Jeckyl1920
Well-Known Member
So, I'm doing some research. My background, backhoes, skip loaders and skidsteers, with some loaders and scrapers, water trucks and dumps.
I got wind of the JCB hydradig, and think it is very versatile and useful, but the limitations worry me a bit. From what I see of it, it's a fancy backhoe with no loader bucket and better maneuvering and positioning. This makes it faster for normal excavations, and you can hug a wall with its swing boom. However.....
I rate a 109 hp, 12.5 ton machine to be in the same ballpark as a cat 450. The beauty is you can move instantly and accurately. The bad is it doesn't have an extending stick. This means you move more often, and can't dig as deep(5 ft on the depth rating).
The other issue being, it's lift rated at about 1.5 ish ton at max reach off the tires. Since ducks specialize in being versatile, is this a problem?
Would dropping pipe in a hole be a problem with this lack of reach and lift capacity?
Is a standard duck with no swing boom more useful since the main function would be reaching materials around and across excavations, and excavating on building pads?
Is there a cool niche that this thing fits in that can be marketed in the 'mericas, and I'm just not seeing it?
I feel like this is basically a housing tract excavator, and doesn't much fill in the whole job it's trying to fill anywhere else, or am I wrong?
Any suggestions on machines that have good reach, lift, and stability while not being overly large and hard to tow?
My goal is to market an Engcon and Trimble equipped duck to this stubborn market, but I dont want to lose my butt trying to make it work.
Would a tiltrotator more or less make the boom swing seem overkill?
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
I got wind of the JCB hydradig, and think it is very versatile and useful, but the limitations worry me a bit. From what I see of it, it's a fancy backhoe with no loader bucket and better maneuvering and positioning. This makes it faster for normal excavations, and you can hug a wall with its swing boom. However.....
I rate a 109 hp, 12.5 ton machine to be in the same ballpark as a cat 450. The beauty is you can move instantly and accurately. The bad is it doesn't have an extending stick. This means you move more often, and can't dig as deep(5 ft on the depth rating).
The other issue being, it's lift rated at about 1.5 ish ton at max reach off the tires. Since ducks specialize in being versatile, is this a problem?
Would dropping pipe in a hole be a problem with this lack of reach and lift capacity?
Is a standard duck with no swing boom more useful since the main function would be reaching materials around and across excavations, and excavating on building pads?
Is there a cool niche that this thing fits in that can be marketed in the 'mericas, and I'm just not seeing it?
I feel like this is basically a housing tract excavator, and doesn't much fill in the whole job it's trying to fill anywhere else, or am I wrong?
Any suggestions on machines that have good reach, lift, and stability while not being overly large and hard to tow?
My goal is to market an Engcon and Trimble equipped duck to this stubborn market, but I dont want to lose my butt trying to make it work.
Would a tiltrotator more or less make the boom swing seem overkill?
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.