Kobelco has released four mini-excavators it says are easy to come to grips with, and ideal for the hire market and trades such as plumbing and landscaping.
“Rental companies keep customers happy by giving them equipment that is easy to operate, incredibly safe and of course, productive and efficient,” Kobelco sales and service general manager Doug McQuinn says. “This is vital because dry-hire customers aren’t necessarily using excavators every day and they’re often operating in very tight spaces.
“The same applies to tradespeople, even owner operators, because they’ve got other jobs to do onsite. Operating an excavator is only a part of what they do, so they may not be highly experienced,” he adds. “What they all need is equipment that’s quick and easy to learn, and nimble to operate.”
Kobelco SK008
The smallest of the four models at 1 tonne, the SK008 has a variable undercarriage that allows the left and right tracks to raise and lower independently to correct the machine’s angle on slopes.
Kobelco says each track can move independently “for incredible stability on uneven terrain, which makes it simpler and safer even for less-experienced operators”. The variable undercarriage is designed to automatically eject dirt build-up when the undercarriage is retracted
The crawler width can be reduced to a mere 680mm, so the unit will fit through a standard doorway.
Kobelco SK17SR
This 1.7-tonne model has hydraulic retractable side frames that allow for nimble tracking. They have a self-cleaning mechanism that Kobelco says “forcibly discharges mud to prevent malfunction in the variable undercarriage”.
Kobelco SK20R
This model, which weighs in at 2 tonnes, has guards on all cylinders and boom lights on the underside of the boom to prevent contact damage.
Kobelco SK25SR
The 2.6 tonne SK25SR has “superior lifting capacity, max digging force and hydraulic flow for attachments compared to its main competitors, but is light enough to be transported on a trailer even with additional attachments”, Kobelco says.
The new models are available this month, except the SK25SR, which is on the market in April.
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