Written by John Swire
New hydraulic-folding forks designed for shifting large quantities of forage and similar materials will be launched at the LAMMA show to further boost the productivity of JCB’s highest-output wheeled loaders, especially when working on silage clamps.
The new heavy-duty Folding Grass Fork comes in two sizes with increased load volume capacity at 5.50cu m for the JCB 419S and 6.70cu m for the ultimate clamp-filling machine, the JCB 435S.
Both versions have been designed and engineered for optimum strength and weight, which together with the increased volume capacity, maximises the performance potential of the JCB loaders, resulting in increased productivity when filling forage crop storage clamps for winter cattle feed or anaerobic digester energy production.
John Smith, Managing Director, JCB Agriculture, said: “The front-end implements produced by our JCB Attachments division are performance-matched to each machine in the extensive JCB materials handling range, from fixed and telescopic boom skid-steer loaders, through compact wheeled loaders and telescopic handlers, to the industry’s only purpose-built agricultural wheeled loading shovels.”
The new Folding Grass Forks are supplied complete with the relevant couplings and fittings, and like all JCB agricultural attachments are certified ‘ready to work’ on the chosen host machine.
The 3.62 metre wide, 5.50cu m Folding Grass Fork is designed for existing JCB 419S loaders or the latest Euro Stage V version featuring Dynamic power management, which provides a regular output of 107kW (144hp) and 660Nm of torque, or maximum outputs of 145kW (195hp) and 881Nm when outright performance is needed.
JCB Q-fit or Industrial couplings are available with the 5.50cu m fork, while the 4.40 metre wide 6.70cu m version built exclusively for the JCB 435S comes with the heavier-duty Industrial couplings only.
The JCB 435S to Euro Stage V emissions specification in Europe has 171kW (230hp) and 840Nm of torque for routine work but Dynamic peak power is 9.5% higher than its predecessor at 188kW (252hp), with 25.5% more peak torque at 1186Nm giving a real boost to the machine’s already impressive performance.
Both sizes of the new JCB Folding Grass Fork have hydraulically-deployed side extensions that fold-out and fold-in on 65mm wear-resistant hardened pins and bushes. This provides maximum capacity in work and a convenient transport width of 2.97 metres with the wing sections securely locked when travelling between farms.
An optional lighting kit and tine guard are available for added safety when on the move, and when the fork is not in use, an integral storage dock keeps hydraulic hose couplings out of the dirt.
The wear-resistant 65mm x 40mm x 1190mm steel tines have smooth wear plates to prevent build-up of material. They are spaced 200mm apart and welded into a 125mm x 240mm main beam, which is reinforced and protected by a 305mm x 25mm thick strip of high wear-resistance steel on the underside.
A prominent ‘JCB’ logo is laser cut into the perforated central back-plate, while square tube uprights retain the load across the rest of the fork while providing a clear view ahead when manoeuvring the loader to drive into a pile of grass or maize.
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