Perth based earthmoving contractor Darren McKay of McKay Earthmoving Limited can’t be happier with the company’s new purchase - the JCB 320T track skid steer which McKay claims has rid him of his back problems.
Over the past 18 months, McKay has been suffering from severe back pain which resulted from operating sub-par machinery in his family business.
“I had a back problem for 18 months from sitting in my old machine. It rattled me to pieces,” he says.
But since switching to the JCB 320T track skid steer, McKay has now returned to work without the aching back.
“The Smooth Ride is unbelievable,” he says.
“I got the 320T four or five months ago and my back has now come right.”
In addition to being much more comfortable, McKay says the 320T is very versatile with great visibility.
“I use the 320T for everything. The PowerBoom is great for visibility, and there’s no cage around you which is nice,” he says.
McKay Earthmoving Limited was established 40 years ago by McKay’s father, Ken and offers a range of general earthwork services including rock breaking on hard and steep ground, site works and small subdivisions.
Some of its jobs require working on steep and unbalanced hill sites, which is usually unsuitable for most loaders to work on, but McKay says the 320T keeps the business going all year.
He recently removed a 1200kg tree stump with the machine and can remove rocks that his previous loader couldn’t handle.
“I can push a two-tonne rock out of the way, we’ve got forks and grab buckets for it,” he says.
“I’ve got it on nearly every job and it’s always keeping us moving.”
In addition to the JCB 320T track skid steer, McKay Earthmoving also owns a JCB 175 skid steer for smaller jobs such as redoing or laying out new footpaths.
McKay is now looking to replace one of the company’s existing 20-tonne excavators with a 30-tonne JCB tracked excavator and also plan to buy a new JCB backhoe.
“We’ve always been happy with the performance of JCB machines and we’ve had great service from our dealer over the years.”
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