jcb 214s owners opions

[mr snow]

i am looking at buying a 214s and looking for owners opions on the machine. Any problems with 4 wheel steer and if it is worth the money over the 214

[mr snow]

oops!!! I spelled opinion wrong!!

[DR RPM]

Have tried all JCB's models, the S models seem to burn more fuel for the same hoe attachment so the bigger front tires and the all wheel steer don't seem to make the extra horsepower and cost worth it. :bash

[Firefly]

JCB are junk (just my 2 cents). A Cat or a John Deere will out perform them any day of the week.

[synner]

with the 4 wheel steer and excellent balance of the 4 large tires our JCB 214S will go places and do work other machines wouldn't think of. Combined with the 4 in 1 bucket its an awesome machine.

[Ford LT-9000]

This person has prolly already bought a backhoe but I have spent quite a few hours in a JCB 4x4x4 like you are talking about its a 17,000lb backhoe. My opinion I wouldn't buy one they are JUNK they are too tippy,cheaply built,no power the thing is like a bull in a china shop.

I have ran Case machines far far nicer the only good thing the JCB would be for is a loader on flat ground as for a rubber tired backhoe forget it.

I had so many pucker moments in the JCB I had to pull the seat out of my azz crack a few times I almost flopped it on its side.

Want a good backhoe go with a 590 Case it will out work the JCB anyday.

[osborneconst]

My Dad bought a JCB 214s 4x4 extend a hoe Dec. of 2004. It is a pretty good machine. I dont think it as good as the previous JCBs though. Seems it doesnt quite have the power that our other JCB had. It does not go as fast if you drive it on the roas. It idles louder, may just have been set to high, not sure. The extend-a-hoe is nice, but not a lot of power when you get it slid all the way out. The machine is stable, probably one of the most stable on the market, or it is supposed to be anyway. Overall it is a good machine. If we were buying one now or soon I would probably say we would go with the new John Deere when the come out with the new controls that let the joysticks control the loader and the backhoe. Just my opinion though.

By the way I just found this site about a week ago and I love it. Lots of useful information and it is always good to find out what other people think about machines and such.

Mark

[itsgottobegreen]

I run a JCB 1550 2wd all the time. I hate it. But the boss man swears by it. Oh well he signs the paychecks in the winter time. I keep threating to take it to the JD dealer and trade it in for him for a JD 410e. :rolleyes: Someday he will listen to me.

[Mr HMK]

well,

they call it "4x4x4". means, 4wheel drive, 4 wheel steer, 4 equal size wheels.

0- Normally all machines built with 4 equal sized wheels!
1- This helps to get almost perfect stability.
2- Also Small front wheels can not handle weight over 3-3,5 tonnes. There fore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
3- Traditional backhoes', back wheels speed never equals to small front wheels. Equal wheels turn with equal speed. Therefore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
4- 4 wheel steering machines can make parallel parking in narrow areas without manouevre. This helps you works safer and faster
5- While using the loader, small front wheels does not contact with ground perfectly. On 4x4x4 machines, if front wheels' contact get lost, back steering wheels help to turn machine. this proves perfect control.

Hmmh, I dont know the worth of this option (4x4x4). But JCB offers this for an extra 10.000 € in europe. :eek:

Ok it's technically perfect but sooo expensive.

[CAT245ME]

When I was in high school, I did a work experiance program at a heavy equipment dealer that sold JCB and I dont recall seeing a backhoe sold during my time there, and I dont think it has gottin ant better because I have only seen 1 JCB within the last year and that was a 4x4x4 model, around fredericton you can hardly go a day without seeing a J.D or Case backhoe working some where.

[Ford LT-9000]

If all you were going to use a 4x4x4 JCB for is a loader on flat ground it would be fine otherwise it doesn't make a good all purpose backhoe. I would rather have a Case or Deere anyday over a JCB.

If the JCB 4x4x4 didn't have 4wheel steering it would be completely useless I have run it in 2wheel steering when I was in certain situations. The center of gravity in the JCBs is too high those big front tires give up alot of stability.

I have had the JCB on the verge of tipping on its side a few times let me tell you it scared me quite abit.

[Squizzy246B]

Two guys in my area say buy one and it will break your bank and your heart within the year.....you can get women like this too!

Seriously I know one of these guys well. He is currently trying to sell his 04 model because its in the shop more than it works. They do not seem to be a well finished machine and maintainability is horriffic.

[Tigerotor77W]

Honestly, I think some element of it has to do with JCB's presence. They're very strong in Europe, but that brand image fades (along with dealer support if the main HQ doesn't send out spares quickly enough) in other areas of the world. On paper, however, JCB backhoes are nearly unmatched 1:1 in every performance category.

And Squizz -- you have a 248B now!

[Mr HMK]

Here is the first 4x4x4 backhoe on the world. made by Hidromek of Turkey. it was manufactured in 1991.

JCB folowed that application... later, Case (european) and others. Now Cat had started producing 4x4x4 backhoe (444E). I think sooner or later this design will replace with regular types.

[Cat420]

I'm not sure of the model number, but Cat makes an AWS backhoe in Europe that has standard size tires (rears bigger than fronts). It would be interesting to see how that works compared to the ones with equal size tires.

[Ford LT-9000]

I ran another JCB backhoe but it was a 4x4x4 with smaller wheels it had the same size wheels you would find on the front of a regular backhoe maybe slightly larger that machine was no where near as tippy as the other JCB I was running with the bigger tires. I forgot the model number of the machine I ran last year.

The 4wheel steering is nice for some situations but for digging out of bank or a hard pile of material I was constantly switching the 4wheel steering off so the machine would dig. I found the machine didn't have enough power you really had to work the bucket to keep it from spinning wheels.

The biggest problem with the JCB I was running is the road speed its frigging SLOW I even had a 590 Case 4x4 backhoe pass me I had to pull over and let him by. I never did catch up the 590 was gone.

Places that would take me 15 minutes in a P/U truck would easily take 30 mins or more in the JCB. My right foot would go numb holding the throttle pedal to the floor.

The other problem was the brakes are terrible if I ran the machine it was fine but the other guys run the machine for a day the brakes ended up screwed up. I only used the brakes if I had to I always took my foot off the throttle before a hill and let the engine hold back the machine.

[CEwriter]

For the record:

The Terex 970B is a 4x4x4. See http://www.terexca.com/products/pdfs/TX970B.pdf

As is the New Holland B115. See http://construction.newholland.com/products/model.aspx?navid=74&RL=ENEU&lineid=415&seriesid=2558&modelid=8867

JCB makes the S machine in three different sizes.
http://www.jcb.com/(b53muuz2hnlru355hpnp5b55)/products/product.aspx?rid=24&ind=construction

And Cat makes all-wheel steering (with smaller front wheels/tires) available as an option on the 442D in Europe but not North America.
http://unitedkingdom.cat.com/cda/layout?m=65265&x=7

ADios,

Larry

[CEwriter]

Ooops, overlooked Komatsu's WB150AWS. Also all-wheel steer.
http://www.komatsuamerica.com/index.cfm?resource_id=113

ADios,

Larry

[Mr HMK]

Here is the 4x4x4 CAT 444E also 442E it is 4x4x2.
Also HMK102S by Hidromek .

[Tigerotor77W]

HMK -- where were the photos of the E BHL taken?

[Mr HMK]

These are taken in Denmark.

[CascadeScaper]

E series...mmmm....

[CEwriter]

Cat introduced its E Series backhoe loaders to North America last month at World of Concrete. I went to the press conference, and you'll find my notes (these are just NOTES, so they're rough -- be kind) pasted below.

Construction Equipment magazine will publish a field test of the 420E IT in our March issue.

For the time being, check out the attached photos from the press kit

Caterpillar found itself in the position of market challenger with its entry into the backhoe loader market in 1980s. They attacked the positions of entrenched leaders, like Case and Deere and JCB, in worldwide markets, with technology. Cat's A Series was the first backhoe loader with variable-displacement piston pumps powering the hydraulic system. The B Series brought the arched, excavator-style boom to backhoe loaders. The C Series included the first integrated toolcarrier versions of backhoe loaders, with parallel-lift loader arms and quick-attach couplers front and rear. And the D Series made excavator-style pilot hydraulic controls standard on the flagship models at a time when many manufacturers weren't offering pilot-hydraulic controls, and those that did were offering the feature as an option only. The new E Series introduces the industry's first factory-installed electronic platform that accommodates an AccuGrade electronic grade-reference system and which promises to be the foundation of automated digging functions in the future.
Product Link and AccuGrade are options on the E Series for the first time. The AccuGrade BHL Site Reference System adds position sensors to the backhoe's hydraulic cylinders which allow it to determine the position of the bucket relative to a known reference point on the site. An inclinometer measures the pitch and yaw of the tractor so it does not have to be set up per-fectly level. This is Cat's entry-level system for the backhoe loader market.
You put a bucket tooth on a point marked with an elevation, like a grade stake, curb, or manhole, and hit the button to set the AccuGrade memory at this known reference and enter the elevation. Before swinging the backhoe to work, you program in the desired grade of the finished work. AccuGrade calculates the bucket position relative to the known reference point and indicates on a monitor mounted in the cab if the bucket is above, below, or on grade. It's expected to be about a $10,000 option.
Cat calls this the "cornerstone for future product growth and enhancements," and plans to introduce the AccuGrade BHL Laser System before the end of 2006. A laser receiver mast on the backhoe loader will integrate the E Series backhoes with laser reference systems, and the laser will replace the known reference point on the site. The system not only improves work accuracy and productivity, but it can also raise utilization on existing lasers.
The E Series is hardly just an electronic warm-over, though. Cat engineered all new frames, booms, sticks and drive trains for the new models. Cat moved the backhoe sweet spot – the bucket position where boom, stick and bucket forces are greatest – closer to the opera-tor, and most backhoe forces increased 10 percent on the 420E and 430E. Backhoe linkages and buckets were redesigned to handle the strain.
A new flow-sharing hydraulic valve stack ensures flow to all functions even when using several at the same time (under different circuit pressures and flow requirements). For exam-ple, engaging boom, stick and swing flow when coming up out of the trench.
All of the E-Series sticks are thumb-ready, and Cat is the first to market with an optional factory-installed hydraulic thumb.
Cat redesigned its extendible dipper stick as an exterior slider to improve the thumb mount-ing and the extending member's structural integrity. Wear pads can be adjusted with common tools in about 30 minutes, compared to the two-hour process necessary with its predecessor.
There are no more controls on the backhoe-operating floor. They've all been moved to roller switches on the joysticks, offering proportional control of the E Stick and other backhoe accessories.
A new axle and gear ratios in the transmission hastened transport speed 25 percent to 25 miles per hour. Cat also stretched the wheelbase 4 inches to smooth out the ride. Sharper wheelcut keeps the turning radius pretty much the same as the D-Series machines.
The difference in pricing of the D and E Series backhoe loaders is expected to be negligi-ble. Cat has already raised its prices with steel surcharges, but the packages of options on the two ranges are different enough that it's difficult to compare the two series.

ADios

[TimG]

I love our 214S. We had a 580K, then a 214, now the 214S. I have heard everyone complaining about the JCB's, and I don't know what they are talking about. Both our JCB's have been great. The 214 has unparalleled pushing power and flotation, which means the world when backfilling trenches. The JCB's seem to be built much heavier, and I love the swing up rear window. I always detested the sliding one on the Case. Around here, from what I see, JCB's have pretty well taken over the market. I seem to see about 4 JCB's for every other backhoe out there. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to Case. Just my two cents.

[skata]

i ran a 217 before. the machine had a nicer interior than my truck.

i dont know if the people that bash the jcb's, were using the older models?? you can easily bash anything old.

jcb invented the backhoe, and sells the most in the world. so they must be doing something right.

jcb even supplies a high speed loader to the US Army.

JCB HMEE

[LowBoy]

There's nothing bad to say about a "Junior Corn Binder". I had a '96 214S here one winter for moving my snow when we were actually getting some back about 4 years ago. I loved it. Plenty of pushing power, fast hydraulics. Plush interiors for a TLB. Couldn't wait for it to snow at the time. Had good heat and FM radio, too. Went to tirechains.com and orderd a set of ring chains for the rear, so I never had a problem even in deep, wet snow.
The only weak spot I found was the transmission. Mine was an auction purchase, and understandably so. When the machine warmed up and was being worked in travel mode, the transmission would suddenly lock up until it cooled. I checked, rechecked, and serviced the transmission, but somewheres between it's life with me and the previous owner, the damage was done.
The used market prices are more tolerable on them compared to the big dogs (and cats,) too. I moved one recently from Syracuse, NY to Chelsea, Ma. to a guy who bought it sight-unseen from Rock & Dirt mag. Although it only rode on my trailer for 6-7 hours till it reached it's new home, there wasn't one drop of liquid underneath it. It was a '94 model 214, a little rough looking from having a hammer on it, but overall, a great deal at 20K so I thought.
I'd consider a JCB over any of the others if making a new purchase, without hesitation.:thumbsup

[mtb345]

well,

they call it "4x4x4". means, 4wheel drive, 4 wheel steer, 4 equal size wheels.

0- Normally all machines built with 4 equal sized wheels!
1- This helps to get almost perfect stability.
2- Also Small front wheels can not handle weight over 3-3,5 tonnes. There fore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
3- Traditional backhoes', back wheels speed never equals to small front wheels. Equal wheels turn with equal speed. Therefore these big front wheels last longer than small ones.
4- 4 wheel steering machines can make parallel parking in narrow areas without manouevre. This helps you works safer and faster
5- While using the loader, small front wheels does not contact with ground perfectly. On 4x4x4 machines, if front wheels' contact get lost, back steering wheels help to turn machine. this proves perfect control.

Hmmh, I dont know the worth of this option (4x4x4). But JCB offers this for an extra 10.000 € in europe. :eek:

Ok it's technically perfect but sooo expensive.




if this set up is so perfect how come cat ,jd ,case dont make one .it seems when one of them comes up with agood idea they all copy each other [banana boom , excavator control, ext stick creature comforts in the cab ]:confused:

[d4c24a]

mtb345 here in the UK cat ,case and new holland do market an equal size wheel machine to match the jcb 4cx, i personally preferred the cat with the small front wheels and all wheel steering ,when doing alot of travelling on road the jcb 4cx cannot make some turns in front wheel steering only you have to change into all wheel steer make the turn then turn back to front wheel steer hope that the wheels have aligned and continue ,as driving in all wheel steer is not recomended,but remember we have small narrow winding roads here in the UK

[pwrstroke6john]

I have 4wheel steer on my Do-Mor and I love it. I only wish that I had purchased the newer bigger terex backhoe with 4wheel steer. 4wheel steer is very nice esspecially while plowing snow when the front wheels pressure on the front wheels stops.

[Mr HMK]

if this set up is so perfect how come cat ,jd ,case dont make one .it seems when one of them comes up with agood idea they all copy each other [banana boom , excavator control, ext stick creature comforts in the cab ]:confused:


Cat, Case, New holland, JCB, HIDROMEK and Komatsu are recently producing 4x4x4 backhoes. Some of them are not marketing at US markets.

[JS580SL]

Im not a jcb fan and have not run a 4x4x4 hoe yet, but the one 214 Series III I did run was a tank in 2nd gear. Only thing I did like. I did not like the feel or setup of the controls, did not like the e-hoe, hated the way the windows curved.

Im a die hard Case man myself. Only 2 backhoes Id buy is Deere and Case.Both just as reliable.

[volvobl]

wow guys i cant belive that not many likes the jcb.

[MB@mp218]

In North America it seems JCB has a tough go, but they build a competitive machine. As for the 4x4x4 units, they have sold the lion's share of them in North America. I have a 217S Series II that I purchased used last summer. I wouldn't have anything but a 4x4x4 machine for the type of work we do around the farm. Traction and mobility in uneven / soft ground is unbeatable and the big front tires provide plenty of ground clearance. Loader performance is fast and smooth. The hoe has plenty of power and speed as well. In short, a lot of it is what you are familiar with. Overall JCB builds competitive machines but their dealer network in North America is not up to the other big three. They are resonably priced in the used market when compared to Case / Deere / Cat.