Murphy adds 19 Kubota compact excavators: fleet mix insights for site engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Murphy Plant has purchased 19 Kubota KX085-5 compact excavators from dealer Shellplant to expand its medium-scale excavation fleet. The 8–9 tonne-class KX085-5 units are being deployed across multiple Murphy projects where a compact tail swing and higher digging capability are needed for general site works and services installation. Murphy reports rising internal demand for machines in this size class, signalling continued reliance on versatile compact excavators for constrained urban and infrastructure sites rather than larger, less manoeuvrable earthmoving plant.
Technical Brief
- Nineteen Kubota KX085-5 units were procured in a single batch from dealer Shellplant.
- Asset manager Phillip Collier confirms Kubota already forms a “significant” proportion of Murphy’s compact fleet.
- Machines are primarily tasked with excavation for general site works rather than specialist heavy earthmoving.
Our Take
Across our recent UK Infrastructure coverage, Kubota appears repeatedly as the preferred brand for hire and small contractors, with Champion Hire, John F Hunt Hire Centre and YES all making multi-unit excavator purchases, signalling strong aftermarket and resale confidence for Murphy Plant’s 19‑machine addition.
The specific choice of KX085‑5 compact excavators aligns Murphy Plant with other UK users deploying the same 8.5‑tonne class for waste, civils and farm-based work (e.g. Oxford Skip Hire and Park Cliffe Farm), suggesting Murphy is targeting a versatile ‘sweet spot’ size for mixed infrastructure and utilities projects.
Given that other UK buyers in our database are placing larger, mixed-model Kubota orders via different dealers (BTE Plant Sales, Boss Plant Sales, HRN Tractors), Shellplant’s role here underlines how regional dealer networks are carving out distinct customer bases rather than competing purely on national fleet deals.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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