7 minute read
OWNER-OPERATOR
TRADING UP
Nick Drew reports on a young businessman and his latest excavator, a Case CX130D equipped with a Steelwrist tilt-rotator
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here cannot be many who have
Towned a large variety of construction machines by their mid-20s. However, Alex Sillifant (26) has done just that and is continuing to expand his AMS Plant & Agri business, based in the village of Egloskerry, east Cornwall.
By the time he was 19, Alex already had considerable machinery experience. From an early age he accompanied his father to work on Saturdays. He runs a haulage business specialising in muck away, aggregates and bedding sand for local farmers. More often than not, they had to load themselves, with whatever equipment was available. Over the years, Alex became extremely proficient at loading with a range of machines.
He then undertook a two-year course on construction machinery at Duchy College. It also provided him with the necessary CPCS tickets to operate on construction sites, a sector of the industry he has managed to avoid over the years. While attending college, he also worked for his uncle, spreading lime and sea sand on to fields. He continued to do this after leaving college and went on to work for local agricultural contractors.
FLEET FOCUS
Aged 19, Alex was ready to purchase his first machine, initially looking at eight-tonne ‘swing shovels’, as 360-degree tracked excavators are affectionately known in the West Country. However, Alex’s father suggested that he would be better buying a backhoe loader, so he could flit from job to job under his own steam, without the need for transport. Alex was also inspired by a local backhoe legend, owner-operator Johnny Littlejohns, who was something of a mentor to him in the early stages of his operating career.
Alex said, “He was one of the only guys around Egloskerry and Launceston with a backhoe loader and was, without a doubt, one of the best around. He is semi-retired now, but still takes some beating.”
Figuring out that there is always work on local farms for a wheeled digger, seven years ago Alex bought his first machine, a used Volvo BL71 Plus backhoe loader. As the workload increased, he purchased a Fendt tractor and dump trailer to work in conjunction with the backhoe.
Always looking for different ways to expand his business, Alex then considered adding a tracked loading shovel to his fleet. However,
Above and below: This Case CX130D is equipped with a Steelwrist X18 tilt-rotator. On this job it carries an Intermercato grab, which is used in conjunction with one of their tree-shear attachments.
after a deal fell through, he reconsidered his options, coming to the conclusion that the time was right for a swing shovel, which would be a lot more versatile in the long run. It led to the purchase of a Komatsu PC130-8 tracked excavator, followed by a couple of Volvo EC140Bs, together with a Kato 1.7-tonne mini-excavator. Alex says that the Kato is a cracking little machine; he was sad to see that they only had a short time in the UK market.
After the last Volvo excavator, Alex decided to go for something a bit different, purchasing a two-year-old Hidromek HMK102S backhoe loader. He explained, “It was OK, but it did suffer from some leaks and in reality the dealer was too far away. I did like the digger, the only reason I sold that one was because a Case 590ST became available, which was five years old, but incredibly had only done 450 hours. I bought that backhoe, which made a lot of sense really, as our local dealer M&M Plant Sales is right on my doorstep.
“I later replaced it with a New Holland, before coming full circle and purchasing another Volvo BL71 Plus, on a 10 plate, which is still with us to this day.”
CASE SWING SHOVELS
There is plenty of light-hearted comment in the local plant community about Alex’s ‘revolving door’ policy when it comes to machine selection. He clearly can’t resist a good buy, but if he can make a bit of money and trade up along the way, so much the better. More recently, Case have become Alex’s favourite excavators, having purchased and sold on a couple of CX130C models, before acquiring his current CX130D model.
Eagle-eyed readers may recognise this excavator as having been owned from new by another local plant man, Olly Swiggs, who we featured in the June 2019 issue of Earthmovers. Olly’s business model had changed; he was venturing into the world of tracked loaders and eventually dozers, so the excavator had become somewhat surplus to requirements.
This CX130D was seen as an ideal addition to the AMS fleet, Alex took delivery of it in February this year with just 2300 hours on the clock. He has since put just over 1000 hours on it and said, “Olly’s contract with this machine was ending, so it was an ideal opportunity for me, as I needed to get through more work in a shorter time.” Alex reports that the Sumitomo-built Case CX130D has been absolutely bomb proof since he bought it. With the dealer support just up the road for filters and service, it just works for him and his business.
As the vast majority of the work for his excavators is agriculture-related, a Steelwrist X18 tilt-rotator – an exdemonstration model – was fitted, as Alex explained: “The combination with the tilt-rotator and attachments enables me to do so much more work on my own. That is increasingly important, as it’s becoming so hard to find operators these days.”
Above, left, inset below and above right: This well-known Case CX130D was acquired in February 2022 with just 2300 hours on the clock. It hasn’t missed a beat as Alex has put another 1000 hours on it.
SITE VISIT
We recently met Alex on a mammoth hedging job a St Tudy in Cornwall, where his Intermercato grab and tree shear were being put to good use on the tilt-rotator. The landowner had received a stewardship grant to lay the hedgerows, which had been left to grow for the past 25 years. This involved Alex shearing a 4km stretch of trees, some of which had grown to over 30 feet tall.
Hedge-laying, where partially-cut woody stems are folded over, is a traditional way to form stock-proof field boundaries. On this job, a significant volume of large timber was removed from the hedgerow, which will be chipped on the farm for use in their bio burner, so nothing leaves the site.
Alex already has a further 8km of this work in the pipeline, which must be finished by 31 March 2023. He has just added a used, but tidy Case CX130B excavator to his fleet to help with this huge task, if he can find another operator.
Most of Alex’s work is for local large-scale farmers, many of whom are more than just customers, but also life-long friends, which results in enjoyable work and returning custom year in and year out. By his very nature, Alex is not one to blow his own trumpet, but he certainly puts the effort in, often working over 70 hours per week.
It was inspiring to see Alex at work in what is his natural habitat. He concluded, “I love the work, as I am generally left alone to get on with the job. If I’m honest, I really don’t think mainstream construction site work would suit me at all.”
