UK-based Q Crane & Plant Hire has ordered five new Kobelco crawler cranes - a CKE 1350-G2, two CKE 900-G2s and two CKE 1100-G2s. This will bring the total number of Kobelco cranes in the Manchester-based company's fleet to 32.

The 135 tonne capacity CKE 1350-G2 and the 110 tonne CKE 1100-G2s have been specified with a 61 metre main boom while the CKE 900-G2s - which have a maximum lifting capacity of 100 tonnes at 3.6 metres or 90 tonnes at 3.9 metres - will be equipped with a 57.9 metre main boom and an 18.3 metre fixed jib.

All five cranes are fitted with Kobelco’s KCross remote operation management system which helps to maximise machine efficiency and uptime and Kobelco’s new Stage IV/Tier 4 Final engine. 

Anthony Quinn, managing director at Q Crane said: “Regulations around emissions are becoming ever more important. We’ve seen a big push by clients who are looking to win work - particularly those working in urban environments and large-scale infrastructure projects like Crossrail or Hinkley Point C - to move towards using the latest, cleanest machines. Having these new machines in our fleet should therefore give us an advantage when it comes to competing for these jobs. KCross allows us to see what the machine has been doing, wherever it is working in the UK, which means we can be ahead of the curve on maintenance requirements.”

The company bought its first Kobelco crawler crane in 1999 and has been adding them to its fleet ever since. “In any fleet what is tried and tested will always find favour. Our engineers find the machines easy to work with and we know they are reliable. They are also easy to transport and assemble.”

“What’s also excellent is the back-up we receive from Mark and the service engineers in the UK. While we handle everyday maintenance and service, Kobelco’s after-sales team are available to support us and carry out any work we can’t do at a moment’s notice.”

Kobelco Cranes Europe’s sales & operations manager Mark Evans added: “Q Crane and Plant Hire are a long-standing and much valued customer of Kobelco here in the UK, with an excellent reputation for performance across the industry.”