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JCB Skid Steers

29K views 57 replies 11 participants last post by  jbailey52 
#1 ·
http://www.jcb.com/products/MachineOverview.aspx?RID=12

Has anyone any knowledge or experience with them??

JCB has been in the skid steer business for years (rubber tire and tracked). And they were at the Techo showcase in MD last week. I chated with the sales guys at length and I sat in one. I didnt start it up.

What I really like is the side door entrance (see link above)! That was nice, just like a crawl loader! Now, I'm not in full agreement of JCB's claim that the side door access is as safe as they promote. The side door access is very nice, but I'm not sold on the safety aspect that JCB is claiming.

JCB says their machine has the best visibility on the market, not so sure I'd completely agree. My old Gehl has awesome visibility. But JCB's visibility did seem to be rather good, much better than Cat & Takeuchi.

Like Deere, JCB uses their own engine in their skid steers. Cat, Bobcat, Gehl, and Takeuchi do not. JCB offers a 2 yr / 1000 hr warrantry, requiring NO oil samples, if it breaks they fix it, period.

I have no use for a brand new skid steer, so I'm not buying one. But I do like the concept of the JCB and I think I'll demo one for a couple days.

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#2 ·
Pros
- They are supposed to be bullet proof when it comes to the single arm, built like a tank.
(don't let single boom scare you, I've rented plenty of telehandlers that don't have issues)
- life time warranty on boom
- Good Visibility on left side, right side - not bad
- Can get in out with bucket up, against dump truck, etc...
- roomy cab
-cheap

however,
-you get more dirty climbing down over muddy, slippery tracks
-machine didn't feel as stable as I liked
-controls left a bit to be desired
-friends will probably laugh at you for driving one
-felt under powered for size
-rough ride compared to cat
 
#3 ·
As far as the single lift cylinder - alotta big cranes have only one cylinder. The boom on backhoes and excavators all work on one cylinder. Not to mention, that cylinder is of pretty good size diameter!



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#5 ·
I bought one 3 months ago and love it. Granted I haven't been able to really put it through its paces yet. I love the visibility compared to the new Hollands and bob cats we have used. My sales guy was great too, sold me a trailer and all the attachments I bought for his cost. Not that it matters but here is a picture of us moving 3000 bin blocks, moved the
With no problems

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#6 ·
Never tried one, I would like to. I have sat in one before but never operated one. Visability seamed to be very good. Also the new line of Volvo skidsteers and CTL's are JCB's just painted in volvo colors.
 
#8 ·
8000# is a reasonable weight for a tracked machine.

New holland has the worst visibility. It's obvious without ever sitting in one. New Holland is. Stated meant for farmers to clean the milking barns, and for nurseries to use, theyre not ideal for contractors.
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#9 ·
Now jbailey do you have the 1/2 doors so you don't roast in the summer? I'm not an a/c man, I think it's unfair to the rest of the crew.

Mind if I ask how much the machine cost?

And the sales guys are usually GREAT! They get 25% of the net. Which the net on equipment is usually 10-12% of the sale. Plus the get about $200 from the finance company and sometime about$200 from the manufacturer. So yeah, you made his week!

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#13 ·
JBC makes the skidsteers and CTL's for Volvo. They are the same machines. Maybe a few cosmetic differences but they are the same machine.
They come off the same assembly line, so they will be the same machines.

Just like New Holland used to make John Deeres skid steer back in the 80's.

Tak makes gehls ctl.
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#15 ·
Dvs im not sure what you mean by half doors... The front windshield removes pretty easily, but I dont see a need for that. Myself or whoever is using it can use all the A/C they want. Machine was about 39,000 or so.
LOL - ok, please pardon my Lingo, I'm a Diehard Jeeper. And with the Old CJ's we call a certain style of hard door - "1/2 doors"!

Somewhere on JCB's website they show a pic of a machine with an enclosed cab. All the glass, etc.

Then there is another pic of a machine with NO glass. It has a steel mesh door on it that looks like the 1/2 doors on the Jeeps.

Our CAT has an enclosed cab, but it's only to be used for moving snow. This is my personal preference (I'm not asking if anyone agrees with me or not), but I do not think it's right that I sit in the machine on a 103-degree day (which is very realistic here in MD) with the A/C blowing on me, while the guys are humping 486 pound wheel burrows up a hill all day long in the blazing sunlight. (yes, Mr DVS does have a compassionate side)

So at the Techo show when I saw the enclosewd glass cab, I thought to myself "we can't have an enclosed glass cab and I dont see where the windows slide open enough to allow a breeze to come through"

And then upon further review I see where you can have an open cab, it kinda reminds me of the ROPS on a Log Skidder.

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#17 ·
DVS, got ya. Yea ours is the enclosed glass... The side widow however opens and its is very large opening.. Actually I had to have the dealer show me how to close the door correctly the door is so large (which sounds odd, I mean its just closing the door) So when you close the door, the handle clicks onto on lock, but you can see the door is not funnly latched. Well the door pushes so much air, you need to have the window open to close the door, and when you are standing infront of it, there is a serious WOOSHH of air that punches you in the face!.

Also the whole front windshield removes with 4 easy handles.
 
#19 ·
LOL - ok, please pardon my Lingo, I'm a Diehard Jeeper. And with the Old CJ's we call a certain style of hard door - "1/2 doors"!

Somewhere on JCB's website they show a pic of a machine with an enclosed cab. All the glass, etc.

Then there is another pic of a machine with NO glass. It has a steel mesh door on it that looks like the 1/2 doors on the Jeeps.

Our CAT has an enclosed cab, but it's only to be used for moving snow. This is my personal preference (I'm not asking if anyone agrees with me or not), but I do not think it's right that I sit in the machine on a 103-degree day (which is very realistic here in MD) with the A/C blowing on me, while the guys are humping 486 pound wheel burrows up a hill all day long in the blazing sunlight. (yes, Mr DVS does have a compassionate side)

So at the Techo show when I saw the enclosewd glass cab, I thought to myself "we can't have an enclosed glass cab and I dont see where the windows slide open enough to allow a breeze to come through"

And then upon further review I see where you can have an open cab, it kinda reminds me of the ROPS on a Log Skidder.

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Do you still drive a jeep?

I might be the only landscaper that drives around in their JK with the doors off to do quotes and estimates. Much rather drive it around than a truck. Better on gas, easier for doing 7 U-turns when you're looking for a house on a street with no numbers.
 
#22 ·
Do you still drive a jeep?

I might be the only landscaper that drives around in their JK with the doors off to do quotes and estimates. Much rather drive it around than a truck. Better on gas, easier for doing 7 U-turns when you're looking for a house on a street with no numbers.
Oh yeah, my Jeep is my baby. But it's not a daily driver, the only thing stock on it is the tub. Because of the larger wheels the odometer/speedometer is not accurate, but I guess it gets about 7 to 10 miles to the gallon! I don't drive it to estimates because it has sound to it - 360 engine with headers and 2 1/2" dual exaust with FlowMasters. It sounds awesome, but my white collar office worker clients would probably not think so. That, and the sticker across the top of the windshield probably wouldn't make for a good first impression.

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#23 ·
Resale means nothing to me. I buy a machine to work, make money. Once its dead, its time for another.
Yeah I can see it that way. My buddy has one on his dairy farm. Although he bought it at an auction with 300 hours for under 10k, he has put 6k hours on it with no major problems.

I don't think I could spend 40k on a machine when the value of the thing when you drive off from the dealership is 20k.
 
#24 ·
I can, :walking:

Where are you getting these stats?

I find skid steer reviews to be much like truck reviews. Now some reviews are useful to the machine and it's capabilities.... But I see a lot like trucks.

I bought a couple new 2009 2500 Chevy duramax trucks. At stop lights you would get ford guys just saying "man nice truck, to bad it's a p.o.s Chevy... 'shoulda bought a ford!" when in reality I got rid of a 06 6.0 ford diesel with 60000 miles because it needed 5,000 in repairs. People want to pick a brand, and everything else is garbage.
J
Jcb has been around for 65 years and are one of the three biggest manufacturers of large construction equipment In the world. I think new holland and bobcat are so much more in the eye of the homeowner and contractor because their base and low range models are cheap and in almost every rental yard
 
#25 ·
I too do not worry about resale.

No disrespect towards anyone :)

But I buy machines to work with. And I buy them with what I can afford. Why should I spend another $8,000 only to get another $4800 if I sell it?


I run my stuff into the ground. When I'm done with it, it would get parted out and sold as scrap metal.

I bought my Gehl skid Steer in 1997 for $19,200. I love that machine and have no intentions of ever selling it. When I bought it another contractor said to me "Gehl, they have no resale value"

Well, I keep tabs on the prices of used skid steers in machinerytrader.com, and the Gehls my model year and model are selling for $8k to $10k. If someone were to come to me today and offer me $8k for that machine I would give consideration to selling. That machine has been paid off for the last 11.5 years...and doesn't burn one drop of oil!


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#26 ·
I dont buy new. There are way too many low hour machines being given away right now. I buy with a few hundred hours, use for a few years, then sell it for what i had in it. I have done this with all the dingos i have owned and large framed skid loaders. Basically use them for free and put more money in the bank. So resell does matter to me.

Jcbs are a fine machine, i have heard their backhoes are some of the best. However the resell value is terrible in the US. Probably a different story in england.
 
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