Jcb back hoe type for general ag work

[The Seeker]

Anyone use a jcb for feeding up ? Stacking straw? Loading trailers or are they more set up for just digging? Temped to trade older telehandler in for a back hoe but think the downsides might outweigh the upsides thoughts ?

 

[essexpete]

The more modern backhoe will be streets ahead of the old JCB powertrain we used years ago but we had long loader arms fitted which gave good load height and reach. Cumbersome compared to an all wheel steer. Some of the hoes are all wheel steer but would guess the loader height and reach would be poor. OK I guess if you loading large bales with a few stacked together to gain height? The other thing, we used to find banging about on a tramlines a pain for the rear hoe.

 

[Zebbedee]

If all your shed doors are high enough a 3cx is a good tool not as good as forklift in every way but a forklift canna dig a drain forklift has better grip in field 3cx better cab etc horses for courses we have both,,,

 

[Matt L]

Go for the 4cx if you want to use it in the fields

 

[Dman2]

Used a 3cx for years here.
Just have to remember to drop the back arm when going in low buildings
Made a pin and cone headstock for ours, so we could swap easily
Only moved onto a pivot steer telehandler when digger started to get a bit tired.
Wanted to rest the old girl for when digging was needed
Just resealed all the back actor rams last week on it

 

[TripleSix]

There was a guy local that had a balespike on the back actor, pretty good for placing bales in yards over the barriers.

A cousin only had a JCB 3c MK2 on their dairy farm, had a grab on the back actor for getting silage out the clamp, did all the mucking out, everything.

 

[Lofty1984]

@carbonfibre farmer uses one to load beet

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

@carbonfibre farmer uses one to load beet

Not me, mine and @robbie beet haulier
Also for loaded bales, mucking out etc etc.
3cx.

 

[Lakesdigger]

Anyone use a jcb for feeding up ? Stacking straw? Loading trailers or are they more set up for just digging? Temped to trade older telehandler in for a back hoe but think the downsides might outweigh the upsides thoughts ?

Nowhere near a telehandler on front end mind. Be a step back for you with limited forward reach and depending on what you're handler is likely a lot less lift weight wise. Admittedly if you take front bucket off a 3cx and fit an attachment carriage of some kind you will gain a bit of lift weight wise as 3cx 4 in 1 bucket must be in region of 1/2 ton.

 

[essexpete]

Not me, mine and @robbie beet haulier
Also for loaded bales, mucking out etc etc.
3cx.

That is a very tidy grey cab. Job to find one like that.
Back to the OP how about keep the telehandler and look around for a 5 ton excavator if finances would stretch?

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

That is a very tidy grey cab. Job to find one like that.
Back to the OP how about keep the telehandler and look around for a 5 ton excavator if finances would stretch?

The owner looks after his gear That's done big hrs too and has to work. That bucket is a toe tip, hold over a ton of beet.

 

[mo!]

Manihoe is what you want. Best and worst of both worlds from what I gather.

 

[Khan]

Anyone use a jcb for feeding up ? Stacking straw? Loading trailers or are they more set up for just digging? Temped to trade older telehandler in for a back hoe but think the downsides might outweigh the upsides thoughts ?

We did buy a Fermec 860 as an additional machine 2010 but subsequently traded it in for a second forklift. Farm over three sites all 5k or more apart and the forklift was doing a lot of roadwork so bought the backhoe to handle feeding 180 cows and keep forklift at grainstore and for youngstock. Backhoe as good as forklift on the sheargrab if you don't have any tight corners and you have decent height around doorways. It did a bit of digging for posts and round yard but a wet field and backhoe are a bad combination. Sold it five years ago, cow numbers were going up and we were running a tractor as well for scraper and sawdust spreader and the forklift replaced them both. I wouldn't replace a frontline forklift with a backhoe but might make sense for a backup machine, much more capacity than a tractor loader, at least load wise.

 

[Hilly]

Used to use a 3cx for years , had quick hitch on front for bucket muck grab bale grabs etc etc it was ok but now have tele and a 360 which is much better , I wouldn’t like to go back to 3cx after having tele .

 

[fermerboy]

We've always run a wheeled digger and have a New Holland 95 which is a 3cx clone more or less.

To be honest its a pain about the buildings, with the backactor folded up its over 13ft high, so have to watch doorways, plenty of lock and maneuverability though. Loader has tons of lift but the NH has dire geometry and forward reach. Fermec is better in this department.
Digger with a toe tip grain will beat the loadall loading an artic of barley no bother, its up, tipped and reversing away by the time the loadall has telescoped out a bit.

We have a Loadall as our main loader and our digger is just a back up nowadays, wouldn't go back to digger for everything, grand on an out farm or for a reserve machine.

 

[Fordson1]

The view out the front and sides of a wheeled digger is good when feeding etc. Nice place to be. When the back actor on our 50 HXS is folded sideways behind the cab as it would usually be when doing yard work you dont have much visibility behind. All you see is yellow. Easier to see around the folded back actor of the older HX / 50B.
Not sure how other makes compare in this regard. I suppose if used to telehandler then will be used to side mirrors.

 

[fermerboy]

The view out the front and sides of a wheeled digger is good when feeding etc. Nice place to be. When the back actor on our 50 HXS is folded sideways behind the cab as it would usually be when doing yard work you dont have much visibility behind. All you see is yellow. Easier to see around the folded back actor of the older HX / 50B.
Not sure how other makes compare in this regard. I suppose if used to telehandler then will be used to side mirrors.

We used to drop the dipper arm off our HXS which improved the job no end. Then we used to drop the whole back actor off, 4 pins 2 pipes and the lever linkages, and stick a block on. Had it down to under an hour.
Water pipe or a drain always needed digging up when she'd the block on though
Still have a 60HXt with a block on back as a backup, lovely thing to drive and use.
Absolutely bombproof, hardiest thing I think I own.

 

[Netherfield]

Not me, mine and @robbie beet haulier
Also for loaded bales, mucking out etc etc.
3cx.

That is a smart looking machine, must be getting on for 30 years old, I think gray cab was one of the best they made.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Was the 4CX a bit handier in the yard with 4 wheel steer?

Digger would be comparable to using a tractor and loader, bit easier with a more modern version or certainly the one I have drive seemed to have a very similar gearbox/drivetrain to a loadall- forward/back no problem.

Bit 'rock and roll' on the road with weight each end. Seen plenty of folks using them with sheargrabs and muck grabs instead of loaders in the past.

 

[Hard Graft]

got this old girl still does about 600hr a year as she is the only loader I have and to be fair she can shift some stuff in a day (10000t in 2018) with her and between a few friends they can not believe who she stuck the pace yes she let us down this year with a head gasket where we found a bust piston ring on opening her up and later in the year she blocked the suction filter in the gear box as the clutch packs were braking down but 3k fixed here including the hire off a telehandler for a week but in the 20 years off having here and roughly 10000hrs in our ownership she’s not done to badly