Case Study

Track Be Nimble – The Eurocomach ES18ZT Mini Excavator

Eurocomach

Rob York runs his own highly successful building company. After spending years hiring an array of different mini excavators and skid steer loaders, this experienced builder believes he’s found the ultimate, versatile, compact machine. Make way and clear a really small path for the Eurocomach ES18ZT.

Rob was born and bred into construction and is part of a long dynasty that he hopes to maintain for generations to come.

“I started work in the building industry when I was 17 years old, employed by my father who is a builder,” he explained. “When Dad retired, my wife and I started our own building company, Yorkbuild, here in Caboolture, north of Brisbane. We are still very much a family business. Now both of my sons work with me, and Dad comes to site when we need extra hands. We have a great team of sub-contractors and quite a diverse range of work to ensure my sons have a very thorough building experience too.”

Eurocomach

Yorkbuild delivers all your typical construction services and work on a range of large-scale jobs. “Over the last couple of years,” Rob continued, “our main focus was on commercial hi-rise units and town houses, shop fitting and relocatable buildings, but this year we have worked on a new home build at Hawthorne on the Brisbane River. It’s a spectacular job with a precision finish, utilising a vast array of quality products.”

Working on sites with restrictive access and space to manoeuvre, Rob knows first-hand that the size and dexterity of his machines is vital. He said his time having experimented with all sorts of excavator, digger and loader options “provided research material [where] the limitations of certain machines became apparent.”

First he whittled his choice down based on functionality. “We found track vehicles were more nimble and created less damage to the site and the mini size are better on tight inner-city blocks,” he determined.

Then it came down to the most beneficial vehicle for his specific needs. “ASV proved to be a better quality machine with great after sales service,” he outlined. “We have only owned the Eurocomach ES18ZT since July, but was sold on the versatility, price, and power. Inner-city blocks have very little space to manoeuvre so the size was as important as the strength.”

Literally squeezing into tight spaces that other machines can’t operate, the undercarriage and blade of the Eurocomach ES18ZT can retract down to less than a metre wide, and then when more stability is required it can expand to 1300mm. Even though it has an enlarged carriage for great comfort, safety and visibility, and a cabin with generous interior dimensions, the machine has zero tail so the ballast remains inside the width of the tracks as it turns in impossibly tight areas.

Of course a piece of equipment is only as good as its usability, and this is why the Eurocomach range is so well received; they are just so easy to drive. “It’s very simple to operate with less fatigue on your body,” Rob pointed out, “and maintenance is basic and it’s cost effective. Even staff with previous earthmoving experience adapted quickly, and staff that have never been in machinery before have no problems with simple tasks.”

The heart of the Italian-made excavator is the highly efficient YANMAR 3TNV70 engine designed and built to optimise performance and reduce fuel consumption.

When it needs more thrust force, the automatic two-speed transmission intervenes, reducing the motion ratio.

Eurocomach

With the ability to reach up over 3.5m and to dig down 2.5m deep, the ES18ZT is versatile and extremely powerful for its mini stature. Yorkbuild mainly use their machine for digging footings, trenches and post holes, although Rob recalled one particularly interesting job where it came in especially handy: “We recently had to install freshly powder-coated, heavy cast gates and posts that had been in the family for 200 years, into the entry of a new home. We used the Eurocomach to lift the gates and posts into position, ensuring no damage to the product and saved many staff from possible injury from heavy lifting.”

National distributor of Eurocomach, ASV Sales & Service, is Australia’s number one posi track dealer with over 17 years of experience. They know that ongoing support for their customers is just as important as the products they supply. Rob York recognises this and appreciates the relationship he’s formed and the help he receives from them.

“ASV are very service oriented,” he said. “If we have any problems they are only a phone call away. They are fantastic to deal with and [Queensland Branch Manager] Joel is helpful and has a wealth of knowledge.”

[colored_box color=”yellow”]For more information on the Eurocomach ES18ZT visit asvaus.com[/colored_box]

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