Kobelco have been building machinery for more than seventy years, with all that experience their machinery has gained a reputation for being both reliable and good value for money. As a company Kobelco Construction Machinery are not content to wait for their competitors to design and engineer new concepts leaving them to play catch up. They want to be at the forefront of the industry developing new ideas and presenting them to the market before their counterparts can. With such revolutionary concepts as the world’s first completed proto-type hybrid hydraulic excavator which they unveiled in France in April 2006, and their work with regard to noise reduction, their product line up now boasts sound levels 10dB quieter and fuel consumption down 40% on previous models.

We spoke to Tony from Tony Cook Excavations. Tony owns and operates a current model SK70SR-2 on contract to Brisbane City Council. Most of Tony’s work involves digging around underground services and loading trucks on road construction sites. Tony has many years of experience in the industry and has had dealings with other brands and their respective dealers. As a one man / one machine outfit, Tony’s machine is his livelihood so obviously he needs to be confident that his machine is going to be reliable and that the back up service provided by Chesterfield Australia is second to none.

Tony had the following comments on his experience with Chesterfield and his SK70SR- “all the guys in both sales and service are brilliant” with regard to the machine he said “my Kobelco just doesn’t give me any trouble…and the cab is really spacious and comfortable ”. Tony liked the ease of accessibility to the machine components and service points, with no less than 15 service items accessible from ground level it is no surprise. But what Tony really liked was the fuel economy, he claims that he is burning just 4 .5 litres per hour. Having worked for a company who had several Kobelco machines prior to buying his own, Tony knows what to expect from his Kobelco and can see first hand the innovations that have been introduced in their current series.

When checking out the specs on this machine and having a good look over it, you do notice how large the cab is. That is because it is the same cab they run right through their larger conventional tail swing product range. Visibility from the cab was excellent with four mirrors placed around the machine offering you unrivalled vision from all angles. Inside the cab, the monitor and layout of the controls was simple, yet functional. The other thing that stands out is how quiet these things are, they publish a spec of 93dB(A) or in layman’s terms, bloody quiet. That is largely due to their patented iNDr cooling system. Integrated Noise & Dust Reduction (or iNDr) basically takes the principles of a muffler and applies them to the way they manage the cooling air flow across the power pack. In addition to this, it screens out any larger particles to prevent them from entering the cooling package or the air intake. This iNDr technology is available right throughout the SR range of Kobelco excavators.

The offset boom model includes a cab impact prevention device and height / depth limiters fitted as standard. With Hose burst protection valves and bi-directional hammer/auger lines factory fitted right throughout the product range, you have the versatility to take on just about any job.

Tony did have one criticism of his machine and that is with regard to the walking power. He has rubber pads fitted to the track plates and felt that the push blade was of little benefit due to a lack of traction on the dirt and a lack of power when walking on bitumen or concrete.

What they do well is provide stability on uneven ground and give you the versatility to quickly tidy up when you have been working in sand or topsoil. At the end of the day it isn’t a bull dozer, there is probably not an excavator on the market in this configuration that has “enough” power in the travel circuit. That said, Tony is happy with his machine along with the service provided by Chesterfield. He is confident that his next machine will be another Blue one.

In October 2009 Chesterfield Australia Southern COG held its annual harvester customer clinic.

The day was a huge success with CA staff and John Deere limited staff running the day. Alan Shields was again the guest presenter and he provided our customers with very useful information as to how to get the most out of your harvester. Alan has had great experience with John Deere products as he was a territory manager for many years. Alan virtually wrote the book on high performance settings for harvesters in Australian conditions.

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Our customers were very happy with the day as they were able to take this information home digest it and then put it in to practice during harvest.

The comments that we have received from this clinic have been very complimentary. There were over 90 owners and operators at the clinic and to handle this number of people we had to break them up in to groups for the outdoor session where we went over the harvesters pointing out servicing and lubrication points.

We will be running the same clinic again this year and  we hope to achieve the same results.

Kobelco excavators keep boulder wall constructions moving

7-tonne Kobelco SK70SR hydraulic excavator

(February 2010) – Queensland-based Boulder Wall Constructions has spent the last two decades building a reputation for high quality construction and workmanship, so it’s no surprise that their equipment fleet includes six Kobelco excavators ranging in size from 7 tonnes to 35 tonnes.

Boulder Wall Constructions recently used their 20-tonne Kobelco SK200-8 excavator to build a structural retaining wall for the SafeLink Alliance project joining the Brisbane suburb of Ipswich to the Centenary Highway.

“We bought our first Kobelco machine five years ago based on the package offered by our local dealership, Chesterfield,” said Boulder Wall Constructions’ Managing Director, Gavin Turner. “We look for not just the best price, but the best deal in terms of warranty, reliability, running costs and peace of mind. Our Kobelco machines have absolutely exceeded expectations in terms of both performance and reliability.”

The company’s Quarry & Resources Manager, Graeme Atkins, agrees. “Part of our reputation for quality comes from the fact that we control the process from quarry to construction. Having strong, reliable machines to keep the quarry operating is essential. We also take pride in having some of the most highly skilled operators in the business. To attract that sort of talent, you have to offer them good gear to work in.”

The company’s latest acquisition is a 7-tonne Kobelco SK70SR hydraulic excavator for use in building structural retaining walls. Designed with minimal rear swing for maximum manoeuvrability, the SK70SR packs a lot of performance into a compact frame.

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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 the Kobelco 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 any downtime at all. 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, leaving you high and dry, but that’s never happened to us with Kobelco. We always feel completely supported by Kobelco and by Chesterfield,” added Gavin. “We’ve lost hardly any time as a result of problems with Kobelco gear and the operators love them, too. They’re fuel efficient and easy to maintain – all of which contributes to their low overall running costs.”

Boulder Wall Constructions operators spend the vast majority of their time with a single machine and are responsible for its daily maintenance.

“The guys say the Kobelco excavators are comfortable and quiet to operate – even when you’re pushing really hard. The air conditioning is great and all the controls are within easy reach, so they’re really easy to operate,” said Graeme. “One of the things we like best – and one of the reasons I think they’re so reliable – is that Kobelco has made sure their machines are state-of-the-art technology-wise, but they haven’t gone overboard with silly little things that can go wrong and stop you from working. 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,” said Graeme.

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.