Make Your Kit Work Harder For You

Watling JCB, one of the largest JCB sole franchises in the world, teamed up with Smith Construction in July to bring the next in their series of Dig Days to Milton Keynes. The event gave heavy machinery owners and operators a chance to get 'behind the sticks' of Watling JCB's wide range of machines and try each one for themselves. Star players of the day included the X range of excavators and JCB's E-Tec mini excavator.

Originally launched in March 2018 with the 210 X and 220 X crawler excavators, JCB’s X Range received three new additions in 2019. The new machines, all in the 13-16 tonne class, were launched publicly in June at this year’s Plantworx. The 131X, 140X and 150X are each purpose built for groundworking specialists. Since the public launch of these new tracked excavators, interest has been growing among fans looking to add JCB machinery to their fleets.

The 140 X Tracked Excavator certainly proved popular at Watling JCB’s July event. The 15-tonne machine, which is a direct replacement for the popular JS130, has been upgraded in several ways. The aim of the developments is to increase efficiency, strength, operator comfort, and performance. The engine has been upgraded to a more efficient 81kW JCB EcoMAX tier 4/Stage V engine.

The EcoMAX engines have been tested to 110, 000 hours in 70 machines across a range of tough conditions to ensure it is as effective as possible.

All three of the new additions are 80mm wider than their predecessors allowing for increased operator comfort. The extra space allows for the machine to feature JCB’s widely renowned CommandPlus cab. The cab, which was released a couple of years ago to rave reviews from operators, is spacious and quite comfortable. The double cushion viscous mounts reduce vibration and noise, allowing the cab to reach as little as 67dB during operation. While the strategic vents mean the cab regulates temperature in hot and cold weather. The day of the Milton Keynes events tested JCB’s claims as the temperature reached a staggering 28 o Celsius. The cabs performed admirably.

The X Series proves a viable option for companies looking to employ a younger workforce. One of the key quotes of the day came from a conversation with Steelwrist regarding the risks of an aging workforce: ‘make your kit work harder for you’. The X series range certainly aims to make your Plant Machinery work harder, being designed to start digging within two seconds thanks to the Start-stop button sequence.

JCB continue to impress clients with their large and small machinery alike. For more information about Watling JCB Dig Day Events, head to their website at www.watling-jcb.com

JCB 140X specs

Stage IV/Tier 4 JCB ecomax engine

Low in-cab noise of 67dB

Command Plus Cab

Maximum engine power: 81KW

Operating weight: 16, 170KG

Maximum Bucket Capacity: 0.89m 3