After two-and-half years in business, Boreham’s Hire in Beerwah, Queensland, is going strong. Customer service is a big part of the business’ success, backed up by the company’s choice of machinery: Bobcat.
“Bobcat was the first machine I bought,” said the bright and happy Dean Boreham.
“When I was looking around all the brands were about the same price. But Bobcat, right from the start, was just so easy to deal with.”
Being easy to deal with is one of the trademarks of Boreham’s Hire, and, as far as Landscape Contractor could tell, a trademark of its owner and director as well.
“The whole reason I started doing dry hire was because I dealt with a couple of other companies and I felt uncomfortable hiring,” recounted Dean. “I felt like I wasn’t welcome. My whole business plan at Boreham’s Hire is to make people feel welcome. Probably 90 per cent of my work now is with regulars. They’re good customers who just keep coming back.”
Right from the get go
Currently running 11 Bobcats in a hardworking fleet doing mostly wet hire for landscaping, turf prep, retaining walls and pretty much any style of earthworks, Dean said it isn’t easy seeing new machines come back with a few scratches. But the reliability and durability of Bobcat product takes most of the worry out of hiring.
“The Bobcats are pretty hardy, so they can take a little hit here and there,” said Dean, his smile never fading. “I don’t get much damage really. I’m pretty lucky.
“The Bobcats are very simple, basic machines, so they’re easy to use, and they seem to last longer. A lot of guys that rock up who haven’t hired from me before will return and go, ‘Yep. I’m coming back again. That’s a great machine’.”
All good
Dean’s excavator fleet includes two 1.7 tonners, four two-tonners, a three-tonner, three MT100s and a T450.
Does he have a favourite? “Probably the two-tonners,” he said, before biting his lip and adding, “…the two-tonners and the three-tonner.
“I like all the machines, to be honest,” he admitted. “They’re all really good. But those diggers are just so versatile. The two-tonner is a 1.7 cab with longer tracks and longer arms, so it’s still a tight-access machine, but it’s got great reach compared to a 1.7-tonne. So, for productivity, you’ve got probably an extra metre or 1.2-metre reach. You’re moving the machine less and you can grab more at once.
“It’s the same with the three-tonner,” he continued. “It’s a long-arm three-tonner, so it’s got similar reach to some five-tonners in the same class.”
Solid ground
It seemed as though trying to narrow the favourites down to three was causing Dean some stress, so we quickly moved on and asked how the excavators held up in the tough world of plant hire.
The stress disappeared instantly.
“And any dramas I do have, Bobcat is very quick to fix, and the reason I like Bobcats is because the ram on the first boom, your main boom, is on top, not underneath. A lot of machines have a ram and a guard underneath. That makes it really easy for people who don’t know what they’re doing to hit them.
“But Bobcat machines are awesome and the staff are awesome. I wouldn’t change to any other brand.”
To see the Bobcat range, log on to bobcatofaustralia.com.au.