JCB, the company that offers the widest range of backhoe loaders in the world, is further expanding and improving its product line up.
The Midi CX, the newest addition to the JCB backhoe loader range, is a compact machine positioned between the skid steer 1CX and the all-wheel-steer 2CX. The versatile Midi CX offers operators the opportunity to remove its backhoe and use the rear three point hitch to power a wide range of construction and agricultural attachments.
This machine is available for the first time with an air-conditioned cab and JCB’s optional Smooth Ride System (SRS), which allows the front loader arms to float while traveling, thus reducing machine bounce and increasing load retention.
Meanwhile, JCB’s design and engineering teams have made improvements to the ever-popular 3C backhoe loader, redesigning the canopy to make it available without a front windshield. Revised gearing enables the 3C to achieve road travel speeds of up to 22 m.p.h., while newly added servo brakes reduce operator effort.
JCB engineers redesigned the front of the machine, adding a soft front nose section to prevent damage during truck loading operations. The 3C also benefits from redesigned loader geometry, which provides greater dump angles and roll back for superior material retention. V-shaped side panels make it easier for the operator to carry lengths of pipe, a feature that adds to the versatility of this multi-purpose machine.
Turning their attention to the 3CX, the world’s best selling backhoe, JCB engineers installed the Tier III DieselMax engine and revised the gearing to provide an increased top speed. Both EPA and CARB-compliant, the DieselMax engine is offered with either 92 h.p. and 100 h.p., the engine benefits from increased torque giving more low down power when the machine is used to push into a pile.
JCB also improved the backhoe bucket breakout for the 3CX-14, increasing it by 18 percent to 13,701 pounds. JCB also increased the dipper arm breakout by 10 percent, to 8,710 pounds. Further, the company boosted dipper and boom lift capacities by 10 percent. The resulting improvement in lift performance, coupled with JCB™s high stability, makes the 3CX-14 the best choice in backhoe-lifting applications.
Focusing their attention on the front of the machine, JCB engineers achieved a 15 percent improvement in bucket breakout force and a 4 percent increase in loader arm lift capacity, to 9,631 pounds. This is a remarkable achievement, considering that JCB already had the highest loader lift capacity in the North American market.
The 3CX’s revised auxiliary hydraulic circuit enables operators to use single-direction attachments like hydraulic breakers and bi-directional implements such as tilting and swinging buckets. Responding to customer requests, JCB reduced hydraulic circuit cycle times by up to 50 percent on certain functions. What’s more, backhoes equipped with JCB’s Precision Controls can expect a further 9 percent reduction in trenching cycle times. With these innovations, the JCB 3CX has become the most productive machine on the market.
Both the 3CX and the popular 4CX models have an improved air conditioning system and an operator’s seat that is 25 per cent larger than previous models. JCB engineers also improved the optional Precision Controls on both machines, making them easier to operate, reducing cycle times and boosting productivity.
JCB has developed its first factory-fitted hydraulic thumb attachment for both fixed and extending dipper arm backhoes. Mounting the thumb attachment directly to the sliding inner section of the extending dipper allows the operator to grab lumber and other objects with the thumb and bucket without damaging the inner section of the dipper stick. The thumb offers in impressive 7,868 pounds of clamping force, which increases the machine’s versatility allowing operators to pick up material on the job site.
JCB has 17 plants on four continents: 10 in the U.K., three in India and others in the U.S., China, Germany and Brazil. The company employs more than 8,000 people worldwide.
