Lucky 13th Kobelco Excavator for AMS Hire
Reliability and ease of service are the key reasons why Tasmanian-based machinery hire company AMS Hire recently added a 13th Kobelco excavator to its fleet.
With the purchase of his latest 5.5 tonne SK55SR-5 excavator Brian Morey of AMS Hire, continues a relationship with the Kobelco brand that began eight years ago when dealer David Morrison made him a great offer.
“We took a leap of faith with the first Kobelco machine that we bought, but it was a good price for a high quality Japanese excavator and I thought the technical specifications would suit our needs. Since that very first machine we haven’t looked back and have had absolutely no problems with any of the Kobelco machines – they just keep doing what we expect them to do and are easy to service,” said Brian.
Brian’s late father Harry started the family company in 1963 and although it originally sold Komatsu bulldozers for the Gordon and Mersey Forth hydroelectric schemes, it is now exclusively a hire business, competing directly with some of the big players in the earthworks and machinery dry hire rental market. Brian’s training as a civil engineer and his experience on large construction projects gives him a detailed understanding of his customer’s needs.
“We’re in the hire business, so reliability is the most important thing to our customers as well as for us. The Kobelcos are very reliable and we know we are providing a quality machine that can do the job that we say it will. We pride ourselves on presenting hire equipment that operates at its peak and can immediately be productive for the customer and our Kobelco units deliver,” said Brian.
AMS Hire find it easy to recommend a suitably-sized Kobelo machine to their customers, who range from home handymen wanting a single 2.5 tonne machine for a weekend to building and construction companies who can rent out up to three five tonne excavators at a time. Marcus Cleary, AMS Hire Manager, says the large number of quality Kobelco excavators in the fleet means they can provide exactly the right machine for any job.
“We ask customers what they want to do with the machine, what kind of distance it needs to travel and how many hours they need it for and then can work out the most efficient machine for the job. For example, if you are doing some drainage works on your farm, you might be able to use a smaller
2.5 tonne SK25SR-2, but the 5.5 tonne SK55SR-5 could do the job quicker and easier and that would save them money,” said Marcus.
Marcus points out that even a five tonne Kobelco excavator is easy to transport to sites because of its narrow 1.94m width, but by having a variety of different excavators they can always find a machine suitable for customers with narrow backyards or cramped building sites.
Brian explains that he considers the resale value of the machines as well as their reliability and has built an excellent relationship over the last eight years with their local Kobelco dealer.
“David Morrison from D&L Morrison Machinery Spares does more than just sell the machine – he has a friendly, family-oriented company and he always delivers what he promises and looks after us personally,” said Brian.
Of the twenty excavators currently owned by AMS Hire, Kobelco have an excellent range which includes two SK25SR-2, two SK27SR-3, one SK35SR-3, six SK55SR-3, a SK135SR-1 fitted with offset boom and blade and a SK250MK-6 fitted with a forestry package.