I own a jcb, i wouldn't be afraid to drive up and have a look at it at least.
Mine has done a pile of work, and its still strong. Compared to the the 580d we had before, it is twice the machine.
My local contractor uses deere everthing except a fleet of jcb backhoes. They beat the crap out of them, and they never get service. They just keep going.
That unit will have a tandem gear pump. I imagine deere and cat of that vintage will have a variable displacement pump. I can't say how much difference that actually makes.
The 140 hours is clearly not right. Too much paint missing for that.
You will find the boom is in your siteline all the time. You get used to it, but you have to lean a lot more than on something with a narrower boom.
I haven't run a cat or deere so i can't compare, but i suspect they are all good units. I know for sure the loader probably has the most lift of any loader out there(that year anyway) The loader is a beast, there is nothing it can't lift. The bucket is 1.75 cubic yds, a bit bigger than most others that i know of. I would guess the 215 compares to a 410g, or a 420 cat. It is up powered with a lot more hydraulic power compared to the 214.
JCB sells more backhoes than all others put together in the world. No so much in North america, but everywhere else in the world for sure.
It'll have a 1004T perkins. Itll have a 4speed power shuttle. It likely won't have AC cuz for some reason JCB doesn't believe in AC as a standard item.
However, it could be pooched like anything else, so go have a look at it and give it a really good going over.
AS for volvo backhoes, stay away. I don't know anyone who has had luck with the BL series. I know the local volvo mechanics hate the damn things. They are a nightmare, everything on them seems to fail. I know a guy who bought one and it was so bad that after about 5 years they gave (and i mean GAVE) him a new one. And it was just as bad as the first. This guy runs a small fleet of volvo excavators, but the backhoes are just cursed. Stay away.
I will say they're pretty.