RickB
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2000
- Messages
- 15,205
- Location
- Up the road from Dollar General WNC
- Tractor
- Just a Scag
Volvo Skid Steers quality or not?
- Thread starter xxxsandman
- Start date
PAfarmer
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2003
- Messages
- 97
- Location
- Norteastern Pa.
- Tractor
- JD CTL 319D, JD 5420, JD4700, JDM665
Buy American my friend.........JD and CAT make the best skid steers in the World........
yellowdogsvc
Veteran Member
CAT skids have Mitsubushi engines in them. that's not exactly an American company.
Cat outsources other components, too.
Cat outsources other components, too.
:thumbsup:
SensibleNick
Gold Member
:confused3:
JCBs have been built in the USA since 2000.
Half a million square feet near the I95 in Savannah - Georgia.
JCB North America: Skid Steer Loaders
Is it ok now that some are built in the USA, or is it still Junk? :laughing:
On the other hand... Caterpillars are also made in the UK. Does that make them junk?
Caterpillar United Kindom
John Deere are currently building a factory to build engines in China - complimenting the factories in Argentina, France, India and Mexico.
:confused3: What can you do eh?
I love the smell of Xenophobia in the morning
JCBs have been built in the USA since 2000.
Half a million square feet near the I95 in Savannah - Georgia.
JCB North America: Skid Steer Loaders
Is it ok now that some are built in the USA, or is it still Junk? :laughing:
On the other hand... Caterpillars are also made in the UK. Does that make them junk?
Caterpillar United Kindom
John Deere are currently building a factory to build engines in China - complimenting the factories in Argentina, France, India and Mexico.
:confused3: What can you do eh?
I think Xenophobia is a bit of a strong word. Nobody stated they didn't like foreign races as the word is mostly understood to mean.
The fact is that while the JCB skid steers may have been built here since 2000, they were still the UK designed version until 2011. I might add that most feel (not just Americans) that the poor reputation they have is probably justified by their poor global skid steer market share. Only time will tell if it is still"junk".
You are very correct that we live in a true global economy. I highly doubt there is one skid steer that is "all American made".
The fact is that while the JCB skid steers may have been built here since 2000, they were still the UK designed version until 2011. I might add that most feel (not just Americans) that the poor reputation they have is probably justified by their poor global skid steer market share. Only time will tell if it is still"junk".
You are very correct that we live in a true global economy. I highly doubt there is one skid steer that is "all American made".
SensibleNick
Gold Member
Fair play Sir, I definately used the wrong word (I just wanted it to fit into a "Apocalypse Now" quote
)I designed a few of the production systems for the gearboxes that go into the JCB 4CX and 3CX range, so obviously I'm hugely biased.
The excavators themselves though I know nothing about - just the drivetrains. Whatever rep they have I'm sure it's earned - and if it's negative - well I hope they get a chance to dig their way out again.The global economy is a worrying thing. Our bean-counters (I'm now in an entirely different industry) keep insisting we get machinery made in China.... and each time they get their way we spend months mopping up the mess and saying "We TOLD you that would happen if you got it made in China" .... While some things seem to be ok from there, the parts we make (highly accurate, lightweight components that rely on very high standards of material and machining) seem to fail at an alarming rate if they're not made here in Sweden. The quality just isn't up to scratch. With outside influence on Quality control and some new procedures, they may begin to keep pace though. Only time will tell.
I'm hoping It won't be long before the Chinese workforce want decent wages... and suddenly the manufacturing industries will "come home" again.:thumbsup: And we can all be proud to "buy local"
I can't speak as to the quality of JCB's backhoes other than what I've heard (nothing really negative, but nothing spectacular either), and know (#1 world wide market share although very weak in the US).
I think the key like you mention is the wage level of the workers in the low cost supplier's countries. As soon as the wages rise to a level approaching some sort of middle class, component costs from all countries will start to approach parity. Unfortunately, I think this is sometime away.
I think the key like you mention is the wage level of the workers in the low cost supplier's countries. As soon as the wages rise to a level approaching some sort of middle class, component costs from all countries will start to approach parity. Unfortunately, I think this is sometime away.
Rustyiron
Super Member
I think that JCB has some inovative ideas in their line, the fastrac, the bigger equal size tire TLB, as well as the smaller one, their baby articulated dump,(sorry, don't know the #'s) It kinda seems the single boom SSL is an answer looking for a problem, but who knows? But I too have really only heard negative jokes and generalizations about JCB and it seems more like talk rather than honest problems from owners. I've heard that the British electrical systems are funky, or at least used to be, could this perception be an old holdover from those times? (when they were made there)? I have seen some very good prices on used, low hour track (CTL) machines, figured that it was because of the general (poor) attitude towards JCB, but that same attitude is what scared me off too! I sure would like to hear the truth from a few JCB equipment owners.
SensibleNick
Gold Member
British electrical systems... That has a very strong (and justified) root in "lucas" electrical systems in the old British cars. .. as the joke here goes "Lucas, the inventor of darkenss" ...
As for the JCB machines themselves... as I said before I have no idea, but I also heard terrible things about cheap tractors from China... my cheap China-tractor has been excellent throughout the entire time I've had it so far. It goes to show the value of getting your own opinion instead of listening to people who repeat negative things without experience to back it up.
I went over my machine with a fine-toothed comb before I bought it... and was happy. :thumbsup: