Kobelco first for Empire Cranes

By Cranes & Lifting

Empire Cranes has expanded its fleet with the addition of its first Kobelco lattice boom crawler – the 130-tonne capacity CKS1350 – marking another step in the company’s continuous growth trajectory. Empire Cranes owners and directors, Jarrod Belsey and Jared McDonald explain more.

Director Jarrod Belsey said demand from major projects across the country has been the primary driver behind the expansion.

“We’ve experienced significant growth over the past few years. With the new Kobelco and a number of other potential acquisitions – including a 220-tonne all terrain and a 60-tonne unit–we’ll soon have 30 cranes in the fleet, with further major purchases planned in 2026.

“As a dry-hire business, we respond directly to the needs of our customers. We listen to what they require for specific projects and invest accordingly. We have active cranes all over Australia, most in New South Wales and Victoria on major projects, and we are exploring options to expand into South Australia, Queensland and out west; Our 220-tonne crawler is currently working on a wind farm in Western Australia,” he said.

Empire Cranes chose the Kobelco CKS 1350, specifically for the project. Image: Empire Cranes.

“Long-term projects are always our preference, but in reality it is a mix of short- and long-term work. Once a project concludes, we look to redeploy the cranes quickly. Maintaining high asset utilisation is critical to our business model.”

Fellow Director Jared McDonald said crawler cranes have increasingly become a focal point for the company over the past three to four years.

“Crawler cranes have become highly sought after across a range of projects. We’ve invested accordingly, and the new Kobelco reflects that shift in the market,” he said.

“We chose the Kobelco CKS 1350, specifically for this project. It’s also a great crane to add to our fleet mix, it’s a versatile machine, which can be upgraded to 150-tonne capacity with the right modifications through Kobelco. The project team we worked closely with specifically requested cranes with capacities between 135 to 150 tonne. Following detailed conversations with TRT’s Troy Hand, Kobelco emerged as the ideal option for us. It is also the first of hopefully many more Kobelco cranes into our fleet,” says Jared

He said the brand’s reputation for reliability and engineering excellence was a decisive factor.

“Kobelco is an extremely well regarded and respected brand in Australia and around the world for that matter. It’s a trusted Japanese brand with strong credentials in design, engineering and manufacturing. Coupled with Troy’s exceptional product knowledge, we are given high level of confidence and trust in his recommendations. Availability and competitive pricing –particularly with the current exchange rate – also aligned with our needs”

The Kobelco CKS1350 has been operating on the Sydney Metro project since 1 July 2025 and is expected to remain on site until October 2026. Initially deployed for kibble work, the crane will transition to formwork, concrete operations and, later, station fit-out duties. Operating seven days a week on 11-hour shifts, it has already surpassed 700 operating hours.

The Kobelco CKS1350 features a maximum lifting capacity of 150 tonne at 4.4 metres and 36 tonne at 12 metres with luffing jib. There are several other configurations available including maximum luffing boom length of 47.9m, maximum long boom length of 82.3m, maximum fixed jib combination 61m +30.5m and maximum luffing jib combination 47.9 + 32m and 44.8m +53.3m.

The upper structure is torsion-free precision-machined with all components located clearly and in service friendly positions. The Hino P11C engine provides plenty of power with low noise level. The boom hoisting system is powered by a hydraulic motor through a planetary reducer. A spring-set hydraulically-released multiple-disc brake is mounted on the boom hoist motor and operated through a counter-balance valve. The lower structure features independent hydraulic propel drives built into each crawler side frame. Each drive consists of a hydraulic motor propelling a driving tumbler through a planetary gear box.

As a dry-hire business, Empire Cranes responds directly to the needs of customers, listen to what they require for specific projects and invest accordingly. Image: Empire Cranes.

Hydraulic motor and gear box are built into the crawler side frame within the shoe width. Crawler brakes are spring-set, with hydraulically-released parking brakes built into each propel drive. The steering mechanism features a hydraulic propel system which provides both skid steering (driving one track only) and counter-rotating steering (driving each track in opposite directions). Track rollers are sealed for maintenance-free operation.

The cab and controls are totally enclosed within a full vision cab with safety glass, fully adjustable, high-backed seat with a headrest and armrests, and intermittent wiper and window washer (skylight and front window).

“The operator centric design not only make these cranes more comfortable and easier to operate, it also provides better safety outcomes. And, for our more environmentally conscious operators, Kobelco has made huge environmental considerations in the design, this is evident with the new ‘G Mode technology’,” Jarrod said.

G Mode is a recent innovation from Kobelco and available across the CKE range. It’s an energy and fuel saving system that allows tangible returns through the life of the crane, including reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in three key areas of operation – the winch, engine and the new auto idle stop function – all managed by the operator.

“The ‘G Engine’ function includes a clean diesel system, a low emission engine and particulate filter. Not only does it reduce CO2 emissions and nitrogen oxide (NOx), it also shows reduced fuel consumption by as much as 25 per cent. Not to mention the quieter function reduces the noise pollution on site too.”

The ‘G-Winch’ is designed to maintain high speed lifting and lowering without increasing the engine RPM’s, again contributing to overall fuel use reductions.

“Kobelco was the first in the industry to introduce an Auto Idle Stop or AIS. This also reduces fuel consumption as it promotes engine shut off automatically when the machine is idle. But it has also added a manual stop without the need to turn the key, handy when you are waiting for the next lift, trailer or breaking down the machine.

“The crane has performed exceptionally well. It hasn’t missed a beat, and the reliability we were promised has been evident from day one,” Jarrod said.

In parallel with its fleet expansion, Empire Cranes has also developed its internal service and maintenance capability through Empire Service, established 12-months ago.

“As the fleet grows, ensuring timely and quality maintenance becomes increasingly important,” Jared said. “We brought in a highly experienced technician with decades of industry experience, including time with major manufacturers. His knowledge has been invaluable to our small team.

“Empire Service provides us with more control over the repairs and maintenance but given the size and geographical location of the fleet, we will continue to utilise the services of our crane subcontractors, both in Victoria and New South Wales.”

Looking ahead, Jarrod said the business will continue to invest in new cranes to support long-term customer requirements.

“The addition of the new Kobelco further confirms our commitment to modernising the fleet and ensuring we can meet the expectations of both existing and new customers,” he said.

“When clients identify long-term project needs, we’re prepared to go straight to market and purchase new cranes necessary to support them.”

If you’d like to discuss TRT’s heavy lifting or haulage solutions, email jeremyc@trt.co.nz