Which Backhoe?

[D7E]

My reply is going to be a bit one sided because i grew up in the UK but have lived in 3 different countries ,Owning and operating for construction and pipeline and highway building and world wide JCB is no1 i know parts are supposedly hard to get but i know many people in canada who say otherwise ? We had fleets of 50+ machines and every time the JCB was the best ,The drivers preffered them ,cheaper to run , Would stand higher hours , Standard 4in1 bucket ,The first "extendadig"And jcb's strong point was always "GOOD dealers and many better features than other brands and the highest resale value but that will not be the case in the us or canada .Granted that the post 2002 machines are too "electronic" but are'nt they all .Jcb might not be popular here but cat are not popular in europe so ? it does'nt mean much .
Just look at market shares world wide Jcb backhoes and telehandlers are over 70% and sell more machines than Cat and JD combined and were the original telehandler in the early 70's ,Case is a good machine and i still have one but not the quality of a JCB ? like it or not they are coming and the US is the only country that they have to break? Sorry for my "soap box" ...I have a case because they are cheap thats all? The only way to make a jcb better would be to add a CUMMINS bit perkins is no problem .

 

[Builder]

My reply is going to be a bit one sided because i grew up in the UK but have lived in 3 different countries ,Owning and operating for construction and pipeline and highway building and world wide JCB is no1 i know parts are supposedly hard to get but i know many people in canada who say otherwise ? We had fleets of 50+ machines and every time the JCB was the best ,The drivers preffered them ,cheaper to run , Would stand higher hours , Standard 4in1 bucket ,The first "extendadig"And jcb's strong point was always "GOOD dealers and many better features than other brands and the highest resale value but that will not be the case in the us or canada .Granted that the post 2002 machines are too "electronic" but are'nt they all .Jcb might not be popular here but cat are not popular in europe so ? it does'nt mean much .
Just look at market shares world wide Jcb backhoes and telehandlers are over 70% and sell more machines than Cat and JD combined and were the original telehandler in the early 70's ,Case is a good machine and i still have one but not the quality of a JCB ? like it or not they are coming and the US is the only country that they have to break? Sorry for my "soap box" ...I have a case because they are cheap thats all? The only way to make a jcb better would be to add a CUMMINS bit perkins is no problem .

That's a good arguement for why to buy a JCB in Europe, since JCB is #1 in Europe, but since he's operating in the USA, he'd be better off operating a brand that gives him better parts support in the USA. Case, Deere & CAT are bigger here in the USA.

I think JCB does make a nice machine, but their resale value in the US? Frankly it stinks and they seem to have a lot of reports of wiring/electronics problems. Even with that said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if there was solid local dealer support and the price was low enough. You can get a lot of JCB here for a cheap price b/c they tend to have low resale value.

 

[jfh0jfh]

Thanks Builder. I'm not ignoring JD (I've had 3) but I'm just not finding any. I passed up a 610B recently that I should have bought but I'm holding out for 4WD. A 610C 4x4 would probably be the perfect machine for me.

Right now the Ford 655D/ 675D, Case 590 SL, or JD 410/ 510 look like the best bet. I was looking at NH but after seeing them sell for nothing yesterday (I posted a separate thread about it) I'm thinking I'll forget NH

 

[jfh0jfh]

Thanks Richard. I ran a JCB (large one) yesterday. it was just too rough. That's what I've found so far - all the JCBs for sale in this area (OH) are really abused. I'm not afraid of them per se buit for anything like the same money I'd have to take Case/ JD/ Ford.

 

[jfh0jfh]

Thanks D7E. I lived/ worked in Europe too and saw JCBs everywhere. Maybe like Fiat though: great in Europe but never had the dealer network here.

I am willing to look at them, I'm just not finding decent ones.

(I sold a D7E ~ 3 years ago. Nice machine but too much for my repair skills).

 

[jfh0jfh]

re 2-3 of you who made comments about larger machines being harder to find and cheaper.

Yes, that is exactly why I prefer them. I only need to move the macine once - from the seller to my farm. I road it to jobs (rarely) but mostly use it here. My 510 JD (20,500 lbs) was too big to borrow but everyone I knew with a 1-ton thought they could haul my old 310 (~ 12,000).

In my experience, larger machines are used more gently, have lower hours, and are definitely less expensive. For me they dig deeper and move more dirt (and pack better) - ideal.

I'd even consider a JD 710 although a 12-ton backhoe is a bit ridiculous.

 

[jmfox]

In the old days we made anything work. Some how we managed to accomplish unbelievable tasks with junk. But today, I am appreciating the value of getting the right tool for the job. Spend the time and get the right machine. A large wheeled machine is probably smoother and steadier, and may suit your style and type of work. Every manufacturer has different definitions for hydraulics and transitioning. For example I was comparing new compact track machines and found that JD has a nervous and pounding engagement for their bucket controls. Some might like this, but I prefer a smoother response. These subtle things don't sound like much until you consider the thousands of times you move these levers in a day.

jmf

 

[D7E]

@ builder ...Don't get me wrong i've been in canada 10 years and i would rate most of your AG machinery above european any day and and am no european "salesman" ..You have good stuff .
All i am saying is an un biassed opinion of backhoes ,We've run 100's of backhoes..Case,Deere,Cat,Ford,Fermec,Hitachi,MF,Volvo,Komatsu,Bobcat ? and there is a top 3 , From an owners and operators point of view .
#1 JCB
#2 CAT
#3 CASE
The others came and went .
I appreciate the bad parts backup that maybe in the states but here in canada its getting better and is only a matter of time ..Government are using JCB now ?
Jcb excavators aint so good ..Nice to use but weak undercarriage ,JCB has always been known for "SMOOOOOTH" movements and visability ?
If you can't drive a jacob you can't drive ?

 

[D7E]

Thanks D7E. I lived/ worked in Europe too and saw JCBs everywhere. Maybe like Fiat though: great in Europe but never had the dealer network here.

I am willing to look at them, I'm just not finding decent ones.

(I sold a D7E ~ 3 years ago. Nice machine but too much for my repair skills).

Bought it out of protest ...Hired 2 contractors to clear bush and they filled the fires with dirt and left the stumps in the ground and charged me full whack so i got mad and spent a lot of money to prove a point ...Best thing i ever did It's a 180 hp "67" powershift ,24 v start 80% undercarriage ,New chains ,Cylinders new and new transmission ,Full rops ,Angle blade and hyster winch $20'000 ?
Worth more now than i payed for it ...Done the 90 acre clearing job but she's a keeper ?

 

[D7E]

JCB had the first .."RIDE CONTROL" and "HYDRO CLAMPS" , built the first tele-handler too ?
And "overlap" their parts like axles, trannies,hydraulics in backhoes,telehandlers .
And you will "NEVER" see a welded boom on a JCB ?