JCB’s 16C-1, 18Z-1 and 19C-1 mini excavators bring new designs, lots of choice

Updated Jun 10, 2017
JCB bills the 19C-1 as the premium model atop its new mini excavators.JCB bills the 19C-1 as the premium model atop its new mini excavators.

JCB has taken the wraps off a new lineup of mini excavators that includes a zero tailswing first for the company.

Ranging from 1.6 metric tons (1.76 US tons) to 1.8 metric tons (2 USt), the new 16C-1, 18Z-1 and 19C-1 each feature 100 percent steel bodywork, improved protection for hydraulic rams and hoses and a swing-out counterweight.

JCB calls the conventional tailswing 16C-1 “rental-specific” and says it is available with both fixed and retracting undercarriages, with the retractable track frame offering widths of 980-1,330 millimeters (38.5-52 inches).

The 18Z-1 is JCB’s first ever zero tailswing, 1.7-metric-ton (1.9 USt) excavator with the company saying it is “designed to meet the challenging requirements” of “all industry sectors.”

Rounding out the lineup is the 19C-1 which JCB says is the lineup’s premium model.

Engine and design

All three new excavators are powered by a 16.3-horsepower Perkins engine mounted across the rear of the machines for optimized weight distribution. JCB says each machine features improved stability and visibility.

The 16C-1’s undercarriage options aside, each of the machines come standard with a shared undercarriage design JCB says is built to extend component life, featuring sloping track legs which reduce material retention and make it easier to clean the machines between jobs. Short-pitch rubber tracks come standard on each machine with steel tracks being an available option.

The machines also feature a dozer blade with an improved design. The new blade features easy to install dozer wings and offers increased lift height and the option of standard or longer-reach dozer arms.

JCB says the new machines feature a four-plate boom and dipper design with three dipper arm lengths available: 950 mm (37 in.), 1,100 mm (43 in.) and 1,344 mm (53 in.). The main boom measures 1,800 mm (71 in.). A hydraulic quick attach is an available option, but only on the 19C-1.

Cab comforts

Inside these new machines, operators will find a roomier cab JCB says is 24 percent larger than previous mini excavators. The machines also feature redesigned track levers with T-bar controls like those found on the company’s larger excavators, and a new switch gear and instrumentation. Additional track pedals are an available option.

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The 19C-1 features a keypad immobilizer with PIN management. Meanwhile, swing control and auxiliaries are integrated into the machine’s right-hand joystick for increased floor space. Electronically proportional controlled auxiliaries are standard on the 19C-1 as well.

Push-button start is another available option for the 19C-1 as are “follow-me-home” work lights which JCB says “allow the operator to leave the machine and reach a safe distance from the excavator before dimming.”