JCB’s range of loaders

Date: 18.08.2009

JCB distributor Landpower and Claas Harvest Centres have a complete range of materials handlers to complement any farming or contracting situation in New Zealand

The 526-56 is compact and manoeuvrable
The 536-60Agri offers more capacity
The Agri Super range are suitable or the large-scale farmer, featuring high performance and payload
The new Agri Super engines provide more power, torque and better fuel economy
The Farm Master models are ideal for forage harvesters and make quality silage

The range starts with the newest loadall model, the 526-56. This model was released late 2008 with excellent feedback from customers who have purchased these machines.

The latest JCB Agri Loadall 526-56 has a 100hp Dieselmax engine and is similar in size to the popular 526/526S. But a key difference is that the engine is mounted to the side rather than the rear. This makes for better visibility and improved productivity.

Tim Stocker, Landpower New Zealand, says the compact dimensions of the new 526-56 Agri and its exceptional manoeuvrability make it ideal for operation in tight spaces like silage pits and inside farm buildings.

With a maximum lift height of 5.6 metres and a payload of 2600kg, it will meet the requirements of many farming and contracting operations and is the perfect machine for loading feed mixer wagons.

For farmers and contractors requiring a little more capacity but who don’t require the extra features of the Agri Super, there is the JCB 536-60Agri. This machine offers a payload 3600kg and a maximum lift of 6.2m, which is ideal for the farming or contracting situation where all of the work is on one farm or yard.

For the large-scale farmer or contractor that requires a high performance machine there are three popular Agri Super (AS) Loadall models – the 531-70AS, 536-60AS and the 541-70AS. Powered by a 130hp turbocharged engine, the 531-70 has a 3100kg payload and a maximum lift height of 7.0m. The 536-60 AS have a payload of 3600kg and a maximum lift of 6.2m and the 541-70 AS have a payload of 4100kg and a maximum lift of 7.0m.

Tim says all-new Agri Super Loadalls now incorporate a Tier 3 Dieselmax engine – an electronic controlled engine that provides four percent more power and increased torque in the 1300-2200rpm range.

He says the benefits of this new engine, which utilises common-rail electronic fuel injection technology, include an improved power to weight ratio, greater pushing power and towing capacity and better fuel economy. This combined with the six-speed Powershift transmission with torque lock-up means that all of the Agri Supers have a true 40kph road speed even when towing a trailer.

New Agri Super Loadalls also incorporate Vari-Flo hydraulics, which utilise a 140 litre/minute variable displacement pump to provide fast cycle times, even at low speeds. Key advantages of this hydraulic flow-on-demand system include lower fuel consumption and reduced heat generation in the hydraulic system.

Productivity is further boosted by an improved hydraulic joystick that allows the operator to steer, operate the hydraulics and change direction – all at the same time. For ease of use, the directional change switch is located on the underside of the joystick. The left-hand directional lever has been retained so that the operator has the option of using either method of changing direction.

To round out the JCB offering is the Farm Master range of wheeled loaders. These machines have been specially designed with the forage harvester owner in mind. There are two models offered, which are the 414S and 434S models.

Both Farm Masters are powered by Tier 3 6.7-litre Cummins engines. The 414S has 165hp and the 434S is rated at 230hp. This, combined with the machines’ operational weight (414S 9,500kg, 434S 13,000kg), mean both machines have a high horse power per tonne. This gives both machines the power to push silage up the biggest silage stacks yet they still have the weight to compact them to an optimum level to make good quality silage.

The 414S is designed to work with the smaller to medium sized self-propelled silage chopper. The bigger 434S is designed to work with the largest self-propelled silage choppers.

Read in-depth machinery reviews in the latest issue of Deals On Wheels magazine, on sale now.

Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.