The various capabilities of Digger King’s nine-tonne excavator has made it the machine of choice for a Victorian farmer
When Victorian farmer Freddie Haintz was looking to purchase an excavator for his farm in Ballarat, he was initially set on buying from the second-hand market.
However, unimpressed with the price of used options for sale, he decided to instead invest in a new excavator to help with maintenance work around his property.
Needing something in the 8 to 10-tonne size range, he also wanted a machine with a Yanmar engine, having had good experiences with this engine previously.
After researching online for new cost-effective excavators, Haintz landed on Australian earthmoving machinery manufacturer Digger King.
The OEM perfectly captured what he had in mind with its nine-tonne excavator, powered by a four- cylinder 70hp (52.2kW) Yanmar engine.
“I wanted something reliable, with a good Yanmar engine and hydraulics, because I didn’t want to have problems with the machine on the farm,” Haintz says.
“The price of Digger King’s machine was what I would be paying for a second-hand excavator, so it was much better value.”
First impressions
Before purchasing the machine, Haintz wanted to see the excavator in the flesh and have a walkthrough.
With Digger King based in South Murwillumbah, northern New South Wales, Haintz wasted no time driving up the coast to meet the OEM’s team. After sitting inside the cabin and getting familiar with the controls, he knew this excavator was the machine he was looking for.
“I was really impressed, you could tell that it was a quality machine just from looking at the engine,” he says.
“I opened up the back and it was so easy to access all the components for servicing – that was important for me.”
Making his mind up on the spot and purchasing the machine, Haintz had it delivered straight to his farm.
“The machine arrived right down to the minute when I was told it would turn up,” Haintz says.
“I didn’t have to sit and wait around for half a day, so that was really appreciated.”
Farm maintenance
Since using the machine on his farm, Haintz has been very impressed with its capabilities across a variety of tasks.
The excavator has mainly been used for general maintenance, including tidying up dams and cleaning up trees around the property.
At nine tonnes, with a height and width of 2.64m and 2.15m respectively, Haintz says the excavator is the perfect size for his requirements.
“It’s small enough to get into the tight places we want to get, but also big enough to do the jobs that we want the machine to do,” he says.
Haintz’s farm is currently dealing with an overabundance of rabbits, but thanks to Digger King’s machine, he has been able to dig out their burrows and eradicate them.
“We’ve just got a haven of rabbits, but the excavator has been doing an absolute splendid job of digging in a difficult area to reach,” he says.
Digger King sells the machine as standard with a comprehensive bucket selection, including a 400mm and 800mm trencher, as well as a 1.5m mud bucket.
A ripper and 360-degree rotating hydraulic grab are also included, as well as a hydraulic quick hitch – making it easy to swap out attachments to suit the desired task. Long working days are made much more comfortable thanks to the machine’s enclosed cabin, coming with reverse-cycle air-conditioner.
Haintz has been particularly thrilled with the 1.5-tonne load capacity and how the hydraulic grab has performed when lifting trees.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well it is doing,” he says.
“I’m absolutely over the moon with this excavator, it’s unbelievable.”
Building fence lines has been another task that the excavator has thrived in, with Haintz wondering how he ever did the job without it.
“I’m very impressed with what it can do and its digging power – it hasn’t missed a beat and I’m very happy with it,” Haintz says.
“It’s got everything I need; the air conditioning is good, and the controls are all a breeze to navigate. As far as tidying up around the farm, this machine is exactly what we’ve wanted.”
Super support
Haintz is just one of many Digger King customers using its machinery on rural properties, with the business seeing particular heavy interest in the nine-tonne excavator for farm work.
Digger King machinery is backed by a 12-month parts and labour warranty, as well as a full three-year warranty from the purchase date, providing peace of mind for Haintz and other customers.
Haintz’s purchase was made as smooth as possible by the friendly Digger King staff, who tailored the machine exactly to his needs.
For example, not needing the 1.5m mud bucket for his farm work, Haintz requested it be swapped out for a 1.2m hydraulic tilt bucket.
This was not a problem for Digger King, which was happy to provide the attachment, and Haintz says it has proved to be very handy on his farm.
“It’s been a pleasure dealing with Digger King,” he says.
“We’ve gotten everything we’ve asked for and it’s been nothing but smooth sailing.”
For more information on the Digger King’s nine-tonne excavator, visit diggerking.com.au or call 1300 676 996.