Traditionally a Kubota customer, Walsall-based Chase Plant Hire has turned to Chinese manufacturer Sunward for its mini excavators.
Chase Plant Hire says on its website: 鈥淜ubota, in our eyes make the best mini diggers on the market 鈥� not only do they have class leading performance for their size but they are also the most reliable and some of the smoothest machines to operate on the market.鈥�
Sometimes, however, there are other criteria.
Just five months ago Chase Plant Hire doubled its fleet of Sunward excavators, from nine to 18. Now it has bought another 21 Sunward excavators from dealer Hamstead Plant.
The latest additions comprise two 8.7-tonne (operating weight) SWE 90UF machines, two 5.3-tonne SWE 50UFs, six 3.8-tonne SWE 35UFs, six 1.8-tonne SWE 18UFs and five 2.6-tonne SWE 25Fs. The UF models all have zero tail swing.
Chase manager Ritchard Jukes said: 鈥淲e are very happy with the continued popularity of the Sunward machines that we have purchased. Customers are now calling us and asking for the green machines in particular so we will be buying more to give our customers exactly what they want.鈥�
Hamstead Plant managing director Joe Bayton added: 鈥淐hase Plant have built their reputation on providing reliable, hard鈥憌orking equipment to their customers, and we鈥檙e proud to supply them with premium Sunward products at sensible prices.
鈥淭heir latest investment across the Sunward range shows the confidence they have in both the machines and in us as their supplier, and we genuinely appreciate their ongoing commitment to Hamstead Plant and the Sunward brand.鈥�
Chase also says on its website that it has held its hire rates for 17 years, despite the cost of machines and wages more than doubling.聽 However, its rates are finally now rising in April this year, it says, in order to maintain service levels.