Offering a Wide Range of U.S.-Manufactured, Side-Entry Loaders
While JCB entered the skid steer market in 1993, the company didn’t begin producing compact track loaders until 2001. In 2007, JCB launched the Series II skid steer and compact track loader product line. The compact track loaders were built with the same basic design as their skid steer counterparts, with the primary difference being the use of tracks instead of wheels. By the third quarter of 2010, JCB was producing three tracked machines. In November 2010, JCB launched its New Generation product line, which included large-platform skid steers and compact track loaders.
JCB expanded the product line in 2012 with the addition of small-platform skid steers and compact track loaders. In 2013, JCB announced that all large-platform skid steers and compact track loaders would be powered by the Tier 4 Final JCB Ecomax engine, using up to 9 percent less fuel over the previous Dieselmax engine. At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014, JCB launched its Tier 4 Final small-platform skid steers and compact track loaders.
These machines are powered by the all-new JCB Diesel by Kohler Tier 4 engines.
Both the large and small platform models meet Tier 4 Final emissions standards without the need for any exhaust gas aftertreatment, saving money on fuel, decreasing downtime and reducing whole-life service costs, says JCB.
In late 2015, JCB launched myCHOICE controls, a new controls operation software that gives operators the ability to adjust their skid steer and compact track loader travel and loader controls for optimal operation whether they’re performing finer, more precise work or faster, high-duty cycle operation.
Today, JCB’s New Generation product line includes five large-platform tracked models (the 225T, 260T, 300T, 320T and the forestry-specific model, 325T) and three small-platform machines (the 150T, 190T and 205T) for a total of eight compact track loaders offering vertical or radial lift. These machines weigh from 1,500 to 3,250 lbs. JCB’s compact track loaders mimic the company’s skid steer loaders, using a single-arm PowerBoom to enhance operator safety and visibility — visibility that’s 60 percent better than that offered by competing compact track loaders, says JCB. Operators never have to exit or enter the machine over a cumbersome attachment or an unsupported boom due to the presence of a left-side entry door.
JCB compact track loaders share the vast majority of their features with the company’s skid steer models, including larger cabs, suspension seats, servo controls, sealed and pressurized cabs and good serviceability. These machines are not only easy and comfortable to operate, they also present owners with the lowest operating costs in the industry, according to JCB.
Advice to Buyers
“When purchasing a compact track loader, you can choose different types of tracks based on your machine’s primary application,” says George Chaney, JCB North American sales manager for skid steers and compact track loaders. “That’s because different tracks do perform differently depending on composition and tread pattern. There are turf tracks for applications where extreme ground care is needed, and there are also more aggressive tracks that dig in when needed for that extra traction. There are even specialty snow tracks that offer better traction, smoother turning and shorter stopping distances in snow removal applications. Choose the type of tracks that you’ll use most often to get the best return on your machine investment.”
