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JCB Skid Steers?

Ed HD

Formerly: Dad's 05 LLY
Messages
3,152
Reaction score
362
Location
Chuck Town, Iowa
Been looking for a couple skid steers, and I've always been interested in the JCB's since I saw them years ago. I like the side-door entry/exit, and the single boom interests me. I'd be looking at a 260, 280 or bigger, with the high-flow hydraulics. I'd be using them in chicken barns with a litter windrower, as well as to push snow, and other jobs. Anyone here have any experience with them? All the threads I've found on google are from 2010 or 2011, nothing recently. JCB is a huge equipment MFR, and I feel like if they were crap we'd know it?

Link to what I'd be looking for: http://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/construction-equipment/for-sale/12170103/2012-jcb-280

I did get to test out a 260 at a dealer in MN, but I didn't see it listed, I'd bet they sold it. It ran good, I liked the controls and the visibility. Easy for me to get my big frame in and out of the machine.
 
I don't know. Just a personal gut feel the cantilever like boom is just odd for heavy work and might affect resale? Probably fine for a chicken job or landscape yard with constant in and out of machine but just looks odd for any real dirt work and hard on the pins. It would depend on best dealer support and overall deal for me. I like JCB backhoe's but only operated 2 of them for a couple of days at a time (one for a month) years ago. They seemed like fast capable machines. Seems mostly what you get use to to me. The skid steer / compact loaders they just want to be different with the boom or arm(s).

What are key points for you? I am guessing litter fly back clogging door, visibility, and size?
 
I don't see that bucket cylinder design staying aligned for long. The moment arm looks designed to bend. For the record, I designed tunneling equipment and excavators for 6 years.
 
I like the ease for getting in and out for my big size (6'6", not underweight, lol), I like being able to get in and out with the arm up or down, the visibility is awesome. FWIW, they have a lifetime warranty on the arm itself. It's built heavy. The one I drove I pushed into a big pile of dirt and was scraping with it and there was no hint of flex of the boom. Most of the time it'll be moving litter, snow or operating a windrower, or moving stuff with pallet forks. I don't plan on heavy dirt work or pushing with it.
 
Yeah I get that. The arm isn't what I'm worried about really, it's reliability and cost of fixing it/parts.
 
Many of the fleets i wotked for had equipment. Most of the jcb stuff i delt with was reach lifts. Usually well built, always with some oddball designed thing like the arm on this you are looking at, but usually the oddball thing made it a great piece to work with and on.

Parts were more pricey than case or komatsu, but not as bad as cat or hyster. Quality of local support for parts and repair (if not inhouse) is important.
 
I think we can manage regular maintenance, but anything beyond a busted hose or something might need a service call. Nearest dealer to our shop is about 40 min, same as cat or Bobcat.
 
If you an research some of the common components that break first, and call for price and availability to see what to expect maybe.
 
Well, update. I bought a 2013 260 ECO (~2600 lb lift, ~85 HP JCB diesel) with 335 hrs on it a few weeks ago, and I'm in love with it. I had to do a bunch of work with the "mods", basically the cages they're transported in (See pic). They were shipped in containers from Europe on end, so they had to be tipped down, then the straps cut, and all the zip ties holding them together cut. Which meant getting in and out of the skid steer approximately 50 times. The side door was CLUTCH for that task, and the visibility cannot be praised enough. It's good on fuel too, seems to burn about 1 GPH at WOT working on the mods, which isn't really heavy work. Cab is really comfortable, especially after I figured out how the air seat worked. Lots of leg, head and gut room for this big guy. I'm really hoping it doesn't have any major issues, because I love it too much, lol.

Y1qyT4T.jpg



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With the "mods":
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ATztV1A.jpg
 
What happened to the B on the boom decal?

Looks nice. Side entry sounding better and better.
Last week I had a friend somehow lower the bucket on his bobcat while the door was open. The bucket crunched the door/broke it. $1800 for replacement parts.
 
Yeah, I can only imagine, that would suck.

Not sure why all the decals are flaking off, I'd guess it was parked outside previously? The decals on the door are kinda goofy too.
 
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