Compact British 14 tonner

by Nick Drew | Tue 11 Oct 2016

Compact British 14 tonner

Bringing more of my Earthmovers Magazine articles to life on the internet now, with this feature on JCB's new 14 tonne JZ140LC.

As UK housing and construction sites become more and more congested, there is a continuing upward trend of end users who are opting for compact, reduced radius or zero tailswing excavators from 13 to 35 tonnes as their preferred machines of choice, offering them the flexibility to work in tight quarters while avoiding damage to both buildings and the machine itself, they are also extremely useful when working on single lane closure roadworks jobs, as anyone who travels up and down our motorway network will have noticed over the last decade.

The 13/14 tonne class machine is an extremely popular model in the reduced tailswing market, especially with those engaged in the house building and groundworks sector, with all the major manufacturers offering models in this weight category. But in recent times there has been one noticeable absentee from the line-up, Staffordshire based JCB, who have recently re-introduced an updated version of its JZ140LC offering. The model had taken a time out from the range as the team at Heavy Products entered a period of re-development and upgrading of the machine before bringing it back to market.

The new machine which tips the scales at 15.4 tonnes, depending on specification, is powered by a 81kw (109hp) JCB EcoMax 4 cylinder engine which is Stage 3B/Tier 4 Final emissions compliant and meets the regulations without the need for a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) or any fuel additives such as AdBlue which will without doubt please many owners and make life a lot simpler for operators at the “coal face” on a daily basis. As with most reduced tailswing machines the build height of the upper-structure is higher than your average conventional tailswing machine. Of course space has to be found for all the components of a regular machine and it always amazes me how they manage to cram them into such a small place. Clever design work is the key in these machines especially in terms of making sure components are still easily accessible for any regular servicing or future repair work.

The JZ140LC is 29% shorter than a comparable sized conventional swing machine in its weight class and when mounted on its standard UK specification 700mm wide track pads counterweight overhang is just 140mm and these compact dimensions are clearly visible as you take a walk-around the machine. On the front left hand-side of the machine three sturdy looking “gripper” style steps guide you up to the top of the machine, assisted by a hand rail on your left hand side as you climb up. In this area on a conventional tailswing model one would usually find the toolbox, but due to the shape of this machine there is actually no room for a toolbox as such, so if you are looking for somewhere to store your strops and chains, there isn’t anywhere.

Once on top of the machine access to the engine is via a gas strut assisted flat bonnet, which opens rearwards allowing for great access for the operators daily checks. This machine was also fitted with the optional boxing ring (fall from height) protection system which is rapidly becoming the expected standard specification on most UK sites these days. JCB have also installed its SMART monitoring system into this machine which it says will provide the operator with information on engine oil and coolant fluid levels from inside the cab, but I’m sure most operators from the “old school” camp would still prefer to check them manually for peace of mind.

Back down at ground level and to the left of the steps we discover a large front panel door which opens up to reveal the newly repositioned main valve block assembly which is a Japanese Kayaba design. Behind this panel is also the home to the electric refuelling pump whose pipe work folds up and stores nicely inside the door panel.

It’s just a short stride past the fuel tank to rear of the machine where you will find a smaller panel door which allows ground level access to all the main fluid filters and the hydraulic pumps which are the latest generation models from Japanese hydraulic specialists KPM (Kawasaki Precision Machinery) which according to JCB are capable of delivering improved performance with 3% better efficiency compared to previous models.

At the rear of the machine JCB have now fitted a decent sized removable cover into the counterweight. This wasn’t demonstrated to me, but I am led to believe that on the removal of six grub screws this cover which is built of a tough plastic material can be lifted off to facilitate access to the rear of the engine via a hole in the in the counterweight casting itself, a simple but clever idea for gaining access to difficult to reach and see areas.

The cooling pack on this new model is said to be 19% larger than on the old machine and has an improved design to facilitate cleaning of the cooling cores. Incredibly in this area they also find room for the batteries, air filter and a small screen wash bottle. And so to the cab, anyone who has ever operated a reduced radius machine in the past will have generally noticed that the cab is not quite as big as on a conventional radius machine, all too often it’s the space behind the seat that gets cut back. The JZ140LC features a full sized cab and yes there is space for a shelf behind the seat to locate your lunch bag, although a cargo net to retain it in place would be a welcome addition.

Elsewhere around the cab it’s the standard fare we’ve come to expect from recent JCB models in the JS range, a practical layout with a selection of rocker switches on the right hand side and the familiar throttle dial and high power selector button next to it. A full colour 7 inch monitor is fitted providing information on the machines status and a whole range of settings can be viewed and adjusted via the menu. The monitor also doubles up as the rear view camera and there is also the option to have another side mounted camera fitted if required. This demo machine was fitted with a dozer blade and the control lever for it is mounted on the right hand side between the banks of rocker switches.

The cab features the same front windscreen 70/30 split set up as the rest of the JS range and sun blinds are fitted for those winter morning sun periods and for shade during the summer months. This demo example also featured a front mounted rain shield, a very welcome addition during the great British winter and LED lights both of which are normally options only found on JCB’s Plus Pack specification models. Once again we find that full air conditioning is not a standard fitment in this size machine from JCB, only those who opt for a Plus Pack version will be privileged enough to get that.

Adjusting the seat and getting comfortable one notices the excellent all round visibility, especially out towards the offside right thanks in part to the large expanse of glass and the setting back of the access steps. Going through JCB’s standard 2Go hydraulic actuation safety system procedure I turned the key, allowed the machine to go through its warm up period and was then ready to put the machine to work. Raising the boom the first thing I noticed was how much travel there is when lifting the boom up, with boom, dipper and bucket folded right up the whole machine is extremely compact and ideal when slewing in confined spaces for instance when digging for drainage between two houses and similar types of operation. Customers can also specify a TAB boom assembly if required, a European end users popular specification which is rapidly gaining acceptance in the UK now and in all fairness it’s not hard to see why as it offers the operator such increased scope to work in.

Raising the dozer blade I tracked away to excavate a bit of trench, selecting the H + power mode setting the machine really came to life. Compared to the JS131 I had tried the previous day this was a completely different animal, but in all fairness so it should be and with an extra 35 horses under the bonnet I would have expected no less. Despite the increased power the machine is only marginally louder than the JS131 with noise level ratings of 72dB(A) inside the cab and 99dB(A) outside. The machine is fast and smooth on the proportional control joysticks and I am confident it would be just as comfortable working in one of its lower power settings which you can see displayed on a colour coded display on the monitor, but for me personally, my preference is flat out, full power when performing general digging and loading operations.

Our demo machine was working with a large bulking bucket and with a heaped bucket full over the side at full stretch the machine could become a little bit light on the back end, but having said that it’s the compromise we make when specifying a compact radius machine and you adjust your operating style to suit. This machine also coped well with an uphill slew operation with the full bucket at maximum reach too further proving its credentials in terms of hydraulic power.

Of course attachments are very much the order of the day for excavators and with that in mind this machine features Advanced Tool Select offering the operator the option to pre-set hydraulic flows and pressures for up to 10 different work tools. Tilt-rotators are the must have attachment with forward thinking owner operators and even with some contracting fleet users are now embracing the concept, with that in mind JCB are working to make their machines compatible with all the major tilt-rotator manufacturers systems.

This machine has kind of drifted in under the radar, somewhat hidden by all the hype with the launch of the revolutionary Hydradig machine, but trust me, this latest reincarnation of the JZ140 exceeded my expectations and fitted with my dream set up of a TAB boom and tilt-rotator combination would be a fantastic piece of kit to spend my days on.

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