JCB 3CX Contractor BACKHOE 

Hey glad you liked it ! I thought you'd like the side-shift !

I have driven machines with 300 hours on that haven't been half the machine that one is. Thanks for dropping by Nate !

The 3C was amazing in its day Duncan and can still put in a shift now. I've just bought one so it will be interesting to compare old and new side by side.

I love to see a side by side comparison please. My dad 83 would be interested. I remember driving the 3c and the front buc j et bobbing up and down. Didn't matter to much in 1974 couldn't get much over 15mph.

It's something we have already got planned 👍

Those are the things that speed the job up no end Wyatt.

You're welcome. Stay tuned for the next machine - it ain't so good....

That's out there ! Cheers Buddy.

Hey Clint ! Nice to see you around ! Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks ! Glad you could join us !

I think when you're young also you get a bit of a kick from toughing it out on a rugged, rough old yoke but as you get older, you want a nice, easy to operate machine, quiet, warm/cool and comfortable !

Side shift is a game changer when working in and beside tight areas Lloyd.

Good stuff ! Glad you liked it.

from what year is jcb

You can hopefully see the difference between the two machines William. Thanks for dropping by.

Volvo are lovely machines.

Cheers William, it's a nice machine despite the high hours. Thanks for watching !

It's not actually hydrostatic per se Don - I am not a huge fan of hydrostatic transmissions but these Powershifts are much better than the old torque converters. Its very smooth, power delivery is constant and the shifts are positive and not clunky.

You'd be surprised how far they will go before becoming unstable - you'll lose your nerve before they lose their footing. I'll go take a look at the vid !

That's what happened. We'd just got it, was more comfortable after I'd used it for a while.

Brilliant things Abner, moving packs of blocks or IBC's around the site is as easy as pie with those forks. The old JCB I got has them also.

You can throw them forward to reverse no worries and if you did it by accident on the road then it will just trip the fuse, no big dramas. I always apply the brake to take up any play or slack when shuttling so it doesn't throw all the weight into the other direction immediately, it's a habit I still have from driving loading shovels. Speeds are almost the same if not identical back and forwards which is great for loader work. Some great questions as ever Dan.

I've certainly spent time in worse cabs than that ! I reckon an M reg would be about 1994/5 so probably (trying to remember) a Project 12 which I never really liked either.

Yeah just looked through my old photos, project 12 it was!

About 7 and a half tons plus a bit more for fuel etc. Depends what the ground is like you're working on but in all honesty, you won't beat a tracked machine for ditching.

mostly it's about 6 to 8 inches of top soil over sandy clay with inclusions of broken rock. Only reason for the jcb would be for travelling on the road between different fields. Cheers for the advice.

I spent a fair bit of time on the conventional JCB levers so I can make one work but I have to think for a day or two when coming off a 360 machine !

Yes ! Still can't get over it having 9820 hours on it and being as nice as it is. Okay, a bit of paint has started to come off and been overpainted here and there but mechanically it was a real powerhouse.

What hp is it?

Yes, unless there's something I am missing, being able to walk the machine out of a mess would be a slow chore to say the least. It can be done but not anywhere as easy as the older machines.

I still think that the operator on the backhoe when he was at the top of his game was the most impressive to watch, I remember one guy digging footings in sand and then walking the machine into the middle without dropping pace, it was as if you just stepped over it on foot and as quick and I remember wanting to get that good as he was he didn't even drop a cup of sand in as he went and he did that all day long. I hear exactly what your saying Kurt there are many many improvements in these machines in both safety, handle, comfort and ease of operation but we are now in an era where they produce them by the engineers working for the company and many are losing contact with the on the ground users which is never a good thing, changing the control to one end or the other instead of a live circuit makes it cheaper to use, but we never bumped the controls and if you ground attachments and come back to idle then you can talk safely to anyone on the ground without having to kill all circuits but they are trying to make them for anyone with no experience to operate, and there has always been operators and drivers and the difference is light years apart but unfortunately drivers THINK they are as good as the Operator but that is only in their dreams.

Oh By the way I forgot to say, Another fantastic Video My Friend with great well explained content and friendly reliable information in the comments section which is a great thing instead of people being dealt with like cattle.

I used to think that way but it's like p*ssing into the wind and things have changed so we have no choice but to go with them or get out. The thing I like is seeing someone made to look good with a modern machine then floundering like a fish out of water when they are stuck on an older machine which I can drive with my eyes closed !

Oh Mate you crack me up, You bring such wonderful clarity to things that I Love about you, not only do they flounder but they also don't get how we operated them like an octopus with multiple fingers feeling and working independent of the others but all still in unison. As well they don't see until its either shown or explained how much more versatile the machines were when you could control everything or wild down the road when the deadly bounces really got going. I guess we will always Love the old stuff along with the New

None with me...! Yes, you wonder how much of it was waiting around on jobs ?

A days work's just not the same without them James !

Give us a few weeks Lynn and we'll see.....! ;-)

Probably one of the earlier 3CX's Wayne because the 3C before it (around the same time the 580F was about but not many 3C's in the States) would outpush a Case day in and day out but then when the 3CX first came out it didn't have the grunt and grip of the older 3C and the Case outperformed them in a lot of ways. Case were always quicker on the backhoe than JCB. I've driven a lot of Case machines including the F, G, Super K and M and I have to say I always liked them.

All depends on what you want to do with them.

@@LordMuck landscaping and building a mountain bike track and other light work

Probably on balance a mini digger

@@LordMuck thanks mate I really appreciate it for your time, carry on what your doing, absolutely brilliant !

У него есть фидер на заднем плече. Да, это гладкая машина!

как же мне эти трахтора надоели ....... но ничего лучшего я в этой ,,жизни,, делать так и не научился !

Why would it ?

Further North, further East... Thanks for watching !

Lord Muck fair play, enjoying your videos and sense of humour. Being in London, I don't get to see any of this stuff! sad really

Hey ! You get to play with locos and Gardners ! Glad you are enjoying the vids. Good to have you along.

Hi Sebastian, JCB has excellent parts back up, CAT has good power and tear out but overall it's probably the 3CX as an all rounder.

@@LordMuck What you think about those new JCB engines? Compare to Perkins

I like them, they're quiet and good on fuel. Perkins are a solid engine but most have done high hours now.

@@LordMuck New machine only.

JCB

Darn seagulls and rakins.

I prefer the joysticks overall and as it's under warranty it's not an issue if it goes wrong but I know what you mean about the straight sticks and I still like the feel of control with them.

With the right operator a 4CX will out perform a 3CX Contractor. They push like an old 3C and are much more stable than a 3CX. That said I loved the Contractor and would have another.

Can't remember, I think I mention it in the video though.

That's what the Americans are used to. We are working on getting a side shift sent over to a colleague of mine to try out so he can see the difference. They tend to stick with what they know.

@@LordMuck an who am I to question the boffins at JCB! 😜👍

Rob owns the 4CX and I have the 3C

Yes I must admit that I don't find the standard sticks a bother. The turning circle was better than I thought.

My wristwatch ?

Yes, sir@@LordMuck

It's a military G10. It's one of the only watches I've found to put up with the knocks and abuse I put them through.

@@LordMuck Very good! I use a G-Shock when im working. I have a MOD watch from 1944 on a NATO but I cant bring myself to wear it when im working. The G10 looks like a good alternative.

Use the 44 when going out, not for work. G10 will do everything you ask of it.

Not as easily as the older ones but yes, it can be done with the override function

i have driven a 3cx with advanced easy control for 5000 hrs and the overide button works when seat is facing opposite way but rocker switchhas to be on the one you want to use . the switch on the flour movesit from the the old controls to the 360 controls

You use front or rear service and place under pressure, roll rocker with you wrist then operate over-ride and pull/push with opposite service. It's not as easy as the older machines but still walks them out when stuck.