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Joe Allan spreads the load with custom-built Kubota

Drymen-based Joe Allan & Sons Plant Hire and Contracting is a specialist in low ground pressure operation, used to accessing remote power infrastructure across Scotland for utility provider SSE. With both wheeled and tracked machinery on the fleet, second generation managing director David Allan was looking for a specific crawler excavator to meet the Glasgow company’s exacting standards.

After consultation with local Kubota dealer HRN Tractors, the company has opted for a KX085-5 midi excavator with a two-piece boom, that provides the additional reach and digging capability that the firm requires. The machine is further enhanced, with the addition of an Engcon tilt-rotator.

However, it is below the slew ring that things become more bespoke. Mr Allan called on Stirling-based low ground pressure specialist JCC Group, to convert the Kubota to meet the company’s specific needs. With standard 450mm wide track pads, that can be taken to 600mm as an option on the KX085-5, the company was looking for lower ground pressure than the standard model could provide. JCC removed the track frames, widened the mountings on the X-frame and equipped each side with an additional two top rollers, to lift the track clear of the frames.  

This has allowed the company to fit a 900mm wide track pad, double the standard machine’s track width, resulting in greatly reduced ground pressure on softer terrain. JCC also lifted the slew ring turret by around 150mm, to provide additional ground clearance beneath the upper structure. Finally, the machine’s standard dozer blade has been seamlessly extended on each side, to match the new overall width of the tracks.

“The machine has been designed mainly for utilities and some private work,” said Mr Allan.

“But we have been picking up extra work already, as people know that we have the two-piece boom and the tilt-rotate hitch. It’s still easy to move the machine, especially in tight access, as it’s based on an eight-tonner, just with the wider track frames.”

David’s father Joe Allan started the company almost 50 years ago. With five full-time employees, the business now has nine machines in total, including another Kubota tracked model.

“We’ve known Andy (Wilson, Construction Sales Manager) and the team at HRN for years,” said Mr Allan. “Service and back-up is always better if you keep it local and we rely on the dealer to look after the Kubota machines. We can cover anywhere up to Perth and across Scotland, and HRN provides the back-up that we need to look after our customers.”

Weighing 8,392kg to 9,097kg, depending on specification, Kubota’s KX085-5 is offered with a monoboom that provides 7,330mm of forward reach, or a two-piece boom that increases that reach to 7,820mm. The machine is powered by a 46.5kW (63.2hp) Stage V turbo-diesel engine. It uses a two-pump load-sensing hydraulic system, providing smooth multi-function operation and the ability to operate the front attachment while tracking. Two auxiliary circuits are standard for attachment power and an electronically-controlled third line return is automatically activated when breaker mode is selected.

The company intends to keep the Kubota for three to four years and, though anyone can operate it, Mr Allan tends to take control of the widened KX085-5 himself for much of the time.

“I’m really pleased with the conversion,” he said. “It’s exactly what we needed to access our sites, no matter what the ground conditions.”