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Company Wrench recently expanded its demolition product line after building a 125-foot high reach excavator. The unit was built at Company Wrench’s Carroll, Ohio headquarters and features a three-piece boom specially made for a Kobelco SK850 carrier. “When we were building the front, we tried to maintain mostly Kobelco components for easier parts sourcing,” Company Wrench’s High Reach Specialist Ben Dowdy said. “The mid link cylinder is actually the original SK850 Kobelco arm cylinder, and the third member cylinder is the original SK850 bucket cylinder. If the cylinders get damaged or need service, conventional Kobelco parts can be obtained to complete the repairs.”Company Wrench designed this machine with features to address a few common issues customers face when renting a high reach excavator. Easy Transportation and SetupThe 125-foot high reach excavator was engineered to save time and money during transportation and setup. One example of this is the modular joint, which allows operators to attach the high reach front directly from the shipping truck. Hydraulic pins and quick couplers on all the hose connections also makes attaching the front quick and simple. In addition to fast assembly, the three-piece boom fits on one delivery truck, reducing shipping costs.Wide Working Ranges and Increased Tool CapacityThe 125-foot high reach excavator offers a tool capacity of 5,500 pounds at maximum height, and its versatile working ranges allow it to operate as low as 30 feet. Company Wrench understands operators may not always require the height of the three-piece boom. That is why it engineered an excavator boom tip, which sets the SK850 back to near-factory working ranges and tool capacity specifications. The boom tip can also be fitted with an additional straight boom for an operating height of up to 57 feet with a tool capacity of 20,000 pounds. Check out a video of the machine here.Safety Features and Training OpportunitiesThe 125-foot high reach excavator features a dust suppression system that sprays water from the excavator’s stick tip to suppress dust directly at its point of origin. Operators can turn the nozzle on and off with a switch inside the cab. The cab also has an external steel demo guard for added protection as well as a 45° tilt system and top wiper to increase the operator’s field of view. The controls are similar to a conventional excavator, reducing the learning curve for new operators. The tool tilt rod is protected by a shield that extends and retracts with the cylinder for reduced exposure to damage.Company Wrench provides hands-on training for operators on-site with Dowdy, who has more than a decade of experience operating and servicing high reach excavators. “After the machine is setup, I can stay onsite to go over safe operation and how to properly use the machine,” Dowdy said. “I’ll show the operator the machine’s limitations, how it reacts to certain situations, and safe operating techniques. Then we’ll let the operator enter the cab and get a feel for the machine.”Contact Company Wrench by calling 866-262-3983 or emailing customerservice@companywrench.com for more information about renting or purchasing the 125-foot high reach excavator. For additional machine specifications, click here.This story also appears in Construction Equipment Guide. Read More

Maintenance is the largest hidden cost associated with owning heavy equipment. Customers’ operating expenses are always rising due to increased parts prices and service rates. However, some equipment dealers offer a solution in the form of heavy equipment maintenance plans, which provide customers with discounted OEM parts, labor, and travel at a fixed rate over the duration of the plan. In addition to controlling operating costs, maintenance plans offer a number of other benefits.Warranty ComplianceNearly all heavy equipment comes with a manufacturer’s warranty. The manufacturer’s warranty can be limited in scope because it only covers certain components for an initial period of time (i.e. 2 years or 2,000 hours). Customers must follow the manufacturer’s operation and maintenance guidelines or their warranty may be voided, leaving them with large repair bills that may have otherwise been covered.The right heavy equipment maintenance plan helps customers stay warranty compliant by ensuring factory-certified technicians service their machine at manufacturer-recommended intervals with OEM parts. This also helps minimize the need to file a warranty claim because many of these issues could be addressed before they become significant problems.Increased Uptime and Longer Equipment LifespanHeavy equipment maintenance programs detect problems before they result in significant damage. Company Wrench offers a 53-point inspection during every service, which gives customers a detailed report on the status of their equipment. This allows customers to ask questions about potential repairs and best operating practices. In addition to informing customers about immediate repairs, maintenance plans also allow customers to have a forecast of potential future repairs and plan accordingly.Higher Resale ValueCustomers can expect higher resale value on their equipment if they invest in a maintenance plan. In most situations, the equipment will be in better condition compared to a machine that was not regularly serviced. Furthermore, customers can provide any prospective buyers with thorough documentation about the machine’s maintenance history.“We believe that if we perform regularly scheduled maintenance on a customer’s machine, we can guarantee them additional trade value,” Company Wrench Product Support Sales Manager Drew Martin said. “Our maintenance plans include detailed notes from manufacturer-certified technicians who can explain the service performed on your equipment at key points of its lifespan. This helps customers have a better idea of their machine’s health, expected lifespan, and when it may need to be replaced.”Company Wrench Maintenance PlansCompany Wrench offers three different maintenance programs: Preventative Maintenance (PM), Wrench Care, and Total Maintenance & Repair (TMR).PM: Customers who choose the PM plan will enjoy the benefits of a 53-point inspection during every service, as well as discounted OEM parts, labor, and travel at a fixed rate over the duration of the plan. This maintenance program allows customers to save costs associated with preventative maintenance services and identifies potential component failures before they become large repair bills.Wrench Care: This plan offers a more cost-effective alternative for customers who want the same great benefits as the PM plan on a smaller machine. Wrench Care covers the first 24 months or up to 1,000 hours of preventative maintenance on qualifying new Kobelco and JCB machines purchased from Company Wrench.TMR: This plan covers most wear items on the machine, and it gives customers protection against both minor and major component failures after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. This plan is designed for customers who want a full-service maintenance plan with 100% fixed maintenance costs. Building a Maintenance PlanCustomers can customize a Company Wrench maintenance plan to control costs associated with parts, labor, and travel, resulting in large savings.“We give customers a lot of freedom when creating their maintenance plan,” Martin said. “We start by asking customers for their equipment’s estimated annual operating hours. This allows us to communicate when they can expect key service points in their machine’s lifespan. From there, we can talk about the type of coverage they want and the savings they will see from locked in parts pricing, discounted labor rates, and reduced travel charges for the life of the contract.”Contact Company Wrench for a free consultation where we can analyze your maintenance bills and compare them to the savings you could receive with a tailor-made maintenance plan. Request More Information About Our Plans See What Our Customers Have to Say Read More