hemm-excavator01

THE EARTHMOVER AND CIVIL CONTRACTORBACKHOE/LOADERS

APRIL 1998

Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a backhoeDon Shewring, of usedequipment specialistsConsolidated Crane &Tractor, provides a “non-mechanic’s” guide toappraising usedequipment: in this case, abackhoe/loader. Byworking your waythrough the points in thisarticle, you’ll have agood guide to what aused piece of gear isworth — whether it’syour own or one you’reconsidering buying.

AS AN experienced used equipmentvaluer, but not a qualified fitter ormechanic, I have developed a style ofassessing the various types ofearthmoving equipment which satis-fies two main criteria:1 I haven’t got all day, and just can’t

afford the time. Generally a backhoecan be adequately appraised withinan hour (a fully blown fitter’s ap-praisal will take approximately fourhours, plus travelling time).

2 What is serviceable, what isn’t serv-iceable and how much will it cost tomake it serviceable?Remember, the machine’s not new

and normal wear is acceptable, as areminor faults, leaks, etc.

Keep in mind that a backhoe issimply a big “Meccano set”, built arounda drivetrain. We don’t get too excitedabout faults in the Meccano set.

Worn pins, bushes and the like canbe attended to on a Saturday afternoonwith the help of a mate or two — butrepairing a transmission or torque

converter is a different matter.Let’s go through the steps which

allow an informed decision to be madewhen buying a used backhoe.

I use a prepared check sheet. As webegin the inspection, the first thing wemust establish is the correct serialnumber, not the backhoe attachmentserial number or the loader attachmentserial number.

If in doubt, ring the distributor forthe serial number location. When armedwith the right number, you can checkwith the dealer for the actual year ofmanufacture.

We now take notes as to tyre sizeand condition, broken windows, miss-ing lights, damaged or missing bodypanels, condition of attachments, loaderframe and bucket, backhoe and bucket.Circle the machine slowly, taking noteof all faults, and check all fluid levels.

To uncover less evident problems,the inspection must be systematic; weshould mentally divide the machineinto sections and examine each section

thoroughly before moving on to thenext.

Operator’s station

Be it cab or canopy, it is most impor-tant to know if it is a “certified” ROPSstructure. If in doubt, check with thedistributor. If still in doubt, assume theworst and penalise the price accord-ingly.

Now sit in the seat. Does it needrecovering or the base repairing? Checkall the instruments, controls, switches,gauges, floor mat, hood lining, airconditioning if fitted, and take note ofindicated operating hours. Around1000-1200 hours per annum is normalfor a backhoe. Having completed thevisual inspection, you should start theengine.

Engine

This aspect of our appraisal is prettymuch standard for any piece of pow-


APRIL 1998

ered equipment. After bringing it tooperating temperature, check the tem-perature and oil pressure gauges, maxi-mum engine revolutions, the exhaustand engine breather pipe, and checkfor bubbles in the radiator.

If the temperature is too high, theremay be problems with the coolingsystem: radiator, water pump, hoses,cylinder block, head, etc.

If the oil pressure drops when theengine reaches normal operating tem-perature, it would suggest worn crank-shaft and/or big end and main bearingshells.

If the engine does not pick up to toprevolutions quickly when full throttleis applied, the engine is not sound.

Blue or white exhaust smoke indi-cates excessive oil usage. Black ex-haust indicates that the engine is usingtoo much fuel and that the fuel injec-tion may need attention.

Any blow-back through the enginebreather pipe at normal operating tem-perature indicates blow-by at the pis-tons and rings and indicates excessivewear on these items or the bore, orbroken rings.

Oil leaks from the engine and ancil-lary attachments and gaskets are indi-cations of specific problem areas whichneed rectification.

Your own eyes and ears are excel-lent judges — if the engine starts easilyand runs sweetly, doesn’t blow exces-sive smoke and is not dropping oilonto the deck, it’s usually okay.

Remember, in the world of usedequipment, a half worn-out engine, forexample with 50% life remaining, isquite acceptable, and this applies toany major component. Generally speak-ing, if we decide to buy a backhoe witha worn engine, and achieve a $6000price deduction to cover the cost ofrepairs, we will be doing okay.

You may care to take an engine oil

Non-mechanic’sguide toappraising abackhoe

Step-by-step appraisal

Behind the grill, which wasdamaged and just sitting in place,we found evidence of poormaintenance practices. The whitething coming in from the left ofthe shot is the pointer, which canbe seen in other shots. It’spointing to an accumulation ofdirt and mud built up on thehydraulic pump and oil cooler. Agood clean will fix it, but it’s a bitslack from a maintenance point ofview.

The bucket is in good condition.Some wear is evident where thebucket clam rams attach and oneram needs resealing. Always lookfor bowing at the back of 4-in-1buckets. This one is okay.

Walking around to the other side,we find the lower right-hand doorglass is broken, as shown by ourpointer.

The pointer shows the retainingstrap separating from the radiator(both sides). The radiator was justflopping around between the oilcooler and air intake and wouldhave quickly become damaged,with possible severe consequencesto the engine. This is not toodifficult to fix, but does notindicate top quality maintenance.

For the purposes of this article, we appraised a MF750/4 1995 model backhoe/loader, with approximately 3500 hours, complete with 4-in-1 loader bucket, ROPScabin, standard backhoe, sideshift, 600 mm hoe bucket.Owner: medium to large contractor.Asking price: $55,000.Initial impression: A bit rougher than we would like, it appears to have donea lot of travelling on the road and has probably had more than one operator. Ithas had slipshod maintenance.

Our photos take us over the machine and highlight the more obvious faults.

Here is the machine as traded.Note the left-hand door top glassis broken and missing. Also notethe tyres have only 15-20% liferemaining.

These spots on the ground needfurther investigation. Keep asharp eye out for the tell-talesigns which identify problemareas. Note the damaged steps.


APRIL 1998

This shot shows where to inspectthe outer front universals andshaft and seal driving into thefront planetaries.

Our pointer is indicating theengine oil filler tube covered withdusk and gunk. Above that is thebottom of the air cleanerelement. Check both the innerand outer elements. The oildipstick is to the left of the fuelfilter. The oil was black andsmelly, indicating a change of oiland filter was necessary. In fact, itis a good practice to change allfluids and filters, if notimmediately, then at the firstservice interval.

Now for the cab. This is the“office”, so spend some timemaking sure everything isworking satisfactorily and thatthe seat is in good condition andperforms all its functionscorrectly. This seat mechanismhas broken and is badly affectingthe operator’s ability to changeeasily from loading to digging.

The driver’s dash is missing thefuse box cover on the left of thewheel. Check all operations.

The rubber boot on the loadercontrol levers is torn and needsreplacing. The entire cabin needsa thorough clean and detail.Handbrake doesn’t work. Noconsole lights or gauges work (anelectrician is needed). The rearwindow latch is broken.

Don’t forget to look for the “ROPScertification” in the cab. Withoutit, machines can be thrown offmost major private and allgovernment worksites.

Checking the sideshift clamps,one is leaking. The slew rams,kingpost, travel lock mechanism,etc, are all in good operationalorder.

The stabiliser legs are in poorshape. Both rams are leaking, andrequire new wear pads. Roughoperators cause this at low hours.

Here is our pointer once again,showing the front universal,which is okay. The drive into thefront diff has no leaks and noundue noise. Note the tie-rodrubbing on the diff casing,because it has been knocked up.This will need to be fixed.

Remember those oil spots on theground? This shot shows, fromleft, the rear of the engine sump,transmission and output shaftand driveline to the front diff:leaks and more leaks.Investigation showed thetransmission input shaft sealleaking, rear diff input shaft sealleaking, transmission output shaftseal leaking, front diff outputshaft seal leaking, and a leakfrom engine sump plug. This unithas clearly done a lot of its hourson the road.

What’s this machine worth?


APRIL 1998

sample and have it analysed to find out if water or radiatorconditioner is present, indicating head gasket problems. Iam usually content with a visual inspection.

Transmission and driveline

It’s not practical to strip down the various driveline compo-nents to check for wear. However, noise is an importantindicator of wear in this area. Excessive noise in transmis-sion, diff and final drives means upcoming problems.

Road test the machine and load out of a heap if possible.How the backhoe operates at the heap generally indicateshow the torque converter is performing. Also test the brakes.

If we can’t road test, we jack the backhoe up on itsstabilisers so the wheels are clear of the ground and gothrough all the gears; any backlash in diffs or universals canbe checked at this time by listening for the distinctive soundof metal on metal in the diff as the drive is applied after eachgear change.

Also, since the machine is off the ground, we can stick ascrewdriver through the universals and check for adversewear by turning from side to side.

Driveline oil leaks should be noted at this time. Engineoutput shaft, transmission input and output shafts are primeareas for oil seal leaks from about 4000 operating hours on.

Steering

While the machine is jacked up, lift the front off the groundwith the front bucket.

Manually check for play in wheel bearings, tie-rods, stubaxles and bushes, front axle oscillation pin and bush,steering ram and pins.

If the unit is 4WD, check universals and driveshaft sealsat this time.

Normal wear is allowed; it’s excessive wear which affectssafe operation and constitutes a worry. Check all wheelstuds and nuts, as well as rims for cracks.

Hydraulics

Work the hydraulics for at least 15 minutes to bring thehydraulic oil up to operating temperature.

If there doesn’t seem to be any drop-off in hydraulicperformance when the oil is hot and no undue noise iscoming from the pump, then without putting flow andpressure gauges on the system it’s usually a fair indicationthat there is little seriously wrong with the hydraulic system.

Visual inspections will show if the hydraulic oil iscontaminated. Frothy means air is entering the system, milkymeans moisture is present, and leaking hoses or seals will beapparent.

If piston rods are scored or damaged they will leak, in turndamaging the oil seal and allowing contaminants into thesystem; these must be fixed.

Always ensure the hydraulic oil is kept spotlessly clean,

Non-mechanic’s guide toappraising a backhoe

Problem Repair estimateRadiator sidestraps broken both sides $100Bonnet struts unserviceable $100Tie-rod bent $1004-in-1 bucket control valve leak $100Transmission input seal leak $800Unloading valve needs adjustment $50Sideshift cross slide seal leaking $150Diff input seal leak (rear) $150Transmission output seal leaking $150Both stabilisers leaking $400Dipper ram seal leaking $250Hand brake unserviceable $150No console lights or gauges working $250Tacho unserviceable $100No bonnet catch $100Left-hand door top glass broken $200Right-hand door lower glass broken $100Seat seized and adjuster broken $150Fast-slow hydraulic switch unserviceable $50Right-hand stabiliser’s lever sticks $80Rear window latch broken $150Output shaft to front wheel drive, seal leaking $300Engine oil filter mount leaking $100Replace rear number plate light $100New wear pads in stabilisers $80New quick hitch safety pin $50Straighten right-hand step $150Straighten left-hand step $50New battery $80Properly secure battery $50New fuse box cover $30Recover seat $150Repair grill $150Service — new fluids and filters $400New bucket clam ram top pins $80New tyres $2500Sandblast, prime, paint, new decals and detail $2000Total $9950

MAYBE you have concluded, aswe have, that the previous ownerwas smart to quit the unit de-tailed on pages 40-41 after twoyears. He bought new, hadwarranty protection, didn’tspend much on servicing andmaintenance, used the thing pretty hard, did a lot of hardroad travel and got top bucks when he traded in.

If the previous owner had kept this unit, it would havefallen apart in another two years, given its previous treat-ment.

Spending some money on remedial repairs and sellingthis machine to a caring owner-operator will give it anotherfull and fruitful life. How much will it cost to bring it up totop order? The table below is a copy of our workings.

This is the point of the whole appraisal exercise. Eitherthe sellers give us $10,000 off the asking price of $55,000, orthey fix the faults to our satisfaction.

So, what’s this machine worth?


APRIL 1998

that filters are changed at the correctintervals and cylinders kept clean, astoday’s hydraulic pumps work at veryfine tolerances and are highly suscep-tible to contamination.

Unclean hydraulic components oroil would be considered to detractfrom the value of a machine.

Chassis, loader, backhoe

We usually find cracks, if there are any,in areas of high stress — loader framecross brace and lift arms, backhoeboom base, bottom of dipper, all bear-ing bosses, etc.

Cracking is not, in itself, anything tobe alarmed about, as it indicates themachine stress relieving itself.

If properly done, plating, repairs tobooms and dipper arms and chassisneed not be detrimental to price orperformance of a used backhoe. How-ever, if cracking is present, a repairallowance must be made.

Wear in pins and bushes in thebackhoe, loader frame, kingpost, slewmechanism and, if fitted, 4-in-1 bucketand extending dipper can be checkedat this time.

A quick check is to place the loaderor backhoe bucket on the ground andgently operate the controls; any exces-sive wear will become obvious. Checkfor stabiliser wear at this time, as wellas sideshift (if applicable) wear andhydraulic clamp leaks. Don’t forget tocheck the sideshift operation.

General

Much can be learned from the overallappearance of a machine.

A unit which has been badly main-tained will have a poor appearance: oilleaks, loose bolts, grease nipples miss-ing or blocked, covers missing or badlydamaged, radiator blocked, etc.

The previous owner is worth a call,just to establish what repairs they mayhave done, but be aware that some-times the former owner may be actingin concert with the seller and throwinga dummy. It also has not been un-known for unscrupulous dealers tohave a “professional previous owner”for equipment.

My tip is to make your own diligent

assessment and go with yourfindings, and if you are notcomfortable with that, getthe dealer or a good inde-pendent machine inspec-tion service to appraise theunit for you. The cost for abackhoe appraisal is gener-ally $200-$300 and repre-sents good insurance.

“Hot title”

None of us wants one ofthese, so care must be takenwhen checking title. All machines comefrom somewhere and must be paid foror financed. Accordingly, there is apaper trail we can follow to check title.

The reason finance companies willgenerally only finance against a dealerinvoice is that dealers guarantee title.

If buying from a private individual,it is imperative to check title and obtaina signed statement from the sellercertifying that he is the absolute ownerof the unit or that a finance institutionis the owner and what the payout onthe unit is.

Then obtain a certificate from thefinance house stating that after paymentof the payout, it has no further interestin the unit. The balance of the agreedpurchase price goes to the seller. Asigned authorisation is required fromthe seller to make the payout inquiry to

the finance company.If you can’t satisfactorily check title,

give the unit “the swerve”.

Inspection

This job is made much easier if thereare two of you, one to operate and oneto do the checking. If you are byyourself, try to enlist another person tooperate the unit while you do thelooking.

Take plenty of photographs, as theseare invaluable, particularly if you areconsidering several units.

Having appraised the machine,which takes about an hour, severalhours of work are needed to convertthe findings into “dollars to rectify”.

The choice at the end of the day iswhether to do it yourself, or get in ahired gun to do the dirty work.

Special offerWould you like:• a reprint of this article and the pictorial appraisal?• a copy of the backhoe appraisal form used by Don Shewring?• a copy of an ownership declaration form?• a copy of an authority to release payout information?

Don Shewring will be pleased to send you the information free of charge.To obtain copies, fax or write to Don Shewring at Consolidated Crane &Tractor Pty Ltd, PO Box 632, Albion, Queensland 4010. Fax (07) 3256 3300.State your name, company name, phone and fax number.

Free valuationIf you would like a free valuation of your backhoe, contact Don Shewring atConsolidated Crane & Tractor Pty Ltd, PO Box 632, Albion, Queensland 4010.Phone 018 788 856. Fax (07) 3256 3300.

This service is not available over the phone. An information sheetrequesting details about your backhoe will be faxed or posted to you. Returnthe completed information sheet with photos (if possible), and a “currentmarket valuation” will be faxed or posted to you at no charge.

Non-mechanic’s guide to appraising a backhoe

Having appraised the machine, which takesabout an hour, several hours of work areneeded to convert the findings into “dollarsto rectify”.


APRIL 1998

ADVT Ford New Holland

Lifting tips for your backhoeUsing a backhoe to crane loadsinto position is a common applica-tion, yet one that is potentiallyfraught with risk. These tips oncraning loads have been providedby Deere & Co.

Before you start

• always start by inspecting your gear;remember that the machine andhardware are only as strong as theweakest link

• if you have to replace lifting compo-nents always ensure replacementhardware has the same or bettercapacity than what it’s replacing

• are you positive the rigging you areusing can do the job?

• inspect all fittings for wear, defor-mation, cracks or sharp nicks; inparticular, check any wire rope slingsat their termination point to ensurethey are not damaged or worn

• watch out for distorted rings orshackles, worn or twisted hooks,welded hooks and wire rope slingsthat are kinked or damaged

• inspect chains for cracked or pittedlinks, distortion, weld splatter andgeneral abnormal appearance

• be aware that wire ropes or chainslings knotted or bent around sharpcorners can lose more than 50% oftheir strength during a lift

• remove immediately any roundslings that have been melted, charredor matted with weld splatter, or thatare cut, torn, worn, imbedded withparticles or snagged

• apply the same criteria to synthetic

webbing, but alsolook out for wornstitches and addi-tional damagecaused by exposureto sunlight

• use the manufactur-er’s informationwhich tells youwhere to hook rig-ging to a mobileconstruction ma-chine; also ensurethere are no sharpedges at the attachment point thatwill damage ropes and slings

• no matter what hardware you areusing, make sure everything is clearlymarked with its rating, and ensureyour crew knows exactly what eachrating means.

On the machine

• warm up the machine for bettercontrol and smoother operation

• check all controls• ensure you have the proper lift

specifications and safety informa-tion for your machine

• a machine is usually rated to liftconsiderably less over the side thanout the rear; be sure you know thedifference

• has your machine been properlyserviced?

• what are the lift and reach capacitiesof your machine? Do not go beyondthem

• ensure you have completed yourdaily machine checks; are there

leaks, obvious metal stress or any-thing out of the ordinary about yourmachine?

Connecting the load

• ensure the load is properly con-nected to the bucket, boom or at-tachment

• ensure all hand signals are under-stood by everyone involved in thelift

• do you know the conditions overthe ground over which you willtravel?Finally, ensure you meet all the

requirements of your state OH&S au-thority regarding hardware andworkplace safety — including any re-quirement for a qualified person to beon hand to inspect and supervise thelift.This article is based upon materialfrom Deere & Co’s US-based in-housepublication The Construction Equip-ment Review, and is reproduced withpermission.


APRIL 1998

Here comes the high-speed backhoeAN AUSTRALIAN backhoe/loader ca-pable of travelling at 100 km/h isexpected to be officially unveiled earlyin May.

The revolutionary High Speed Engi-neering Vehicle (HSEV) has been de-veloped over eight years by ADI Limitedin Bendigo, Victoria. Part of ADI’scommission from the Australian De-fence Force was to ensure the machinewas capable of running in army con-voys (known as “self-deployment”).

Developed at this stage in backhoeconfiguration, ADI is looking at usingthe same platform further down thetrack for graders and other earthmovingequipment.

To date, ADI has built three HSEVs.The first unit, a concept demonstrationmodel, has been on trial with theCanadian Department of Defence for12 months. The department has nowpurchased ADI’s first production model.

According to Ubique, the journal ofthe Canadian Military Engineers, theHSEV “has outstanding performanceon all surfaces”. The journal also re-ported that in one trial, the machineaveraged more than 100 km/h on a5200 km round trip.

ADI’s third HSEV is undergoing asix-month development program here.

The Australian Army has just placedan order for 27 units.

According to Major Sean Taylor,staff officer of the Australian Army’sAcquisitions and Engineering Agency(Construction Equipment), the armywould employ the HSEVs to supportarmy units well forward in a battle.

“The mobility of the HSEVs is simi-lar to that of field units in convoys andin cross-country travel, so they willwork in well,” Major Taylor said.

“In the past we have used front-endloaders in a similar role, but they tie upresources, requiring trailers for trans-portation.”

“The machine’s versatility is a bigplus,” he said. “We will use it forexcavating trenches and bunkers, butalso look at fitting attachments likeaugers, compactors and rock drills.”

When production gets into full swingnext year, ADI expects to dispatch oneunit every two weeks from its factory.

According to an ADI spokesperson,the machine’s cross-country mobility isjust as impressive as its speed.

“Synergy between suspension andthe 600 mm wheel size is a major factorin the HSEV’s exceptional perform-ance,” the spokesperson said. “It comesin 4WD, with optional four-wheel steer-ing and central tyre inflation.”

All up, the backhoe weighs 10.5 tand power comes from a Cummins6BTA engine producing 138 kW.

The HSEV’s backhoeunit has been developedfrom that used on the Case580 model. Case Corpora-tion’s latest electro-hydrau-lic controls have also beenadopted.

A few vital statistics are:• wheel base 3.15 m• length 8.4 m, with

backhoe folded• backhoe height when

folded 3.4 m• height to roof 2.67 m

With a price tag of around $300,000,ADI believes the HSEV could alsobecome popular with rural councilsand civil contractors, and in fire fight-ing, mining and forestry, where a greatdeal of time is spent transporting ma-chinery back and forth between sites.

Further information: Leigh Funston,ADI, ph (02) 9365 9313, fax (02) 93692404.

— John Clucas

Powershift option for Cat backhoesA POWERSHIFT transmission optionhas been added to Caterpillar’s new C-Series backhoe/loader line.

The conventional shifter has beenreplaced by a twist-grip on the for-ward-reverse shuttle, which allows di-rection and speed changes to be madewith a single lever. Because there’s nofloor-mounted gearshift lever, the op-erator has more cab floor space.

A neutral start inhibitor preventsstarting while directional clutches areengaged.

The powershift has five forwardgear choices, with an additional for-ward speed provided between thenormal working and hauling ranges.

With the fourth forward gear se-lected, the Cat powershift control sys-tem automatically shifts between fourthand fifth gears to maintain road speed.However, when higher speeds are notneeded, a manual fifth gear lockoutswitch prevents automatic shifts —which is especially desirable duringload and carry applications.

The loader control does not change

with the powershift option. A transmis-sion neutraliser button is provided whenall available engine power is requiredfor the loader hydraulics.

Maximum travel speeds at full throt-tle when equipped with 16.9x24 reartyres are 32 km/h in fifth gear, and 23km/h in reverse.

Further information: Caterpillar ofAustralia Ltd, ph (03) 9339 9333, fax(03) 9335 3366.

Powershift transmission is now anoption on Cat’s backhoe line.


APRIL 1998

Fermecs prove themselves for Qld customers

FERMEC backhoe/loaders and loadervariants have been picking up signifi-cant sales through the Case dealernetwork across Australia.

In Queensland, recent purchaseshave been by the state’s Main RoadsDepartment and by owner/operatorRick Blokland of Hatton Vale.

Queensland’s Main Roads Plant Hirerecently bought two Fermec 660 in-dustrial loader versions to operate fromeach of the Main Roads depots atBeenleigh and Caboolture.

Designed specifically for local gov-ernment, utility and government depart-ment applications, the 660s feature athree-point linkage and two-speed PTOat the rear instead of a backhoe unit.

Main Roads Plant Hire operates as aseparate business entity to the depart-ment, with around 40% of its hire tooutside contractors. Both 660s are hiredto Main Roads under an annual hireagreement.

According to Main Roads districtplant co-ordinator for the south coastand hinterland, Herman Bolt, bothunits are being used by the depart-ment’s bitumen crews.

“We use the 4-in-1 bucket for load-ing screenings, and we hang a broom-sweeper from the three-point linkage,”Bolt said.

“Up here, the 4WD is pretty impor-tant in the wet season, and the extratraction is good in stockpiles. It alsogives us an extra factor of safety on site,especially loading and unloading froma float in wet conditions,” he said.

“Until now we’ve never really founda machine with the combination of agood industrial bucket and a strongthree-point linkage. Most machines aregood in one area, but let you down inthe other; however, we’re wrapt withthe 660s,” Bolt said.

Both machines will be in full timeuse and are expected to put in around1800 hours apiece over the next 12months.

In Queensland’s Lockyer Valley,between Ipswich and Toowoomba,owner/operator Rick Blokland has justbought a new top-of-the-range Fermec965, featuring electronic controls andall-wheel-steer.

Blokland was in earthmoving someyears ago, and has come back to itagain after a period in the buildingindustry.

“I knew I was going to need the bestmachinery if I was going to break backinto this industry,” Blokland said.

“Out here you need the versatilitytoo, because every job is different — soI had to get something that could do awhole range of jobs.”

The 965 has done about 260 hoursin its first two months’ work. That hasincluded everything from pushing upsilage and excavating dams to delicatework with Telstra, replacing cables,conduits and pits.

”Some of the heavier work wouldnormally have been done with a dozer,but the 965 has the horsepower tocover a lot of the dozer work.

“The four-wheel-steer is really handytoo. When I was digging the dam, Icould turn on a sixpence in the bot-tom,” he said.

Blokland has a full range of backhoebuckets, from 300 mm through to 900mm width.

“The 900 mm bucket virtually turnsthe backhoe into an excavator,” hesaid.

“The new controls are much bettertoo. With the old hydraulic controls,you had to move levers 100 or 200 mmto get a response. You only have tomove 10 mm with the electronics, soyou can dig much more accurately andyou get a better feel for what’s goingon.”

“I’d say the 965 is ten years ahead ofanything else I’ve tried. I almost feelsorry for the other operators,” Bloklandsaid.

Fermec backhoe/loaders are dis-tributed in Australia through the Caseconstruction equipment dealer net-work.

Further information: Case Corpora-tion, ph (02) 673 7777, fax (02) 8331441.

Herman Bolt(left) and DickBlocksidge, ofQueenslandMain RoadsPlant Hire, withone of thedepartment’srecentlypurchasedFermec 660industrialloaders.

Owner-operator RickBlokland (left) discussinghis new all-wheel steerFermec 965 with GaryBinns, of Case Brisbane.

COVER STORY


APRIL 1998

JCB introduces “smooth ride” backhoeAT THE recently held Bauma ’98 in Munich, Germany, JCB introduced its“Smooth Ride System” (SRS), which reduces porpoising, pitching andbouncing of its backhoe/loaders in roading and load-and-carry operations.

Available as an option on its 3CX and 4CX backhoes, the SRS features ahydro-pneumatic spring which can be fitted into the lift arm hydraulic circuiton the lift cylinder of the loader arms.

Activated by a switch on the instrument panel, the system works byreducing the loader forces which cause pitching and bouncing on unevensites or roads.

It results in a smoother ride for the operator, as well as improved machineoperation, along with reduced shock loads on components, lower tyre wear,reduced running costs and increased machine longevity.

Further information: JCB Sales Ltd, ph (03) 9841 0500, fax (03) 9841 0600.

Series 2 versions of CaseCASE Corporation has released newSeries 2 centremount versions of its L-series backhoe/loaders, offering sev-eral operator-driven improvements.

Major changes include significantlyincreased power and performance,according to Andrew Mashman, Caseproduct manager.

The new machines have higherhorsepower engines with wastegateturbos — 74 kW on the 590 is standard.

Available from July will be powershifttransmission with automatic 4WD en-gagement on braking providing saferoperation, along with sequential modu-lated shifting to speed cycle times.

They have 27% more loader breakoutand 12% more backhoe breakout.

New cab features include noise lev-els at operator’s ear of 76 dBA, airsuspension seat and radio-ready kitwith antenna and speakers.

Other features include a new loadercontrol handle with electronic diff lock

and transmission disconnect, power-shift transmission kickdown, longer-range fuel tanks, toolbox and flip-overstabiliser pads on powershift versions.

The machines come standard withauxiliary hydraulics.

Further information: Case Corporation,ph (02) 9673 7819, fax (02) 9833 1273.

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