Kobelco mini rigs get the job done

When Sweeney Hire was founded in 2016, the business started with just one used Kobelco SK13SR mini excavator. Now, three years later, the company owns three Kobelco SK17SR’s mini diggers and are looking to expand their fleet in the future.

Started by Tom and Mel Sweeney, Sweeney Hire is mainly 80 per cent dry hire, with jobs ranging from small DIY jobs, to larger jobs on bigger sites like petrol stations and housing construction.

Tom Sweeney loved the first Kobelco unit so much he decided to keep going back to the brand.

““We’ve found them efficient and really reliable, every customer we’ve had has said how much they love using them,” he said.

“We try to put ourselves in our customers shoes and think what would they need out of a machine? The SK17 is great as it’s so compact and easy to manoeuvre,” Mel Sweeney said.

She added their favourite feature of the SK17 mini excavator is its zero-tail swing which allows them to get into tight spaces in backyards and smaller worksites.

“You don’t need a truck or large trailer to move the machine around which is great, and it can easily be driven up on stockpiles or larger mounds, making it versatile on those slightly larger worksites,” she said.

“We have a 80 per cent return rate on clients, and having reliable machinery definitely contributes to that.”

The Sweeneys credited local Kobelco dealer LiftRite for its quick and efficient service.

“We had an issue once with one of the machines and took it to the LiftRite guys to fix it,” Tom said.

“They only had it for two days and then it was back with us. That’s important when you’re running a small business as we can’t afford to have one of our machines down for a long period of time.”

Sweeney Hire has had a new machine added to its fleet every six months for the past year and a half with more to be added in the future.

“If it’s not blue, then it won’t do is the motto we’re going by, and it seems to be working,” Tom said.