engcon is a game-changer for Stonemasters Qld

Residential construction on the sloping hill sides calls for cutting out for concrete house pads, stabilisation of areas and building terraces to support swimming pools and car parking.

Owner Jordan Raison has been operating Stonemasters Queensland for thirteen years. The business specialises in the construction of stone structures and retaining walls to meet the needs of builders and residential properties.

“We specialise in building retaining walls that blend seamlessly into the landscape, using cut sandstone, rocks and stone boulders. Beyond retaining walls, we also perform general earthworks, erosion control and drainage solutions,” said Jordan.

A need for precision

“We had originally been using a hydraulic grab attachment on a fixed hitch to assist us with stone placement. This worked and you become good at what you know, however we faced limitations when undertaking more complicated projects where precision stone placement was needed. Rather than scaling the company, customer demand drove me to look for a more efficient solution to help deliver greater outcomes. “Scrolling the socials, i had forever been enamoured by operators showcasing their skills on tiltrotators. Determined and convinced i could adapt this to suit my niche, I went ahead with acquiring my first engcon system.

An ideal solution

“Although the learning curve was steep, my first experience with the tiltrotator was game changing. I could see with a little time behind the sticks, the effortless precision in maneuverability delivered by the engcon system was a huge leap ahead of what we were used to.

Our scope of works calls for the 5-15 tonne range of diggers to handle our everyday tasks, running engcon units on both our 8-tonne next gen 308 and 315 Cats with full EC-oil setup. Switching from bucket to grab countless times a day is now effortless, and the time saving is great.

Primary attachments are the engcon batter bucket, stone/sorting grab and grading beam that lets us grade large areas quickly and efficiently. We also run a full suite of engcon tools in our inventory to ensure we are fully equipped for tackling any job that is requested. The engcon tiltrotator system lets us complete complex stone works with increased efficiency and less headaches. Previously, this work took a lot more thought, effort and time. Since adopting the engcon system, we approach tasks in a totally different manner, which has been a great leap forward in how we operate.

Less excavator movement and repositioning

“For example, we don't have be as strategic with where we position the machine, from one central location we can perform most tasks without repositioning. The operator can remain in the machine and change tools as needed in just seconds. This is particularly useful on some very steep and challenging sites where typically you only have one option or position where the machine can be. This means we don’t need to create any extra working space or spend any time tracking to materials or tools that we don’t need, allowing us to focus on the task at hand.

Tough and resilient under load

Handling and manoeuvring, cutting and shaping in stone is tough on the machines.“We’ve put these units through their paces. Considering the punishment that we subject these tiltrotators to, day in and day out, we have had extraordinarily little downtime and few issues over the 7,000 hours between the two units. For the tech and parts that make up these units, they have been reliable and tough. Overall, we can't fault their performance. When we’re in a pinch and need parts or assistance, after sales support has been flawless and availability of parts has never been an issue.” Jordan added.

Retaining walls on a steep site

Stonemasters is working on a large bespoke residential project involving creating and shaping terraces on the side of a hill by building a series of retaining walls using sandstone blocks incorporating all challenging aspects of excavation, access and drainage in tandem. The Gold Coast project involves moving and placing thousands of heavy sandstone blocks, each weighing 550-600 kilos each.

We’re pushing some boundaries with what machines of this weight class are able to achieve in the timeframes we promise, the time saving on each and every block laid significantly adds up over the duration of the job; we can spend more time fussing over the finer details to achieve the quality we strive to deliver.”

“On a job of this size, location and complexity, our older methods and machines simply wouldn’t keep up. The engcon tiltrotator has made a world of difference in tackling these kinds of projects.

Reliability and benefits

The engcon system has proven to be reliable, despite being used extensively in demanding conditions, which gives us great confidence in moving forward with the company. The tiltrotators are being pushed to their limits yet they have withstood the daily demands very well and continue to be super-productive and timesaving. “Going forward engcon’s tiltrotators will be a staple piece of equipment on every addition to the fleet, big or small.” “In fact, the tiltrotator is so completely integrated into our workflow, nowadays it’s difficult to imagine doing jobs without it. The engcon system has enabled us to take on a wider variety of tasks to be completed more quickly and conveniently, improving overall efficiency and our bottom line.” Jordan concluded.