Outward changes to new JCB Loadall telescopic handlers making their UK debut at the LAMMA show, Peterborough in January 2016 are so subtle that even the most ardent machinery enthusiast will be hard-pressed to spot them.
But close inspection of the Loadall 536-60, 541-70, high-lift 535-95 and the bulk handling champion 560-80 on display reveals a new ‘Loadall’ decal on the door and bright red ‘Agri’ decals to identify the latest versions of the World’s Number One telescopic handler! The other Loadall telehandlers produced to the new specification are the 531-70; the 536-7; and the 550-80.
The only clue to their latest-spec identity is the lack of an external exhaust silencer – this is now housed beneath the engine hood and incorporates a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) urea injection system as a compact ‘one can’ solution that meets the requirements of the Euro Stage IV / US Tier 4 Final emissions legislation. The JCB EcoMAX T4 final engine’s efficient combustion means there is no need for an expensive diesel particulate filter (DPF) and its additional service requirements.
Housing the silencer and SCR system beneath the engine hood protects this hardware from the weather, mud and dust. And because the engine hood itself is unchanged from previous models, visibility to the side and rear three-quarters is just as good as before.
All Loadall Tier 4 telescopic handlers have 4.4-litre or 4.8-litre JCB EcoMAX T4 Final engines with the same power and torque characteristics as before, providing peak outputs of 109hp, 125hp and 145hp – so adding the SCR system has had no detrimental impact on machine performance.
As a result, the latest machines maintain the competitive ownership costs established by their predecessors through low fuel consumption and high productivity, making them the most cost-effective option for efficient on-farm materials handling.
Average fuel consumption of just 5.97 litres/hr – £2.65/hr at current diesel prices – has been recorded by JCB LiveLink telematics from more than 4,200 Loadall telescopic handlers, ranging from the 2.6 tonne, 5.6 metre 526-56 to the 6 tonne, 7.9 metre 560-80 bulk loader, while clocking up more than 2.5 million machine hours on a range of agricultural applications.
Apart from the inherent fuel efficiency of the JCB EcoMAX engine, a significant contribution comes from JCB’s industry-leading Smart Hydraulics package, which includes a regenerative oil flow system that allows the boom to be lowered faster than usual at modest engine speeds. Side-by-side comparisons show this can be exploited to improve loading cycle times by as much as 20% or to reduce the amount of fuel used to move a given amount of material by 15%.
A new high flow auxiliary hydraulics option delivering up to 105 litres/min flow at 190 bar for bale spreaders, sweeper brushes and similar implements with a high demand for oil and hydraulic power joins the other Smart Hydraulics features.
These include the new ‘auto’ mode for the Smooth Ride Suspension (SRS) boom cushioning, which saves operators having to switch modes with the Loadall stationary; an auxiliary hydraulics pressure relief valve for quicker and easier attachment change-over; and the Bucket Control System, which saves operators having to make repeated joystick movements to shift sticky materials from a grab or bucket.
