[Job story] A JCB 3CX Backhoe in Leeton Shire Council

Leeton Shire Council purchased a JCB 3CX Backhoe through their local dealer Intersales Leeton. The operator of the new JCB backhoe says the machine has made him more productive, efficient and comfortable.

When the Leeton Shire Council required a replacement for their existing backhoe they asked their operators to demo several loaders. Reece, an employee of the council said that he chose the JCB backhoe because it was the best.

“I can get around a lot quicker in the JCB as the 6-speed auto transmission with lockup torque converter is great with up to 50kph road speed,” says Reece. “The automate features are awesome with auto up stabilisers, boom lock and autothrottle up and idle down on the backhoe reduces cycle times so I can get more done.”
He adds, “The high back air suspension seat chair is really comfortable and with a flick of a switch I can operate the loader from the backhoe position and vice versa which is just amazing.”
“The JCB backhoe is a lot more modern and comfortable than the previous backhoe loader I was using,” says Reece. “I like the heated seats in winter and the air-conditioning is great in summer.”

Leeton Shire Council

Leeton Shire Council services 1,167 square kilometres. The Leeton Shire includes the towns of Yanco and Whitton and the villages of Murrami and Wamoon.
Leeton is located in the Riverina 584km from Sydney, 470km from Melbourne and 371km from Canberra. Leeton is the second largest regional centre in the Western Riverina region outside of Griffith.
Leeton is the birthplace of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and was purposely built as part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme.

The JCB Backhoe Loader

The JCB Backhoe is not only Australia’s number one backhoe loader, but it’s also the world’s number one backhoe loader. The 3CX is a product of JCB’s efficient design philosophy, responding to today’s rising fuel prices and environmental concerns with class-leading efficiency and low running costs. In short, JCB has applied innovative technologies to squeeze the absolute maximum out of every drop of fuel on the JCB backhoe loader range.

Digging Further

A 3CX backhoe loader 4-ram self-levelling loader automatically adjusts the shovel on both raise and lower cycles without any need for manual adjustment. It also provides unhindered front shovel visibility, especially when loading at height. The JCB return-to-dig feature means operators can quickly reset the shovel to dig. To ensure an extra 1.2m dig depth and reach – and to minimise repositioning – all Australian specified models are fitted with JCB’s inner box design Extradig feature.
The 3CX backhoe loader boasts high ground clearances of up to 370mm, together with 20 degree departure angles. This means operators can work easily on steep slopes and uneven ground at maximum productivity.

A Great Place to Work

In order to reap the maximum benefit of the 3CX’s superior performance, we’ve designed these machines to be all-day comfy, ergonomic and extremely intuitive for operators to use. There’s storage aplenty in our 3CX backhoe loader cabs; work tools are easy to carry, the cab environment is well-organised and, on A/C models, there’s an in-cab cool box for food and drinks. For added comfort and reduced material spillage, JCB’s SmoothRide System minimises bounce during travel. Exclusive to JCB backhoe loader, we have integrated a hot drinks machine option into the cab to provide you with a delicious cup of hot tea or coffee throughout the day.
JCB’s ergonomic seat-mounted excavator-style controls (a standard-fit on our Easy and Advance Easy Control machines) make for great manoeuvrability, fingertip control and supreme comfort. So that operator feels right at home in the 3CX backhoe, we fit a traditional manual control system as standard, with a choice of three control patterns – JCB X, SAE + and ISO+. With joystick- controlled loader operations on Advanced EasyControl, it’s comfortable, logical and easy to control the loader end of a 3CX backhoe loader.

Maximum Manoeuvrability

JCB’s new improved Powerslide features a larger hydraulic ram, which produces more power to reposition the excavator quickly and effortlessly. Efficient, safe stopping power requires normal pedal effort because of the 3CX’s power brakes.

Safe and Secure

As the world’s number one backhoes, the 3CX backhoe loaders deliver supreme power and productivity. To balance all that performance and desirability, there’s safety, security and serviceability aplenty too. An optional stabiliser warning system lets 3CX backhoe loader operators know if stabilisers aren’t fully retracted when the machine is on the move. The 3CX are safe machines to get in and out of, with large anti-slip of an open grille design to stop material build-up. To keep operators safe even when using powered attachments, we fit an optional impact-protected rear screen to these backhoes. This also makes glass replacement easy. There’s a large lockable toolbox onboard for safe storage. An optional JCB keypad immobiliser adds to machine protection and allows the operator to key in a sequence of numbers to activate the starting of the machine. An alternative option to this is the unique JCB key featuring a built-in circuit chip – each backhoe loader can only be started by its’ own, unique key.

Serviceability

To save more time and effort, these backhoes are designed to offer grouped single-side servicing. Our one-piece bonnet is easy to lift, and there’s no need to remove extra side panels. Refuelling of a 3CX can be done from the ground level. We’ve got a patented rear stabiliser wear pad design, with a fast and simple adjustment. JCB LiveLink telematics provides an array of information to optimise fleet management and machine reliability.

Source: JCB Australia