It is powered by compliant Hino turbo-charged 7.68-litre engine, which is the same 186 kW engine in the higher 35-tonne operating class Kobelco. Bucket digging force is 209 kN and drawbar pull and swing torque are also designed to put it among the highest in class.

The Stage IV compliant engine makes full use of all our favourite acronyms – DOC, SCR and DPF to minimise DEF/AdBlue consumption.

The latest upper deck/cabin profile is also familiar from the SK350LC-10. Kobelco says it has provided easy access to the engine compartment for daily operator checks and scheduled servicing needs. However, the photos supplied give no indication of any fall prevention that we have come to expect on such machines.

Structurally, boom and arm design incorporate revised sections, reinforcement points and pin bosses. For exceptionally rocky ground there is the option of 600mm double-grouser shoes to the standard triple-grouser items.

Ease of transportation was also a key factor during the design process of the SK300LC-10. Although this machine has all the benefits of a 35-tonne category engine, including cabin and upper frame (excluding the counterweight), the lower carriage is designed for the 30-tonne category to make it easier to transport to site.

Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe product marketing manager Peter Stuijt says: “The SK300LC-10 is the first Kobelco excavator to be introduced into the strong and expanding 30-tonne class of the heavy excavator market and is in direct response to demand from our growing dealer network. The SK300LC-10’s ability to deliver work performance of a higher class of machinery with exceptional working efficiency and reduced operator costs is typical of Kobelco design, as are the highly regarded levels of reliability, operator comfort and Kobelco service. With the addition of transport manageability and optional grouser configuration, the SK300LC-10 is without doubt an outstanding excavator in its class and enhances our product line up of standard excavators.”