Aylesbury builder Phillip Gollins has expanded his rapidly growing rental fleet beyond the 100-machine mark with the purchase of a 14.6-tonne Kubota U145 crawler excavator. But while the orange livery and the badge on the boom says Kubota, industry observers will recognise the truth that lies beneath the paintwork.聽
Through a strategic OEM agreement with Sumitomo Construction Machinery agreed in 2025, Kubota has expanded its European lineup into the 14-tonne class, bringing a proven Sumitomo platform straight into the Kubota stable.
For Gollins, who has operated as a general builder and construction specialist for more than 30 years, this machine represents a tailored addition to a very specific business model. Alongside his construction arm, he runs a successful plant hire division that operates differently from traditional rental setups. Rather than opening multiple depots or running a standalone retail brand, much of his business stems from cross-hire contracts with other plant firms. Supplying equipment on a self-drive basis, his 100-plus machine inventory includes over 60 excavators from 1 to 13 tonnes, alongside site dumpers, telehandlers, compressors, and mobile crushers.
The U145 fits right into that operational groove. Replacing an older competitor model on an extended Southern Utilities contract in Hertfordshire, the short-tailswing machine handles heavy sorting and recycling duty. At a regional storage facility where up to 15 road teams drop off excavated soil, concrete, and asphalt, the unit works with an Allu hydraulic riddling bucket to separate loose fines. The operator then switches to a standard bucket to feed the larger debris into a mobile crusher, turning site waste into usable fill material.聽
Gollins specified the machine with a monoboom variant complete with a front dozer blade, which serves a dual purpose: levelling stockpiles and anchoring the machine when loading heavy crushed stone into trucks.
Underneath the bonnet, the Sumitomo-manufactured chassis houses a 78.5kW (106.7hp) Stage V diesel engine. Hydraulic efficiency is managed through three distinct working modes, an Auto setting featuring six fine-tuning levels, Power Save Control to dial down pump flow at idle, and Spool Stroke Control to regulate hydraulic pressure under load.
Though the machine owes its mechanical origins to Sumitomo, the core factors that secured the sale belong entirely to Kubota and its network. Supplied by long-standing local dealer Shellplant, the U145 joins a fleet dominated by the Kubota brand.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a brilliant brand and the back-up from Shellplant is excellent,鈥� noted Mr Gollins. 鈥淭he residuals are always good with a Kubota and everyone loves the machines, they are no trouble.鈥�
Site feedback on the new addition has been equally solid. Gollins points out practical design touches such as the cab door folding neatly within the swing radius to prevent site damage, standard audible tracking alarms, and smooth proportional thumb controls on the joysticks. Whilst an AdBlue gauge on the dash would be a welcome standard addition, the spacious cab environment and hydraulic feedback have earned top marks from the operator.
鈥淪hellplant is a first-class company, they are a pleasure to deal with, their knowledge and customer service, which always comes first with them,鈥� Phillip Collins concludes. 鈥淎lso, the new machine is carrying the Kubota badge, so it fits in with the rest of our fleet.鈥�
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