Queensland?s Boulder Wall ?Constructions has spent 20 years building a reputation for high quality construction and workmanship, so it is no surprise that their equipment fleet includes six excavators ranging from seven tonnes to 35 tonnes.
Boulder recently built a structural retaining wall for the SafeLink Alliance project joining Ipswich to the Centenary Highway with a 20 tonne Kobelco SK200-8 excavator.
?We bought our first Kobelco machine five years ago based on the package offered by our local dealership,? said Boulder?s ?managing director Gavin Turner. ?We look for not just the best price, but the best deal in warranty, reliability, running costs and peace of mind. Our machines have exceeded expectations in terms of performance and reliability.?
Boulder?s quarry and resources manager Graeme Atkins agreed. ?Part of our reputation for quality comes from the fact that we control the process from quarry to construction. Having reliable machines to keep the quarry operating is essential, as are highly skilled operators. To attract that sort of talent, you have to offer them good gear to work in.?
The larger excavators used in the quarry operate 55 hours per week in harsh ?conditions. ?Quarry work is very, very tough work for any machine. We attach big rock saws to our ?machines and push them hard, but they?ve never let us down. They?re incredibly reliable and strong so they handle the tough work very well,? said Graeme. ?Reliability is ?important because we can?t afford downtime. But when you take into account that we?re more than an hour and a half away from the city, even a minor breakdown could be a ?major stoppage. We?d rather not break down at all, and that?s where the Kobelco gear comes into its own.?
?Sometimes you?ll have a machine break down and the manufacturer will quibble over the warranty, but that?s never happened to us with Kobelco. We always feel completely supported,? added Gavin. ?We?ve lost hardly any time as a result of problems with Kobelco gear.?
Boulder?s operators spend the vast majority of their time with a single machine and are responsible for its daily maintenance.
?The guys say the excavators are comfortableand quiet to operate – even when you?re pushing really hard and all the controls are within easy reach,? said Graeme. ?One of the things we like best is that Kobelco has made sure their machines are state of the art technology-wise, but they haven?t gone overboard. It?s a perfect balance of ?technology and simplicity.
?In short, the reliability of the excavators is second to none, the performance is outstanding in all conditions and the service is the best I?ve seen,? Graeme concluded.
Kobelco is part of the global Kobelco CNH family. In Australia, Kobelco markets a range of compact, mid-size and full-size excavators up to 85 tonnes.
Source: Kobelco CNH Australia/Hardman Communications
