Zero Interest Offers A Great Deal For Kubota Minis

A limited period zero per cent finance offer on two of Kubota's most popular, class-leading, ultra compact mini excavators, from the world’s best selling range, is currently available through their official authorised dealers until the end of June 2008. The K008-3 and U10-3 are super compact, sub 1 tonne, go anywhere models, with an unrivalled reputation for quality, performance, reliability, versatility and excellent residual values.

With their compact size both models can pass through a standard doorway and the U10-3 also provides full zero tail swing capability. Kubota Sales & Marketing Manager, Richard Harrison, said: "This special deal provides a limited period opportunity for customers to obtain two of our most popular world leading machines at a highly preferential rate. So I would urge them to contact their local Kubota dealer now to avoid missing out on this great offer."

Kubota is the European and world leader in mini excavators and offers the widest range of machines available from a single manufacturer. Customers can select from 18 base models spanning the weight range from 850 kg to 8 tonnes and including the largest selection of increasingly popular zero tail swing machines.

All Kubota minis, from 1.5 tonne upwards, feature their unique 'ANTI-THEFT' system. This complete, easy-to-use security device was the first and is still the only one of its kind fitted as standard equipment by a mini excavator manufacturer. Their outstanding productivity and durability make them the ideal tool for many different applications and end-users, from civil engineering to landscaping and plant hire companies to owner operators.

BIL-JAX Benefits in the UK

The BIL-JAX Summit series of trailer mounted access platforms and X-BOOM lightweight all terrain machines, will be officially launched in the UK by Promax Access Ltd. Established in 1947, BIL-JAX has become one of the most recognized brand names in the American rental industry and as one of the largest access manufacturer's in the United States.Offering much more than simple ‘entry level models’ the BIL-JAX range provides great standard features including ‘Auto Set Up’ in under 30 seconds, simple touch control operating system with multi function speeds, fly jib on all articulating models and unique user benefit options including horizontal jib rotation, material lifting attachment and ‘Drive and Set’ which enables complete manoeuvrability and operation, without leaving the cage.

The BIL-JAX compact X-BOOM range provides all terrain ability with 4WD and oscillating axle, with all the features and benefits of the Summit series. Weighing less than 2,100kg the X-BOOMS can be easily transported on a standard plant trailer. These machines are a complete work tool, offering unique benefits.

Creaton based company takes delivery of another Volvo EC25 compact excavator

When they established their self drive hire business in 2003, husband and wife team, David and Trudy Enstone started out with just a couple of one and a half tonne Pel Job mini excavators. Since then, their business - Dig Yourself Out of a Hole based at Creaton, Northamptonshire has flourished with the company now operating a total of fifteen Volvo compact excavators out of a fleet of eighteen. The hire fleet ranges from the one and a half tonne EC15B’s and EC15B XTV’s up to the five and a half tonne EC55B.

David attributes part of the Company’s success to the support they received from Volvo’s compact equipment dealer SM Plant Sales. “When we were looking to get the business up and running it was Simon Milligan and his staff that gave us practical support and advice on specification, finance and the whole package,” he commented. “Since then our relationship has continued to grow around the sound and reliable product range we’ve found from Volvo. The machines are robust, popular with our customers and have exceptionally high residual values,” he continued. And with a complement of only three people running the business, quality products and reliable after sales support have been a vital key to the company’s continuing success.

As with all Volvo construction equipment, the compact excavator line delivers impressive levels of performance and technological advances. Examples found on the EC25 just delivered to Dig Yourself out of a Hole are the variable flow power control hydraulic system for precise control under all load conditions and safety features such as Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS), Tip Over Protection Structure (TOPS) and Falling Objects protection Structure (FOPS) contribute to outstanding operator safety.

The design of the Volvo compact range facilitates very easy maintenance and access to the hydraulic system and engine compartment. The swing away counterweights make all areas of the engine compartment accessible. Other features include two-speed travel easily selected from the cab providing good tractive effort in low and high travel speeds to shorten traveling time on site.

The operator’s cab is well proportioned with the cab door offering a wide opening with the left-hand console in the up position. The cab floor and step are non-slip, the flat floor providing plenty of room for the operator’s feet and is easy to clean. Excellent all-around visibility and low internal noise levels are other features found on the Volvo compact excavator.

Spectrum’s Ultimate Challenge

‘The Ultimate range. Sophisticated, yet concise. Comprehensive, without compromising clarity. We’ve put together this range with careful consideration to everything you would expect from our high quality blades – and a lot you may never have thought of.’

This is how the new Ultimate range is introduced by Spectrum Diamond Tools, part of the Hilbor Specialist Supply Group. ‘And it’s just that’, says the Spectrum UK Sales Manager, ‘this is no ‘flash in the pan’ inspiration to produce a new product, but a carefully researched and considered approach to the whole concept of diamond blades. We know we can’t re-invent the wheel, but we have challenged some of the misconceptions prevalent in the market today, and worked to provide the diamond blade user with what they want out of the product, not what it suits us to give them.’

So what makes the Ultimate range ‘ultimate’? ‘Just about everything - in every way, the Ultimate range goes a step further’. Performance, safety, quality, trust, simplicity, clarity, guarantee: they’re all ingredients in the development of this range. We believe that the discerning user deserves to have a choice of product, a full understanding of what they can expect from it, and a meaningful guarantee.

For the distributor, we have tackled the three fundamental problems of how to securely store, attractively display, and make impact sales – and according to the select few of our customers who have seen this, ‘there is simply nothing else like it available’. So keep your eyes open for the Spectrum Ultimate range – we can promise you will not be disappointed.

KUBOTA PUTS ON A BIG SHOW AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE

Kubota Live! At Rockingham Castle, 13th, 14th, 15th May 2008, 8.00am to 6.30pm, will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to put a range of Kubota machines through their paces. Kubota will be featuring a comprehensive selection of their best selling mini excavators at this new 'hands on' event, to be held at Rockingham Castle, Rockingham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 8TH.

No ticket or invitation is required, and as Kubota Live! is located just two miles from the entrance to SED, together with its extended opening hours, this will enable visitors to call in on their way to or from the show, or they can make a complete day of it at Rockingham Castle. Visitors will be able to put Kubota minis to the test for themselves on the extensive demo areas, as well as experiencing the class-leading performance of the RTV 900 utility vehicle on the 4x4 off-road driving course. There will also be the opportunity to try out a range of Kubota ride-on mowers and tractors.

With UK sales of their mini excavators now having topped 30,000, Kubota is also offering visitors the opportunity to share in this success, with the chance to win a KX61-3 machine worth around £20,000. This special 30,000th machine has been generously donated by Kubota as the superb prize in a charity draw, with proceeds in aid of the Lighthouse Club Benevolent Fund (The Construction Industry Charity).

Kubota UK Sales & Marketing Manager, Richard Harrison, said: "Kubota Live! At Rockingham Castle offers a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look and test drive models from across our entire range. With the superb location and facilities, including free car parking and complimentary refreshments, I certainly believe it's an event not to be missed".

Customers can select from 18 base models spanning the weight range from 850 kg to 8 tonnes and including the largest selection of increasingly popular zero tail swing machines.
All Kubota minis, from 1.5 tonne upwards, feature their unique 'ANTI-THEFT' system. This complete, easy-to-use security device was the first and is still the only one of its kind fitted as standard equipment by a mini excavator manufacturer.

With a legendary reputation for quality, performance, reliability and excellent resale values, their productivity and versatility make them the ideal tool for many different applications and end-users, from civil engineering to landscaping and plant hire companies to owner operators.

A Bavarian Treat – Mechaid Visit Hatz

In April, Mechaid received an invitation to visit the Hatz diesel engine manufacturing facility in Germany. We joined up with engineers from the plant specialists William Search and the Hatz GB managing director, Joe Wilmer, who took charge of our trip. After a short flight into Linz, Austria we were whisked off to the extremely pleasant German town of Passau, adjacent to Austro-German border. In the evening we were royally entertained by the very charismatic Ulrich Weh, Hatz’s worldwide sales and marketing director.

The Hatz complex dominates the Bavarian village of Ruhstorf. Most Hatz employees reside locally, making it one of the top employers in the area. The Group remains a family owned concern with the current 4th generation of the Hatz family managing the business. Our visit to the Hatz museum demonstrated how the company has grown from humble beginnings into a leading manufacturer of small air-cooled diesel engines. Hatz has developed a worldwide service network, currently comprising over 500 dedicated service centres, with fourteen outlets being directly owned by the parent company and the remainder as appointed agencies.

The factory was quite remarkable considering the nature of the products being manufactured and suitably described by a member of our party as “squeaky clean.” We were informed that the company had recently undergone some modernisation – principally the introduction of new manufacturing technology procedures with advanced working practises. Production has evolved into a continual operation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There was an engaging mix of robotics, technology and human processes, which all appeared to work together seamlessly - with one of our guides commenting, “we use humans when they are cleverer than machines”, which presumably means the opposite is applied in reverse circumstances! From start to finish, a document accompanied each engine bearing the name of the customer and the scheduled despatch date. No person in the factory could ever be unaware of when and to whom each engine was destined. The factory produces well in excess of 100,000 engines each year, and an extension is under construction to enable an increase Hatz production options.

They are also a leading niche supplier of conrods to the global prestige automotive industry supplying Porsche, VW, Harley Davidson, Bentley, Saab and Audi. We were informed that an expansion in conrod production was in the final stages of completion.

UK’s First Bobcat® T2250 Telehandler at Network Rail

The first new Bobcat® T2250 telehandler in the UK has gone on long term hire to Network Rail. Supplied by AMS Bobcat of Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, the new T2250 telehandler joins a fleet of 8-9 Bobcat S130 and S100 skid-steer loaders that Network Rail regularly hires from AMS for maintenance contracts on the rail network.

As it is equipped with the same Bob-TachTM quick-change attachment mounting system used on the T250 and all other Bobcat compact loaders, the T2250 can use a wide variety of the same attachments such as conventional and combination buckets, sweepers, trenchers, rotary cutters, pallet forks, snow blades, rotary snow blowers and many others. The Bob-Tach is an alternative to the conventional attachment system which can also be incorporated in the T2250. The multi-attachment capability and the compact dimensions of the T2250 - a height of 1970 mm, width of 1800 mm and length (without attachment) of 4190 mm – form an attractive package for Network Rail.

Designed and tested to the level of a loader, the T2250 provides all the attributes expected of a compact job site telehandler, combining manoeuvrability, agility, and speed with a rated lift capacity of 2.2 tonne and a maximum lift height of 5.2 m. The T2250 offers features and benefits of the skid-steer loader, articulated wheeled loader and telehandler in one machine. In effect, the new T2250 is three machines in one, offering exceptional versatility for a wide range of applications beyond rail, such as plant hire, construction, industry, builders’ merchants and landscaping.

Powered by the Kubota 56 kW 4-cylinder V3300-DI turbo-charged diesel engine with a governed speed of 2400 rpm, the T2250 has an ergonomically designed cab providing a comfortable, safe working environment for the operator. All function indicator buttons are located on the front and right-hand side of the cab, with their functions clearly identified and easily accessed from the operator’s position. A proportional joystick ensures smooth, jolt-free extension and retraction of the boom, allowing the operator to execute several functions at the same time.

An electronically regulated hydrostatic transmission, a standard feature on all Bobcat telescopic handlers, enables the operator to choose between two driving modes - direct drive, where priority is given to travel speed, or soft drive, where priority is given to hydraulic power and torque. In its low speed mode, the T2250 has a forward/reverse range of 0-6 km/h, whilst in the high speed mode the speed range is 0-25 km/h. Available as an option is a creep travel mode to allow a low travel speed at high engine rpm to ensure adequate hydraulic flow for attachments such as the sweeper.

GT Trax Expand Into Trenchlink

Hertfordshire based, ground protection rental specialists, GT Trax has invested in an initial order for new Trenchlink product. The order for a ‘substantial quantity’ of the interlocking ductile iron mini road plates was placed with the UK distributor of Trenchlink – GenSet plc – at the recent Executive Hire Show.

Trenchlink is approved for use by the National Grid and it enables a road contractor to quickly and safely secure a trench for immediate passage of vehicles or pedestrians. It features an integrated, anti-slip surface that fully secures an open trench. When the task is complete the plates are swiftly removed and stored so that the trench can be prepared for permanent reinstatement.

“The Trenchlink is a perfect partner to our range of ground protection products,” explained the GT Trax commercial director, Graham Crisp. “Although our current products are perfect for protecting ground from pedestrian and vehicular traffic, we often get asked to supply plates that will allow contractors to drive across trenches. The Trenchlink will fill this gap in our hire fleet,” added Mr. Crisp.

GT Trax has been supplying a range of temporary trackway and walkways to the UK construction and events industries since 2005. Users of GT Trax equipment encompass major civil engineering contractors to organisers of outside events.