new digger option

[Matthew Storrs]

Are JCB diggers actually made in uk still- I get that it’s a British company but it be nice to think they were still brutish built too?

[LGP Eddie]

7 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Are JCB diggers actually made in uk still- I get that it’s a British company but it be nice to think they were still brutish built too?

They are assembled here, and yes it’s one of the few places sheet steel still goes in one end and machines come out the other.

Obviously components come from all over the world, but JCB are simply the engine that powers the economy where I live.

The Engine plant is close, as is the Cab plant, with the A50 literally a main JCB artery and a great place to see kit.

 

They have good times and bad, seen massive layoffs and big Xmas bonus’s alike over the years, but they are on the up at present and so are the machines.

 

I specced an 8 tonner for a guy before Xmas, and the reality is nothing came close to what JCB could offer straight out of the factory to the exact spec required.

No messing about with third party suppliers to make modifications or buying components not required.

The price saving going this route was incredible, and the machine, an 85z turned out to be fantastic.

It’s in daily use in a Waste Transfer station, and is loaded up Saturday lunchtime for weekend duties on a Firewood operation and then back to the Transfer yard Monday.

Heading for about 700 hours already and no issues.?

 

I’m just starting a 6 tonner Project from them, should be a real nice bit of kit.?

 

I had a sneak look at their new large Excavator a couple of weeks back, someone forgot to cover it, and it’s going to be a bit of an eye opener, nothing like the current JS.

 

 

Eddie.

[dig-dug-dan]

It use to be the case that any jcb under 13 tonnes was not worth bothering about. Their micro is not god to drive, and too much plastic panels on it to be robust enough in the demands of work.

Imhired a 3.5 tonner for a job, just didmnot feel smooth and comfotable to drive compared to others. Maybe the new ones are better.

[dig-dug-dan]

On 24/01/2018 at 08:54, aspenarb said:

Buy British buy JCB . Something we should all consider with brexit on the horizon. More than happy with my LG and others but now its going to be JCB on any new purchases. Same applies to attachments, if you look into it there are more than enough uk manufactures to choose from.

 

Bob

Sorry, but brexit has nothing to do with it. All our decent excavators come from non eu countries, our trade with them will continue just the same as it does now.  But lets not get into debate about that, thats a whole other thread

[LGP Eddie]

35 minutes ago, dig-dug-dan said:

Sorry, but brexit has nothing to do with it. All our decent excavators come from non eu countries, our trade with them will continue just the same as it does now.  But lets not get into debate about that, thats a whole other thread

If you think that some JCB don’t compare with the latest Jap offerings you’re kidding yourself.

They can’t do them all overnight, but their half the Compact Range has been done and the large Excavators about to follow.

JCB will never compete on every level and to be honest if they cut their ranges in half and concentrated on them more it could possibly be a good thing for consumers, but as a business they seem to do more than ok.

The guy who purchased that 85z took his mate who literally has every Takeuchi from micro to 14 tonner to the Factory with him, he was literally stunned by their new 8 tonner and couldn’t fault it.

Its a case of getting your own experiences with JCB, not listening to the masses on Facebook and the like who when you dig deeper turn out to be a seat filler for an agency and have never even sat in the Model they are slagging off.

 

 

Eddie.

[Matthew Storrs]

51 minutes ago, dig-dug-dan said:

Sorry, but brexit has nothing to do with it. All our decent excavators come from non eu countries, our trade with them will continue just the same as it does now.  But lets not get into debate about that, thats a whole other thread

I disagree, the trade with Japan/Korea may continue as normal but why would you not want to support jcb/British if they are offering a quality product- not just diggers the same goes for anything.

[dig-dug-dan]

9 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

I disagree, the trade with Japan/Korea may continue as normal but why would you not want to support jcb/British if they are offering a quality product- not just diggers the same goes for anything.

Jcb do make some great products, and whilst i have not tried their new stuff, my experience with the local jcb dealer to me doesnt inspire me with much confidence to rush out and buy one. They couldnt fix what turned out to be a simple fault on a beaver hydraulic power pack.

 

 

[Matthew Storrs]

Yes, it’s a shame when the dealer lets the side down, it’s always worth mentioning your experience of dealers direct to manufacturer, doesn’t mean your a snitch but surely they have a right to know how their dealers are representing their products. I think I’m right in saying Hitachi excavators don’t have dealers as such anymore- sell more or less direct- could be wrong...

[aspenarb]

On 1/26/2018 at 07:09, dig-dug-dan said:

Sorry, but brexit has nothing to do with it. All our decent excavators come from non eu countries, our trade with them will continue just the same as it does now.  But lets not get into debate about that, thats a whole other thread

Will beg to differ on this. Purchase a british machine and the money stays in the country, when its fecked it goes for export and thats a win win situation as far as I am concerned. With the pound being so low against the euro decent second hand machines are very hard to come by, one machinery dealer I know does not bother to advertise them anymore, he gets top money for jamming them into a container for export without all the grief of warranties. Its not just machines either, small hand tools like a shovel, buy spear and jackson, use local suppliers .  Lots of small changes make a big difference and it does not have to hurt the wallet.

 

Bob

[difflock]

But "buy British" was, in part, what did for our Motorcycle and car businesses, or the idea that we could produce shite (when not on strike) and the British consumer would by it, simply because it was British.

Being a life-long staunch believer in a free market economy, world wide, let each person in each country do what they do best, if they can produce a better product and ship it 1/2 way round the world, for less than a local producer, tough!

marcusthehat

P.S.

I was perusing an article on the Quora site, about the production of wartime German arms, & specifically tanks, and why they simply could not compete with the UK, let alone the USA, due to the German lack of production line output, essentially because the German nation prided themselves as craftsmen, who would not stoop to work on a production line.

All very interesting stuff, for someone who has always had an admiration for German engineering excellence.

Whereas the Soviets bought into the "quantity has a quality all of its own"

And having crawled about below a Soviet era(prob 1970's/1980,s  6*6 truck, & probably a knockoff copy of a US Lendlease )truck, being used in a forestry environment down about Enniskillen, boy did the Soviet engineers know how to keep them tough & simple, like with the air brakes, where the air was used to apply the brakes, loose an airline or air pressure, you can still drive.

A sump like a bathtub to light a fire below for well sub zero starting, and no virtually electrics.

And of course shod on "Russian" tyres.