Construction Plant News Editor, Lee Jones visits a Stratford development of luxury properties where two Kobelco excavators from Molson Group have been making themselves at home.
On a site that’s already surrounded with some decidedly upmarket examples of new build design, Dave Hodges, Managing Director of DHC Services, is making a telling contribution of his own, and his two Kobelco excavators are fittingly sophisticated tools for a high-end setting.
Supplied by Molson Group, DHC Services has been living with these distinctive and strikingly blue excavators for more than twelve months and the feedback from owner and operator alike has been unrelenting positive, as Dave reveals: “It was the first time we’d invested in this manufacturer, and a lot of drivers can have reservations from moving away from what they used to, but our guys took to them straight away.”
The Mackenzie Miller Homes scheme consists of seven units, with an attenuation tank, associated drainage and traditional foundations all part of the DHC Services package of works. The initial deep excavations were a job for the largest excavator in the contractor’s fleet, a Kobelco SK210, including the installation of that attenuation tank, and connecting storm drain, as well as the groundworks for the roads and all the cut and fill.
As a nimbler and more versatile unit, the SK140SRLC-7 has been charged with completing the plot foundations at a minimum of 600mm wide and 1metre deep, with a depth of at least 2.1metre in an area where a large tree had been historically rooted. The compact radius design of this 14-tonner has made it a popular digger amongst housebuilders who are looking for a well-balanced solution with the necessary power, and the DHC Services unit will be in attendance through much of the lifetime of the project.
“It’s easy work for machines that are as capable as these two Kobelco units,” enthuses Dave. “The reduced swing SK140 is small enough to access tighter sites and, with plenty of power in either digging or lifting, ticks every box, whilst the blade is very useful when levelling. Not only that, but an operator can also change the settings depending on whether they’re undertaking deeper excavation duties or grading. As a result, whether it’s the SK210 or SK140 SRLC-7, these Kobelco machines facilitate a level of accuracy and refinement in our work which we really appreciate. The stormwater attenuation tank needed to be at a depth of 2.5m with a -/+ 10mm tolerance, for example. In the hands of one of our skilled drivers the larger of the two machines achieved that with ease.”
Excavators are, of course, about far more than digging these days, and during our visit the SK140, was playing its part in the concrete pour for the foundations, whilst both machines are equipped with pallet tines for lifting. “We were working on a site recently where our 22-tonner lifted a Rammax roller into a cellar for compaction,” recalls the DHC Services MD. “In fact, with a little bit of thought and forward planning there really is no end to what we can get these machines to do.”
Molson Group offers two Kobelco models in the 14-tonne class – the SK130 LC-11 and an SK140 SRLC-7, with the latter the compact radius machine. The Japanese manufacturer has focused squarely on operator comfort in recent years, which means DHC Services operators of the 7-series will enjoy an upgraded ROPS & FOPS certified cab, featuring a larger 10in. LCD display, and bright LED exterior lights. Additional creature comforts include a shock absorbing Grammer air suspension heated seat, as well as air con. Moreover, a faster performance than its predecessors has been achieved with a new hydraulic system and improved flow rates to the arm and boom.
Kobelco is steadily developing a reputation in the market for smooth control, power on demand, reliability, and build quality. Add to that a level of fuel efficiency that is the envy of many of its contemporaries, and the manufacturer represents an attractive proposition for operators of all sizes. The 21-tonne DHC Services unit will, for example, achieve a frugal 8-10 litre consumption per hour on standard duties, which can be up to 20 per cent lower than many of its peers in the excavator market. That’s achieved through an advanced HINO engine, combined with a pump configuration that’s designed to be inherently less power hungry. Add to that settings at the operator’s fingertips that can be easily adjusted to suit the task and the end result is a smooth and economical working day.
If you don’t want to take the manufacturer’s word for it that aforementioned fuel usage can also be evidenced through the Kobelco Monitoring Excavation System (KOMEXS), a telematics platform that offers remote insight into the performance of an asset. “We’re big fans of the evidence you can source from the system,” continues Dave, “and not just in fuel usage but also in driver behaviour. We can dial in at any time, interrogate the data, and make sure it’s being used for the task it’s set up for, and offer additional training and support to a driver if it’s not. That can actually make a big difference in avoiding wear and tear and saving fuel by eliminating unnecessary idling.”
There’s an old saying that the sales department will get the first machine into a new client’s fleet but it’s the service team that makes the second or third and that’s exemplified by the experience of DHC Services. “The back-up, service and support from Molson Group has been excellent,” enthuses Dave, “and, with a depot in Stratford, they’re local and always on hand.” Indeed, with multiple manufacturers on its books, Molson Group prides itself on being a single source of supply for many of its customers, and so satisfied has he been with the dealer that he has recently returned to the company for the purchase of an Ammann ARX 26-1.2 Tandem Roller, also at work on the Stratford development.
DHC Services is a UK wide operation, undertaking a diverse range of construction jobs for more than eight years, with its main focus now on bespoke private housebuilding projects. “There’s a certain satisfaction in being involved in a quality finished build and with the size of developer we’re dealing with, where anything up to 30 units is typical, that’s what we get. We’ll take on the site clearance, groundworks, and infrastructure in the first instance and, once the houses are built, come back to complete the roads, paving and soft landscaping. It’s quite rewarding to witness the journey from empty land to high end property and our two Kobelco units are adaptable enough to play their part across the majority of a build programme. They’re a manufacturer I’ll definitely be looking to invest in in the future.”
