Evolution Hulk Electric Wacker Plate Compactor – 230V Domestic Use – Ideal For Levelling Pavement, Artificial Turf Ground Preparation, Patio, Blockwork, Sand, Soil & More
SPECIFICATIONS
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BENEFITS
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No Harmful FumesPowered by a 780 W electric induction motor means no harmful fumes are emitted, making it ideal for use in enclosed spaces. It is a highly reliable, portable, quiet and low maintenance power unit with a vibration damper system for increased user comfort. Together this makes the Hulk Electro easy to use, just plug-in and let it go to work | Low Frequency and High AmplitudeThe thick, durable base plate delivers high centrifugal force for powerful performance with 5m/min travel speed and can be used on block paving with the optional paving pad. The Hulk Electro is also low frequency and high amplitude for better soil compaction | Paving Pad is the Ideal AccessoryDon’t forget, the paving pad accessory, ideal for finishing a block paving or patio job. With this pad fitted to the underside of the machine, the Hulk Electro can be used directly onto the flag stones or paving blocks for a perfectly even finish |
APPLICATIONS
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Sand foundationsIdeal for surface preparation when evenly compacted ground is required for patios & block paving, | Soil & Gravel FoundationsIdeal for the construction and landscaping industries and offers a very realistic alternative to hiring, due to its incredible value! | Tarmac RepairIdeal for surface repairs tarmac repairs on driveways and pathways. |
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| Power | 2.4HP | 780W |
| Speed (RPM) | 3600 | 2860 (No Load) |
| Compaction Force (kN) | 10 | 5 |
| Cable Length | N/A | 10m |
| Foot Print | 400mm x 320mm | 400mm x 320mm |
| Sound Pressure Level LPA: | 101dB(A) K=3 dB(A) | 98.8dB(A) K=3 dB(A) |
| Sound Power Level LWA: | 105dB(A) K=3 dB(A) | 94dB(A) K=3 dB(A) |
| Vibration (m/Sec2) | 15.12 K = 1.5 | 7.43 K = 1.5 |
| Weight: | 26 kg |
| Dimensions: | 56.01 x 39.5 x 34.01 cm; 26 Kilograms |
| Model: | 015-0002 |
| Part: | 015-0002 |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Manufacture: | Evolution |
| Quantity: | 1 |
My review echos all others. Good little machine for small to medium jobs. Electric flex can get in the way and the bolts on the handles constantly work loose which is the biggest pain. It is easy to store and saved me hiring a machine and didn’t have to rush my jobs.
I was surprised by how effectively this product worked to compact loose gravel on paths and driveways into a very stable surface.
It’s not fast, gets annoyed if the gravel is not less than 2 inches deep per layer and one of the handle bolts persistently vibrates loose.
But, it gets the job done at a very reasonable price… equivalent to 4 days hire of a petrol machine here… which allows more flexibility when it comes to time.
Great little piece of kit. Electric compactors seem to be few and far between but this piece of kit is great. Easy to build (screwing the handle together), easy to operate. It ‘walks’ along at a good pace. I have just crushed 31mSq of recycled MOT1 with this at 25cm deep, layering a few centimetres at a time, and it’s worked great. Lots of other things to do with it too so if it can do that I’ll be good for a while.
Once, on the first use, I had the problem that others have mentioned where the twist locks shook free.
Solution to this: Do them up again really tight. Never come loose since. And it’s been used a lot.
Good little compactor plate, very good for light jobs ie cobble path, patio, turf laying, where nothing heavy will be driving on it! Don’t expect miracles though, this is very lightweight and requires perfect preparation before compaction!
Very pleased with Evolution Power Tools Hulk Electric Compactor, (230 V) it does the job,
Only thing, keep your eye on screws on handle as they come loose from the vibratio
Good quality item, well made other than the handle screws that vibrate loose but you get used to keeping an eye on them, dealt with mot type 1 and crusher run no problem made a few more passes than you would with a heavier petrol wacker but this is far easier to move around and store. I added a large sandbag for extra weight held on with a bungee cord to stop it falling off to compact the bigger stones. Overall once you get used to it it’s a great piece of kit.
was easy to use vibration caused to loosen nuts an bolts which you had to stop and tighten up, should have used nyloc nuts would have helped otherwise good product also lost 1 hex bolt.
Nothing wrong with this whacker. No it’s not as heavy as the hire ones however you just have to make a 2nd pass to get the same results.
For occasional use I think this is spot on, easy enough to transport in the car too.
Some reviews mention the nuts working loose- this is correct however a very simple but effective solution is too wrap insulation tape around the knob. Works a treat , never moved since I did this.
All in all a very good machine
Excellent product light enough to put in car and heavy enough to do job.
If you give it a bit of time I think it does a super job.
Really happy and definitely recommend
Done driveway on 20mm gravel and good end product. Have used other petrol types in past but think this is better for my use.
It does the job. I’m a builder and decided to see if it bc was worth buying. It is. It’s fine for using in small bases. You could use it on larger work will just take longer than usual
excellent product but limited due it being operated by electricity, it does not have the same impact as its petrol counterpart, I am happy with the produc
Bought this compactor as I have lots of 20-30mm pebbles/stone around our property and thought I would try the hulk instead of hiring a plate compactor but did have some reservations it would be powerful enough with it being electric. Pleases to stay it has been a great purchase and have been surprised just how powerful it is and will now save 100 -150 a year in rental costs and the hassle of picking It up etc
Bought this to do some work on some hardcore in my garden before lying slabs for my shed and also prep work for my patio. It’s easy to put together from the box and although a bit heavy, not as heavy as the ones you can rent. I’m only 5’3 and not that strong but I could lift it and carry it to the area and store it away easily. It’s much cheaper than renting if you have a bit of work to do and saves money in the long run.
I have used this on a few jobs from basic DIY all the way to redoing the ground floor of a house.
The main benefit is that you do not suck the fumes from a petrol machine. It is, of course, lighter, so you need to take this into consideration and work in stages. But it has no trouble with MOT 1 subbase. It also works wonders on the gravel drive.
The only downside has been the vibration works all the screws loose on the handles. The ability to use it when ventilation might be an issue is the best aspect of the machine. It is also very quiet for a compactor.
Great very quiet handles come loose a few time but wacks much better than I expected
Light weight and easy to use, did what we needed it to do
Brought this as it would have cost more to hire on for a week or so, when laying flags and was doing only when I had time. Didn’t work when Arrived but contacted their tech support who talk me through a simple fix now working with no problems. Have used for a few jobs, now where hiring would be pointless, so made life easie
Decent weight for its size. I used it to lay a patio and it seems to have done a good job. Having an electric cable makes it difficult to manoeuvre but you also have no problems starting. Good DIY.
Perfect for my diy pathing jobs.
Probably to small for a builder but good for me.
I was going to hire a compactor which I would have had to hire a number of times, This was a cost effective purchase I can do all the work in my own time and not worry about time constraints associated with hiring purchasing fuel and such. The compactor is easy to use and does the compacting with no issues just keep on checking the handles do not vibrate loose and you will be more than happy with the purchase.
The first time trying gave me all the problems as others described with loosening screws etc. However, after tightening firmly while unit was engaged, I have not had any problems. The one problem I experience is starting up position. It is a bit cumbersome, where you have to hold the handlebars on opposite side of operating position to get started.
Otherwise, been useful in a 10m x 5m garden of MOT Type-1 and sand for artificial grass install, as well as patio slab compression. Can use on front garden now too, all for less than the hire price and can reclaim some cash through resale.
All good.Ideal for those jobs that need to be levelled.
For the price of a couple of hires you can own this tool. It does a decent job. No it is not full on however if you layer the aggregates you are compacting it does a decent job. I used it to compact under a 7.5 m2 reinforced concrete slab and I was happy with result – it did the job. I was using it around 125 year old 6 ft walls and happy not to be vibrating them down…. the power switch could use a redesign as it feels flimsy and is fiddly to operate.
This wacker plate is excellent quality we used it for driveway, and block paving, very easy to use, did the job, would recomend it.
Very pleased with the Evolution Compactor, very good if laying new paths, etc. All compactors are heavy, they wouldn’t work otherwise.
There are mixed reviews on this and the first one i bought was DOA and so it got sent back, second one came and its fine
I bought this as it was as cheap as renting a petrol one for 2 weeks. Worked well on the type 1 mot that I laid for a new path, Also used it to flatten new turf in place. a value for money tool.
So my review is based entirely on the fact that this is ideal for home use and the price is far less than a reasonable quality fuel powered machine.
So, firstly the really good thing. It’s electric. And that means a couple of things. In use it’s fairly quiet and that counts if you are doing work in your garden over the weekend and don’t want to drive your neighbours nuts. Secondly, you don’t have to mess around with petrol and lube oil which, inevitably means a cleaner and quicker job.
The tool itself does a really good job of flattening sand and other aggregates. In fact, just as good as a half reasonable petrol one which, I was quite surprised about. I had fully expected this to take a much longer to do what I’ve done before having done a garage build when I borrowed a mates petrol machine to flatten down the hoggin base.
The cable is robust and plenty long enough to reach most areas in a moderate sized garden or drive. No problems there.
I also noted that in the review section one of the ‘Star ratings’ was for ‘Lightweight’ which, is a bit dumb. It isn’t meant to be light because it’s a whacker and that needs some heft. And by gum, it is pretty weighty. So if you are blessed with arms like Olive Oil then best you prepare yourself….
Now, the bad – which I’ve seen other comments on. The handle is assembled using knobs so that you can disassemble for storage or transport. All well and good but….it’s a whacker and therefore vibrates like a ladies bedroom toy on acid. And that means the handle knobs unscrew and fall out. You can tell when they start to slacken off immediately because the vibration in the handle increases dramatically. Given the design there is no way you can stop this because the rounded hollow bars that have the knurled knob tighten against will never allow enough friction to hold anything tight.
This would be a problem but to be honest having spent my life on ships, building them and in the offshore oil construction industry and having been pre-warned by other reviews I figured I could MacGyver it some how. If you are not happy with mechanical tools and don’t want to have to do a little home work on this, then I could imagine this whacker ending up on EBay quickly…
Overall, this is a great bit of kit that works well. However, the handle falling apart will need to be dealt with and if you are not able to do this or don’t feel inclined then it will be less than an ideal choice for you.
So my review is based entirely on the fact that this is ideal for home use and the price is far less than a reasonable quality fuel powered machine.
So, firstly the really good thing. It’s electric. And that means a couple of things. In use it’s fairly quiet and that counts if you are doing work in your garden over the weekend and don’t want to drive your neighbours nuts. Secondly, you don’t have to mess around with petrol and lube oil which, inevitably means a cleaner and quicker job.
The tool itself does a really good job of flattening sand and other aggregates. In fact, just as good as a half reasonable petrol one which, I was quite surprised about. I had fully expected this to take a much longer to do what I’ve done before having done a garage build when I borrowed a mates petrol machine to flatten down the hoggin base.
The cable is robust and plenty long enough to reach most areas in a moderate sized garden or drive. No problems there.
I also noted that in the review section one of the ‘Star ratings’ was for ‘Lightweight’ which, is a bit dumb. It isn’t meant to be light because it’s a whacker and that needs some heft. And by gum, it is pretty weighty. So if you are blessed with arms like Olive Oil then best you prepare yourself….
Now, the bad – which I’ve seen other comments on. The handle is assembled using knobs so that you can disassemble for storage or transport. All well and good but….it’s a whacker and therefore vibrates like a ladies bedroom toy on acid. And that means the handle knobs unscrew and fall out. You can tell when they start to slacken off immediately because the vibration in the handle increases dramatically. Given the design there is no way you can stop this because the rounded hollow bars that have the knurled knob tighten against will never allow enough friction to hold anything tight.
This would be a problem but to be honest having spent my life on ships, building them and in the offshore oil construction industry and having been pre-warned by other reviews I figured I could MacGyver it some how. If you are not happy with mechanical tools and don’t want to have to do a little home work on this, then I could imagine this whacker ending up on EBay quickly…
Overall, this is a great bit of kit that works well. However, the handle falling apart will need to be dealt with and if you are not able to do this or don’t feel inclined then it will be less than an ideal choice for you.
Easy to use lightweight but good compactor used on type one base and gravel top coat
No problems decent length cable
Good value
Very easy to use, just like a lawn mower bit weights three times as much. Wearing gloves seems to help with the shaking but it compacts anything with ease
Effectively compacted large driveway consisting of gravel and added aggregated. Very stable machine and nothing got loose or fell off as other reviews have suggested. Very pleased with purchase.
Lightweight and easy to use. Suitable for compacting bases for laying artificial turf, or small projects such as compacting small scale rubble bases.
Brilliant does what it says on the can as they say
Layed about 80sqm of patio, coped easily with sand, type one and used to level and compact soil. Does a good job, not as powerful as petrol types but feels like you have more control.
Bad bits, the 4 nuts that hold the handle together vibrate loose, often need re-tightening. Could permanently attached them but handy to collapse handle for storage.
Had a problem with the cable like in another review. Loose connection could be easily fixed, but warranty was great picked up machine replaced whole cable and returned within 48 hours free of charge. Good customer service!
There’s nothing not to like with this purchase. Delivered on time readily assembled
Did the job! I was doing artificial grass myself and I was able to do over a longer period of time than had I hired an engine one. Also now I have it, I can do other areas if required.
For info I used if for approximately 19 tonne of type 1 and 3-4 tonne of granite dust.
Small niggle, was one of the bolts kept coming loose during operation, had to keep tightening it during use.
I would recommend this.
Does a cracking job considering what it is, it doesn’t work well being dragged back towards you but as long as you can keep it in a forward motion it’ll tackle most material apart from heavy rubble
Great value use regularly and compacts well. Reasonable length electric cable ,
Used on gravel drives to redress gravel ,also have used to compact hardcore for garage
Works well and would recommend for those home DIY jobs and good value,in regular use so cheaper than hiring every time
Very happy, used many petrol whacker plates so I was very apprehensive but I was pleasantly surprised. You will need to compact in layers which is a must anyway and this stands up to the job. Couple of downsides were locking nuts vibrating lose and quite a lot of vibration on the handle other than that after a couple of jobs it’s paid for itself.
for the price , I find it works well enough , nice to use , just a loud hum , yes a bit smaller plate than a petrol wacker ,
takes a bit of extra time , but works fine and seems to compress , scalping layers and sand fine .
easier to carry than a petrol one as well . i made a old carpet skid under the plate to tamp down the pavers , no damage and no noise .
On laying a sand coarse on top I used it again 3 times for about 5 minutes each and then it wouldn’t start/ was intermittent. I disassembled the handle and found that all the electrical connections were loose – presumably from the vibration. As vibrate is what the device is designed to do this is a desgin flaw. Also the knurled nuts holding the handle together shake loose no matter how tight you make them. Sometimes they drop off if you don’t notice quickly enough but I haven’t yet lost the shakeproof washer. However, when it works it is a great machine so have still given it a 4/5.
Follow up (see pictures) :- The looose connections, however, were not the main problem. After reusing it again, the mains supply tripped and after resetting the compacter would not work at all. Inside the handle I found that there was now no power reaching the switch. Cutting into the cable near the cable retaining bar, the live cable had split, the neutral had a burn hole in it, the earth shows signs of being cramped and the outside of the cable sleeve shows the marks left from the cable reatainer. All cables show a heavy sooty deposit from burning. The live and/or neutral must have become intermittent and had been arcing/overheating and melted the cable sheath exposing the copper. The soot created an electrical path which blew the trip. Restarting after resetting the mains trip finally fused the neutral leaving a gap inside the wire. Cutting back to good cable and reassembling means the unit is now working again OK. As I bought this in July but only just started using it I was outside the time limit for a return.
On laying a sand coarse on top I used it again 3 times for about 5 minutes each and then it wouldn’t start/ was intermittent. I disassembled the handle and found that all the electrical connections were loose – presumably from the vibration. As vibrate is what the device is designed to do this is a desgin flaw. Also the knurled nuts holding the handle together shake loose no matter how tight you make them. Sometimes they drop off if you don’t notice quickly enough but I haven’t yet lost the shakeproof washer. However, when it works it is a great machine so have still given it a 4/5.
Follow up (see pictures) :- The looose connections, however, were not the main problem. After reusing it again, the mains supply tripped and after resetting the compacter would not work at all. Inside the handle I found that there was now no power reaching the switch. Cutting into the cable near the cable retaining bar, the live cable had split, the neutral had a burn hole in it, the earth shows signs of being cramped and the outside of the cable sleeve shows the marks left from the cable reatainer. All cables show a heavy sooty deposit from burning. The live and/or neutral must have become intermittent and had been arcing/overheating and melted the cable sheath exposing the copper. The soot created an electrical path which blew the trip. Restarting after resetting the mains trip finally fused the neutral leaving a gap inside the wire. Cutting back to good cable and reassembling means the unit is now working again OK. As I bought this in July but only just started using it I was outside the time limit for a return.
Wasn’t too sure on getting the wacker but glad I did as its saved me so much time/money and does a great job with type 1 and type 2
Very good value and done a fantastic job on our blocked paving
This product is very light but used a bucket of bricks on top of it and it done the job. Got to remember the price your paying. You ain’t gonna get top notch for that price.
great machine does a good job for a lightweight machine
Needed to level a few areas for sheds and caravan. Did the job eventually. Haven’t used a petrol wacker so can’t compare but would assume it isn’t as affective as it isn’t as heavy. Happy with results.
Got this as I have lots of small jobs in the garden (hot tub concrete pad, new patio, new decking, garden wall etc) so by the time I hired a whacker to do these jobs I would have paid for a new one… so I got a new one, this is not heavy, and won’t compact more than about 10cm at a time – just go over slow a few times and the jobs a good one!
It’s ok did the job only fault was the cable is poor quality so put a electric cable on it lawnmower type and it’s good no more cutting ou
Good for smaller jobs. Just have to take more time than using a heavier petrol model.
So far used it to compact sub base for a gabion wall. Compacted it to a reasonable level given its relatively small weight and size. However you do get to a point where it isn’t able to compact anymore and takes a bit more raking re-compacting to get level and compact.
Downsides with it being electric is the cable which inevitably gets in the way fairly often and its best to avoid issuing when there is moisture in the air.
Handles can be attached/detached as a way of their adjusting height. The screws for the handles do have a tenancy to vibrate loose when in use too.
Overall I would recommend it for small projects, especially where you are doing a little bit at a time like me. So far its cost less than what I would have paid to hire one out and I will hopefully still get a lot more uses from it in future.
So far used it to compact sub base for a gabion wall. Compacted it to a reasonable level given its relatively small weight and size. However you do get to a point where it isn’t able to compact anymore and takes a bit more raking re-compacting to get level and compact.
Downsides with it being electric is the cable which inevitably gets in the way fairly often and its best to avoid issuing when there is moisture in the air.
Handles can be attached/detached as a way of their adjusting height. The screws for the handles do have a tenancy to vibrate loose when in use too.
Overall I would recommend it for small projects, especially where you are doing a little bit at a time like me. So far its cost less than what I would have paid to hire one out and I will hopefully still get a lot more uses from it in future.
This is fantastic. it is light but really compacts the hardcore down. If you need extra weight you can put a bag of sand on top and it works even better!
The cord is nice and long but can sometimes Tangle you up if you forget that it’s corded.
Excellent packer worked really well did the job in no time.
Great bit of kit easy to use not as fast a petrol but still good
Bought this to do a small patio and shed area. Never used one before and it seemed to do the job perfectly well. On a large area the cable may get annoying but it’s no different to using an electric mower to cut the grass. Would certainly recommend it.
Pukka can’t fault it make sure you keep handle locks tigh
Worked well compacting soil when levelling a garden. It struggled on crusher run, but berformed better when I balanced a bag of ballast on top.
But for the price it’s pretty good.
Glad I bought it.
Only criticism is the handlebar retainers constantly vibrate loose.
This was ideal for patio and shed foundations – would highly recommend. Cheaper than hiring a petrol one for 5 days.
I bought this little machine to do a small patio at my daughters what a great product would recommend for small jobs.
Quiet and easy to use. No petrol required! Works well and as someone said the handle bolts do loosen so I tightened them up Already been cheaper to buy than hire! Will be for sale as soon as I’ve finished so worked out a bargain.
Used to compact an aggregate subbase approx 60 m2 ready for artificial grass. As other users have mentioned it is a little light so need to compact in smaller layers. 4 stars as mine had signs of use even though purchased a new one but Amazon were good enough to offer a replacement/further discount so pleased with the service received.
Cheap unit, and a handy size, easily carried/moved by one person but still packs enough of a punch to do the job. Bargain considering the price.
Could do with larger hooks for cable storage, & the crossbar handle bolts keep unwinding wich is annoying.
But that said it does the job.I have compacked 2 lawns 1st 6×4 metre 2nd 4×4 metre with ease.
Does the job ok , good for wacking down bricks and hardcore
Better than I expected great for price did what was asked of i
Delighted – much cheaper and just as good as a petrol compacto
Update: has survived the multi-day project and still going so has paid for itself. The problem I have found is not with the light duty compactor but with the variable fines proportion of Type 1 from different sources.
works well, a little lightweight, good value, have done several jobs, well pleased with results.
update 17th October 2017, Machine now failing to work, as I purchased in January 17 looking for a contact to return for repair or replacement, however seems to be no contact email or telephone number help!
Great DIY compaction plate, only down side the handle retaining bolts come loose after a while.
Great piece of kit, flattened the ground in my back garden ready for a shed base.
Not a Heavy duty piece of kit, but served it’s purpose well.
wanted one of these to do the garden just waiting to use i
All the advice on how to do so says you need to compact the sharp sand base, then use a compaction machine (whacker) to bed the pavers into the sand.
I could have hired a professional machine, but given the amount of work I had to do, and the unpredictability of the weather, buying a machine at this price seemed like a cheaper option.
The Evolution Hulk Electro seems well up to the job.
It’s robustly constructed, and the cable is pleasingly long (and decent quality – it doesn’t fight you when you try to coil it).
It’s reasonably easy to use, but carrying it is tricky – the carrying handle on top of the machine could do with having a bigger gap above the machine. It’s quite quiet, and the comfortable to use.
Watch out for the knobs holding the main handle together – they can come undone due to the vibration.
Brilliant for small building and landscaping jobs. It is lighter than other machines on the market. Ij just make sure I compact thinner layers.
It’s easy to trasport and folds way nicely for storing.
Really happy with it.
brilliant for domestic use and light proffessinal. handled 20mm crusher run no problem.
OK for the job I was doing and for the jobs I am likely to do in the future. A bit lightweight for heavy work
A good piece of kit, ideal for DIY or professional light duty use.
I decided this had to be worth a try as I would have needed to hire one on 3 separate occasions and have been very pleasantly surprised. Although the Hulk only weighs 25kg, it is more that capable of compacting MOT type 1 into a firm sub base layer.
Great item for home use, easy to use, well made, does the job you need, patios, base for slabs, drive ways etc
Wanted something that was easy to use. A great alternative to petrol driven versions, won’t do the same heavy compacting of rubble but works great on MOT type 1, gravel and sand. Its quiet and works straight away when you plug it in rather than having to put petrol in etc. Ideal for the smaller lighter jobs.
Great value for the money. Now I don’t need to hire one
It did the job – I laid block paving 8M X 3.5M, it compacted the sub base and made a good job of compacting the blocks. It’s not as strong as a petrol version but its weigh means you can move it without to much effo
Great piece of kit, has done everything asked of it in my garden so far. Once finished will be selling it on.
Did its job effortless,so pleased I bought this thankyou
Done realy well we was very happy with the wacker plate (evolution hulk )
Well worth the money
It may take several more passes than its petrol counterpart, but does the job just as efficiently.
A lot more quiet, no need for fuel and the lead is plentiful.