JCB to unveil new materials handling machines in Birmingham

The company will be showcasing its machines in Hall 17, on stand 740 at the LAMMA Show, being staged at NEC Birmingham on January 15 and 16. 

In addition to featuring the JCB Fastrac iCON high-speed tractors, the exhibit will underscore JCB’s leading role in efficient materials handling, with innovative British-built solutions that include the world number one Loadall telescopic handler range and wheeled loaders purpose-built for agriculture from ultra-compact machines to the biggest and most powerful loading shovels.

New to the Loadall telehandler line-up are top-spec AGRI Pro versions of the 538-60 and 560-80, the former bringing the 50kph DualTech VT hydro-mechanical transmission to the 6m class for the first time, providing hydrostatic drive for precision low-speed control and auto powershift direct drive for efficient field and road travel.

The AGRI Pro spec also features an uprated driveline with heavier-duty axles, wider tyres and a dual-axle power braking system to further raise the productivity potential of these machines.

For high-lift operations – particularly stacking and retrieving bales – the new JCB Loadall 542-100 combines 4.2 tonne lift capacity and 9.8m lift height with the 40kph or 50kph DualTech VT transmission.

Yet despite these all-round gains – including the heavier duty driveline on the 50kph version – the newcomer is no bigger than the continuing 536-95, so it has the manoeuvrability needed for every-day work in and around farm buildings.

Two new wheeled loaders are at opposite ends of the performance spectrum – the 403E Full Cab is a battery-electric ultra-compact machine with special control features to keep the operator warm and comfortable with least possible impact on work time.

Meanwhile, the latest JCB 435S heavy-duty silage and muck loader gains significantly increased power and torque throughout the engine’s operating speed range, with peak power up 12 per cent to 282hp equating to an unequalled 19hp per tonne power-to-weight ratio.

New six-speed powershift control features lift performance efficiency on the clamp and on the road, and the 435S also has a new load weighing option that can be factory-installed on other top-end JCB wheeled loaders, as well as all full-size JCB Loadall telescopic handlers.

JCB’s market leading telescopic wheeled loader range gets two all-new mid-range machines – the TM280 with 109hp and hydrostatic drive, and the TM280S with 130hp and DualTech VT hydro-mechanical drive – in a package barely 2m wide and 2.6m tall.

This compact size has been achieved by a new chassis design that houses the powertrain as low as possible while still delivering 2.75 tonne lift capacity and 4.8m lift height.

JCB also promises another new TM telescopic wheeled loader to further expand the already comprehensive range – but details are being kept under wraps until final specifications and equipment are decided.