Support package means groundworks company choose used machine with confidence

JC Plant Hire and Groundworks makes something of a habit of being among the first to place orders for Cat^® machines, having been one of the first in Wales to order a new Cat 428 backhoe loader in 1986 from Finning UK & Ireland – the world’s largest dealer of Cat machines.

Since the Welsh business began, they have always purchased new Cat machines from Finning, which have been put to work keeping Pembrokeshire’s roads in good condition for the local authority. But when the time came to trade up their current Cat 432 backhoe loader, owner Juan Cruz wanted to look at options for similar machines rather than something completely new – provided he could be confident in its reliability.

Iwan Jenkins, Territory Account Manager, Wales Region for Finning, has a longstanding relationship with the company having sold them several Cat machines over the last decade, including the one they wished to replace which was a 2013 plate and had clocked up 2,700 hours.

Iwan said: “As Juan is an owner/operator I know his machine is critical for him, and he was keen to find a model that matched the one he knew so well. He wanted to sell his existing machine privately, though he could have chosen to trade it in with us or asked for us to sell it on his behalf as our global network of Caterpillar dealers means we can often get the best price for their equipment.

“I began searching for a used but updated model of Juan’s existing machine and managed to source a 2018 model with just 1,000 hours on it which he sat in and loved.

“Alongside the low usage Juan also has a 12-month hydraulic and power track warranty as well as two new buckets, so buying used means he now has a cost-effective more sustainable solution but also with complete peace of mind about what he’s buying.”

The used Cat 432 backhoe loader was also supplied with telematics so JC Plant can access machine data on the machine’s location, fuel usage and proactive maintenance alerts so the expert engineering team at Finning can provide fast fixes and minimise downtime.

“We chose a Cat 432 F2 which I like because it has things like a larger cab size, there is an auto shut off on the revs and the new machine is a lot quieter than the old one. Reliability is the biggest factor when we choose our machines and we’ve found that is guaranteed with Cat equipment – even when buying used equipment, said JC Plant Hire owner operator Juan Cruz.

“My stepfather used to have two or three Cat machines because they are reliable, so when he retired, I bought his last one and I’ve had four new ones over the years. We’ve always had a good relationship with the Finning Cat sales team and Iwan is always very helpful – he’s always looked after me.

“With the 12-month warranty it also means if there are any issues with it, I can get those ironed out in that time as we’re working five days a week and the machine can be in use more than five hours a day. I’ve just turned 55 – so I think I’ll be traded in before this machine!”

The inventory of used Cat machines is continuously changing – to see the latest models available for sale across the UK head over to www.finning.com/usedequipment