Athassel Civil owner, Padraig Morrissey, can’t rave enough about Kobelco. And he’s certainly been operating them a long time, even before starting his own business.
“When I operated for Tom Ford, I operated his Kobelcos,” he says. “And even back then, I thought they were fantastic machines. So, when I started out on my own, I bought a four-year-old Kobelco 909 secondhand. A 24-ton excavator.”
That original Kobelco is still earning its keep – a great testament to the build quality. “Yeah, it’s still in the yard,” says Padraig. “It’s a 32-year-old machine and still operational. And, you know, it’s had minimal work done in that time. You have to hand it to Kobelco, they make a good quality product.”
It’s interesting to note that Padraig was choosing Kobelco long before they were so well-known in the market. “With my first new machine, there wasn’t even a dealer in Sydney,” he says. “But I’d had that older one and experienced no issues with it. So, one day I was at the machine show and I met the Kobelco dealer – they were up from Melbourne. And, well, they made me an offer too good to refuse. At that stage they were talking about putting a dealership in Sydney. Once they did that, everything took off for them.”
For Padraig, having top tier gear, like Kobelco, is simply a smart business decision. “That reliability is what helps your bottom line,” he says. “it’s also the usability. Kobelcos aren’t over complicated. Never have been. They’re just reliable and you’re getting a top product for a very competitive price.”
Like most business owners, downtime is Athassel Civil’s biggest cost, so that reliability of the machines is key. “That and the backup,” Padraig says. “Which also means having parts readily available if you do need them. Although, when you go for the top brands, you don’t often need parts. But, if you do, you can get them, as opposed to being told that it’s coming from wherever in six weeks’ time.”
Of course, Kobelco has long been synonymous with fuel economy. “Yeah, they’re really good on fuel,” Padraig says. “That hasn’t always been as important for us as it might be for people putting up to 2000 hours a year. But with the price of fuel like it is, that’s become very important. Fortunately, Kobelcos are super efficient.”
For more information call 1300 562 352 or visit kobelco.com.au
