Battle of the tippers: Hino 300 Series vs Isuzu N Series

If you are in the market for a light-duty truck with a tipper body fitted, right off the showroom floor, you are in luck. We are putting two tried-and-tested truck options head-to-head to see how they stack up.

Both Hino and Isuzu sell ready-to-run light-duty tipper trucks, both popular options across the construction and trade industries but each with unique benefits.

Hino offers its popular 300 Series trucks with a range of Built To Go body options, allowing a factory-backed drive-away tipper solution across model types, while Isuzu offers the same with its N Series trucks through its Ready-To-Work range.

Which one is right for you will come down to your specific needs, but both options are proven winners with a proven track record across a range of industries.

For the purpose of this comparison we are going to look at the entry-level option from each manufacturer, which will allow you to step up from a traditional tradie ute without breaking the bank.

Both trucks are suited to trade or commercial buyers looking for a vehicle that has a GVM of up to 4.5 tonnes, meaning you don’t need to upgrade your licence and you can step straight out of your ute and into a truck.

Tipper-body trucks are commonly used by landscapers or those needing to quickly, efficiently and safely empty the contents of the truck bed when carrying things like soil, gravel, or material waste.

Another common use is to carry earthmoving machinery, which in the case of light-duty truck options might include mini diggers, ride-on mowers, and other small pieces of equipment.

The entry-level Hino 300 Series tipper is the 616 Standard Cab, which is powered by a 4.0-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 150hp/420Nm, mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

By contrast Isuzu’s N Series NLR 45-150, available with a five-speed manual or six-speed AMT, is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 150hp/375Nm.

While similar on paper, the Hino nudges ahead with more torque from its larger engine, and is offered with a true automatic compared with Isuzu’s automated manual transmission option.

Both engines are Euro V compliant, with the Isuzu using cooled exhaust gas recirculation and exhaust diesel particulate diffuser and the Hino opting for a combination of cooled exhaust gas recirculation and diesel particulate filter system.

Both trucks boast payload and towing potential well beyond what is offered with a traditional ute, however tray dimensions and carrying capacity vary.

The Hino 300 Series 616 Standard Cab tipper offers a cubic carrying capacity of 1.9 cubic metres with an internal tray length of 3000mm and width of 1750mm.

With an indicative chassis weight of 2795kg and GVM of 4495kg, the Hino 300 Series 616 tipper – equipped with an automatic transmission – offers a payload of 1700kg.

The Isuzu N Series NLR 45-150 tipper has a cubic carrying capacity of 2.0 cubic metres and its tray measures 3050mm long and 1780mm wide.

Weighing in at 2770kg with the AMT transmission, and with a GVM of 4500kg, the Isuzu has a total payload of 1730kg.

On paper, the Isuzu has a slightly larger tray and can carry an additional 30kg of payload, which may prove crucial if you plan on loading the truck to its legal limit.

Both the Hino and the Isuzu tippers have a towing capacity of 3500kg giving a GCM of 8000kg.

Both the Hino and Isuzu light-duty tipper options are loaded with the latest safety technology, including active and passive safety systems to keep you safe on the road.

The Hino 300 gets the Smart Safe system, which includes pre-collision warning, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, vehicle stability control, reverse camera and daytime running lamps.

Isuzu equips the N Series truck with its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which includes advanced emergency braking, distance warning, traffic movement monitoring, electronic stability control and lane departure warning.

There is no clear winner across safety and technology, with both trucks offering high-level standard safety systems.

These trucks are incredibly close on paper with both offering refinement, comfort, reliability and safety.

The primary differences are their load carrying potential, which the Isuzu offers more of, and their engine power, which the Hino takes out.

Another critical factor worth exploring is the difference in driving dynamics between a true automatic and an AMT – both with their pros and cons.

Our suggestion? Drive both and see which one steals your tradie heart!