Doosan DX is the model designation used for the excavators of the Korean construction equipment maker whose history reaches back to 1937. The machines were sold around the world under the Doosan name, and since January 2023 the same products are marketed as Develon with the DX, SD, DL and DA nomenclatures unchanged.
Doosan DX at a glance
| Brand | Doosan, from January 2023 Develon |
|---|---|
| Company | HD Construction Equipment, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai |
| Origin | Chosun Machine Works, founded in 1937 |
| Doosan Infracore | former Daewoo Heavy Industries & Machinery, acquired 2005 |
| Sold | Doosan Infracore passed to Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2021 |
| Renamed | Hyundai Doosan Infracore rebranded its equipment as Develon in January 2023 |
| Nomenclature | DL, DX and DA, kept from the Doosan era |
| Colour | orange, unchanged after the rebrand |
| DX lines | tracked excavators, wheeled excavators and mini excavators |
| Other lines | SD and DL loaders, DA articulated dump trucks, DTL compact truck loaders |
| Also built | motor graders, road builders and equipment attachments |
There is no Wikipedia article on an individual Doosan DX model; this page describes the DX line using the articles on the brand and on its parent group.
History of the Doosan DX
The company behind the DX line traces its origin to 1937, when Chosun Machine Works was established in Korea; that firm is the predecessor of HD Hyundai Infracore. Construction machinery came into the business through Daewoo Heavy Industries & Machinery, which was bought in 2005 and renamed Doosan Infracore. From then on excavators, wheel loaders and dump trucks were built and sold under the Doosan name, alongside machine tools and defence products.
Doosan Infracore also absorbed the American construction equipment makers Clark Equipment and Bobcat, acquired from Ingersoll-Rand in July 2007. That gave the Korean group a second, lighter range of machines alongside its own excavators and loaders, and made the Doosan name familiar on building sites far beyond Korea.
In 2021 Doosan Infracore was sold to Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the equipment business continued as Hyundai Doosan Infracore. In January 2023 that company rebranded its construction equipment as Develon. The new name is a portmanteau of “develop” and “onwards”; the tagline, the DL, DX and DA model designations and the orange body colour of the products were all kept. At the launch it was confirmed that Develon and Hyundai would keep operating as separate brands of construction equipment owned by the same parent company.
Design and features
- Three DX ranges: the same designation covers tracked excavators, wheeled excavators and mini excavators.
- Loaders and trucks: SD and DL front-end and wheel loaders and DA articulated dump trucks complete the range.
- Compact machines: DTL compact truck loaders and equipment attachments serve smaller sites.
- Continuity: the model names and the orange livery survived the move from Doosan to Develon.
Doosan DX versions
- DX tracked excavators: the main crawler range sold under the Doosan name.
- DX wheeled excavators: road-going machines on rubber tyres.
- DX mini excavators: compact units for confined sites.
- SD and DL loaders: front-end and wheel loaders.
- DA dump trucks: articulated dump trucks for rough ground.
- DTL compact truck loaders: small carriers with attachments.
More machines of the marque are collected on the Doosan page.
Sources
- Develon, English Wikipedia: history, rebrand, model lines
- Doosan, German Wikipedia: group history, Doosan Infracore, sale in 2021
- Doosan, French Wikipedia: Daewoo acquisition, Bobcat and Clark Equipment