Many operators will know the pains of having old or unreliable gear that can be temperamental or always in need of a bit of pampering to keep running. Equipment like this can be frustrating and painful, adding hours of time to job completion.

Fortunately, Awakeri Drainage does not have this problem. Warren Senior has over 30 years with the business and is one of the companies longest serving employees. He knows how to get his work done efficiently and with minimal downtime so that his clients get the most value. He services Hawke’s Bay and his work mainly includes farmwork which he jovially admits he’s been doing for “too long.” His specialty is in providing drainage solutions requiring less irrigation that aim to improve crop production and animal health. But he also does other civil earthworks projects too. And he’s extremely clever - a thinker and a doer all in one.

Warren knows that maximising time on a job starts with having the right machine and attachments for the jobs at hand. Equipment that will enable him to operate at his best. For his earthworks jobs, Warren has settled on the 16T, Kobelco Blade Runner ED160. He clocked over 10,000 hours in the seat of one and loved it so much that he now has the -71 model. He feels it gives him a lot of flexibility and the confidence to work in different conditions. This includes a broad range of farm landscapes including steep hilly slopes that may be saturated from rainfall where great skill and care are required.

Speaking from one such slope, that he’s reforming, Warren says, “I like this machine because I can get the slopes back to a nice batter all in one swing of the boom. This particular machine has a six-way blade, so when cutting a new track, say on a steep incline, you can go through and push the excess off the track with a blade and then turn around and tidy it all up with a wide bucket as you go out. Sort of sweep the floor if you like, and I've added cleats on the digger which keeps me on the hill to prevent me from sliding.”

Safety is a top priority when working in treacherous conditions. There’s always the danger of hills slipping away, and Warren emphasises it’s important to read your ground and learn about the land you are working on so you can anticipate what it’s likely to do in response to your presence or actions. His understanding of a site and the relationships between an operator and their equipment is fine-tuned. Knowledge he’s accumulated from his decades of experience.

It's not just the site and excavator that Warren pays attention to, but also the gear on his excavator. After using competing tilts in the past, Warren has settled on Attach2’s Heli-Tilt. It’s his favourite piece of A2 equipment and he raves about its design and performance. “It’s just such a good product, so Attach2 is onto a win there straight away. It’s by far superior to other tilts I have used.”

“I can tell they’ve really thought about the design for operators on the ground like me,” he continues, “because it has a streamlined shape. Nothing sticks out, so there’s nothing to get snagged. This includes the piping which is all hidden away inside the unit.”

It allows Warren to elevate his work to higher levels. When he’s doing tree work, his hoses don’t get caught and he can position his excavator sideways rather than front on to batter banks by using the tilt functionality.

Warren has accumulated many attachments over the years and he likes that the A2 Heli-Tilt can pick them all up and change them over with ease. “You can flick them off and pick them up real quick, which is great because I never know what job will come up. I might suddenly have to put in a culvert, pull a post, or clean a dam out, and that Sure-Grip design keeps it easy, fast, and safe. The quick turnover offers me the flexibility I need to respond to my clients’ needs.”

“I don’t run an A2 Performance Package because I’ve already accumulated too many differently branded attachments over the years,” chuckles Warren, “but I would say A2 Attachments are probably the more ‘Rolls Royce’ ones that I have used, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone else.”

“Their after-sales support is also very good. I have had to use it in the past, but not often. Any problems they will come out to site promptly if required, fix it straight away, and get you back up and running. I’ve been really impressed and as I said, I wouldn’t hesitate to give their gear a go.”

Awakeri Drainage started in 1970 and has grown to around 25 staff. You can find out more about the company at www.awakeridrainage.co.nz.