Dancing with diggers: A number of new excavators from JCB are headed for American shores

Updated Jul 12, 2013
The new box boom construction on JCB’s compact excavators, like the 8018 CTS pictured here, allows stronger digging forces.The new box boom construction on JCB’s compact excavators, like the 8018 CTS pictured here, allows stronger digging forces.

JCB unveiled a number of new and refreshed excavators at its June press launch in England. (This is the final installment of our JCB product roundup. Click these links for more on the new backhoes and wheel loaders, and for the new, high-reach telehandler.)

Compact excavators

In the compact range, the 8018 CTS and 8026 CTS models are new to North America and benefit from some 30 design changes that have migrated into the company’s compact line. The biggest change comes in boom design.

Previous models had a tubular boom fabrication. JCB strengthened this element with a box boom style construction. Hoses are routed through the center of the boom to protect them from damage. The boom cylinder was also repositioned from an underslung position to the top of the boom where it’s less likely to get bent or nicked, a common danger when truck loading.

The 8026 CTS compact excavator gets a 24 horsepower engine and a variable displacement hydraulic pump.The 8026 CTS compact excavator gets a 24 horsepower engine and a variable displacement hydraulic pump.

The kingpost, dipper nose and bucket links on these models now feature replaceable steel bushings for increased durability and ease of maintenance. Cast steel counterweights and engine hoods stand up to rough use, especially important in the rental market.

On the 8018 lift performance has increased 52 percent thanks to the new hydraulic valve block. Lifting performance over the dozer is boosted approximately 30 percent. The new valve block also provides better fault control isolation, meaning the boom won’t drift downward when holding a load up high, which enhances safety.

The 8018 runs on a 19.2 horsepower engine and  a triple-section gear pump and offers a bucket breakout forceof 3,642 pounds. Short pitch tracks improve operator comfort during travel.

The 2.7-ton 8026 machine gets a 24-horsepower engine and a variable displacement hydraulic pump. A redesigned undercarriage offers greater stability and durability. Breakout forces were balanced for higher productivity.

The electro-proportional hydraulic circuit on the 8026 can power a wide range of hand tools and the bucket-to auxiliary changeover system uses a ball valve and quick release connectors similar to the system used on JCB’s 4.5- and 8-ton excavators.

Full size excavators

The JS160 excavator gets a revised, low noise cab and a Tier 4 Interim engine.The JS160 excavator gets a revised, low noise cab and a Tier 4 Interim engine.

The JCB JS160 and JS190 have been launched with JCB Ecomax Tier 4 interim engines that do not require the use of a diesel particulate filter.  These two, along with the rest of the JS model line received a revised cab interior with lowered noise levels and a seven inch full color control monitor. The monitors offer customizable home screens and color coded bars for selecting different work modes.

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Full electronic control of the engines enable the use of an enhanced telematics solution, JCB LiveLink. With this system you can remotely manage fuel consumption and critical machine data as well as take advantage of machine security options and PIN based codes to prevent unauthorized use.

The company is also offering more boom choices for it’s big excavators. The JS260XD can be ordered with straight boom that offers an extra 13.8 inches of pin-to-pin distance and 6.5 feet of additional vertical reach. Long reach booms are also available for the JS145, JS220, JS260, JS330 and JS360. These can reach from 42.6 to 79 feet at ground level for waterway maintenance, dredging and other specialized tasks.