Midway Hire Centres switches to Kubota mini excavators to prevent machines theft
(14/11/2008)

After having three mini excavators stolen, Midway Hire Centres has switched to Kubota machines because of the manufacturer's unique key-based 'ANTI-THEFT' system which is included as standard equipment.

General Manager, Glenn Brown, said: "We have had one Takeuchi and two Volvo machines stolen and none were ever recovered. After suffering at the hands of thieves we decided to take some positive action to prevent it happening again, and have been very impressed by Kubota’s key-based security system."

The purchase of the four Kubota minis, two 1.5 tonne KX36-3 and two 850kg K008-3 models, is the first step towards expanding and replacing the company's existing offering of minis with an all-Kubota fleet.

The 'ANTI-THEFT' system, which has been enthusiastically welcomed by plant hire companies and end-users alike, has consistently proved its worth by foiling numerous attempts to steal Kubota machines since its introduction in 2005. It was the first and still is the only security system of its kind fitted as standard equipment by a mini excavator manufacturer.

The simple, easy-to-use system is based on an individually programmed key for each machine that replaces the traditional universal starter key. Without it, the machine's fuel, hydraulic and electric systems are totally immobilised and any attempt to start the machine with an un-programmed key activates an alarm.

Midway Hire Centres has depots in Evesham, Solihull and Knowle, covering the South Midlands and the Cotswolds.

Its Kubota machines were supplied by authorised Kubota Construction Equipment dealer for Birmingham, Shropshire, Warwickshire & Worcestershire, Avon Equipment Sales of Stratford-on-Avon.

"Their reputation as dealers who offer a high level of support and expertise when needed was also a strong influence in our decision to buy Kubota, as were the machines' quality, performance, reliability and excellent residual values," said Glenn Brown. "Despite the credit crunch our business has increased by almost 20% this financial year and the demand for mini excavators is at an all-time high. Our core business is the smaller building company and self-employed tradesmen, who fortunately are still busy due to people improving their homes instead of moving."

Customer can select from 19 base models spanning the weight range from 850kg up to 8 tonnes and including the largest selection of increasingly popular zero tail swing machines – all featuring Kubota's unique E-TVCS (Three Vortex Combustion System) engines, which enable high energy output, low vibration and fuel consumption, whilst minimising exhaust emissions.

Kubota has also announced that all their new machines will now carry a full 3 year warranty as standard. The new 3 year (3,000 hours) warranty applies to all models across the entire Kubota range. Typically most other manufacturers currently offer a maximum 2 year standard warranty period.