment,” says Toby.

It’s on lead-time where Pioneer Pump Ltd has created its unique offering, developing an ability to design, configure and deliver highly bespoke pumpsets on a fast-response basis. 

But aside from the strong customer feedback and preference for Perkins-powered pumpsets, Pioneer Pump Ltd.’s ability to meet short lead-times has been greatly helped by Perkins’ own approach to meeting customers’ demands; the Industrial Open Power Unit (IOPU).

A complete power package—not just the engine but all the aftertreatment hardware, radiators, and air inlet filtration—the Perkins IOPU is a complete ‘out of the box’ solution. Factoryconfigured, tested and validated, an OEM such as Pioneer Pump Ltd can effectively incorporate it into a pumpset, or other product.

“We’ve used Perkins IOPU engines for over ten years, electronically and mechanically controlled,” says Paul. “That, and the reassurance that DiPerk is always available to deliver the best engine for our stock made it an easy decision to partner with DiPerk for our entire sub-130 kW EU Stage V diesel powered range.”

The Perkins® 403J-17, 403J-E17T, 404J-E22TA, 904J-E36TA and 1204J-E44TTA have been carefully selected to optimise pump performance across multiple applications, while reducing end user operating costs.  

“Diperk’s knowledge of the Perkins range has been invaluable to us as we select and match engines to pump requirements, factoring in engine power, fuel burn, cost, size and even weight," adds Paul.

This strong relationship between Pioneer and DiPerk has other benefits. Toby explains: “Back in 2016, when the UK’s Environment Agency asked us to tender for more than 170 pumpsets—mounted on road-legal fast-tow trailers for rapid response pumping—it was the Perkins engine selections of the 403D-15 and 404D-22T via Diperk that helped us secure the competitive technical and commercial solution that helped win the tender.”

“There’s no doubt that price helps, but the most important criteria are engine quality, reliability and after sales support,” says Paul. “It really has been critical for the success of our rental fleet, where for the smaller utility pumps, having a robust engine capable of continuous operation in harsh environments, is vital.”