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Kubota mini-excavators are hot property

Coronavirus has hit the UK’s construction sector hard. The Office for National Statistics reported a record 35% drop in activity in the second quarter of 2020. As lockdown has begun to ease, however, and pubs have started to re-open, UK builders are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In July, the sector saw the strongest rebound in activity in almost five years. This is excellent news for companies such as L Lynch Plant Hire, which supplies operated, self-drive and contract hire to the construction industry.

Headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, the company has an expansive fleet of modern plant and equipment for civil engineering, rail engineering, public utilities, groundworks, demolition and highways maintenance projects. Despite some of its other areas of business going quiet, its highways work continued to be busy. Throughout lockdown, road-building activity was identified as critical for the future of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The lockdown’s emptier roads provided an opportunity to fast track existing road building projects.

When asked about the type of machines it supplies its customers with for these types of projects, Chris Gill, Director at Lynch commented, “we have been using Kubota’s machines for well over 10 years. Across Kubota’s 8-tonne, 5-tonne and 3-tonne range, there is something for everyone”.

Over the last few years, Lynch has worked with Highways England to supply machines for some of its latest smart motorway projects. These projects have included work on the M23 from Hooley in Surrey to Brighton on the south coast, and the redevelopment of the M23 the M4, the M26 and the A41. For the recent smart motorway building projects, it was estimated that 90% of the machines hired for the jobs were from Kubota’s 5-tonne range, one model being the Stage 5 emissions-compliant KX060-5. Read more about this model here.

Chris commented, “Kubota’s machines are very reliable and their compact design allows for excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces, which is a priority for our customers. The sustainability of the machines is also particularly important for these types of projects.”

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