Executive Hire News › Archives › November 2009 › Market Report : Lowest Loadall
Market Report : Lowest Loadall
With a name that seemingly gives some indication of what it is pitched against, JCB has launched its smallest ever Loadall. EHN's new Consultant Plant Editor Nick Johnson checks out the 515-40 Miniscopic.
Over the years, telescopic handlers have become one of the most important product lines for JCB and the manufacturer is now the leading supplier of these machines in the UK and beyond. Although demand for the larger sizes of telehandlers is currently depressed due to the downturn, there are niche markets that remain more buoyant for smaller size, low headroom units.
One area where small size telehandlers can really score is building refurbishment, as this work often calls for machines to operate in restricted spaces. There is also obvious potential in builders’ merchants and horticulture. An increasing number of companies have introduced telehandlers with overall heights of just under 2000mm. But now JCB has developed a machine that can be as low as 1800mm, so it should be able to reach areas that others cannot.
The new, low height Loadall from JCB is called the 515-40 Miniscopic. The 15 in the model designation indicates the unit’s maximum capacity of 1500kg and the 40 comes from its maximum lift height of 4045mm. The specification sheet is then needed to discover that the machine can lift 750kg at its maximum forward reach of 2535mm.
At the small end of the telehandler market, the most popular machine in UK hire fleets has been the Buggiscopic from Manitou. This is a 2000/2500kg maximum capacity machine that has a maximum lift height of up to 3900mm. The Buggiscopic is a rear wheel steer machine, with either 2WD or 4WD, with a maximum height of 1980mm and a width of 1436mm.
When JCB first revealed, at its World of Innovation exhibition in March 2007, that it was developing an even smaller telehandler, its early prototype 515-40 Miniscopic only had two wheel drive and steer (with smaller rear wheels) and a 36hp 3-cylinder engine. Customer feedback, from both that early showing and subsequent focus groups, helped to hone the design, and the machine now being launched is a big improvement.
The new Miniscopic has four equal sized wheels that are all driven and steered. The machine has also gained a much more powerful Deutz 4-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine rated at 50hp. As the telehandler only weighs 3480kg, this engine (which has 500-hour service intervals) provides a very good power-to-weight ratio.
A test drive of the Miniscopic at The JCB Arena confirmed that the adoption of four-wheel steer provides a very tight outer turn radius over the tyres of only 2800mm. With the 1100mm long forks (complete with float on a skid steer loader quick attach carriage) lowered to carry a load close to ground level, this clearance radius increases to 3400mm, which is also very good. The machine has an overall width of 1560mmm (without side mirrors), which is slightly more than the 1436mm of the bigger capacity Buggiscopic. On the JCB, the extra machine width is needed to accommodate the all wheel steer and to facilitate the use of a wider cab.
Impressed by cab
I was certainly impressed by the spacious, easy-to-enter cab that has an internal width of 870mm. The entry doorway is 680mm wide and, when seated in the comfortable adjustable suspension seat, there is still more than sufficient internal headroom to wear a hard hat. However, this is not strictly necessary as the cab confirms to ROPS and FOPS standards.
The ability to fit such a wide cab on so small a machine has been achieved by the use of an innovative single spine chassis that runs under the offside of the machine underneath the off-centre telescopic boom. JCB has applied for patents on this clever chassis design.The chassis design incorporates an integral fuel tank at the front. The radiator and oil cooler, together with an elongated hydraulic tank, are neatly situated on the offside of the machine. There is a large intake on the inside of this side pod through which cooling air is drawn from under the boom – on really dusty sites the optional chaff guard might well prove essential.
Following customer comments, particular care has been taken to provide a very solid steel back end complete with well-protected rear lights. To access the engine, the rear hood hinges up against the back of the cab where it is secured manually by a single stay.
A good feature is the use of a very solid steel plate behind the engine that contributes, along with the cast counterweight, to a very robust rear end to the machine. There are also strong guards around the rear lights that will please the discerning plant hirers who formed the focus group.
A pleasure to drive
The machine proved to be a pleasure to drive. It has a very controllable hydrostatic transmission complete with a Linde transmission pump and four individual wheel motors. These wheel motors incorporate the well-proven Twin Lock system to automatically transfer torque between the front and rear drive wheels, thereby maximising tractive effort.
Maximum travel speed is 20 km/h and there are two speed ranges selected by a switch on the dashboard. The hydrostatic transmission incorporates an inching pedal that allows maximum hydraulic flow to be maintained whilst controlling travel speed. The travel direction is selected by means of a switch on the top of the joystick used to operate the boom lift and attachment tilt functions. A separate lever controls boom extension.
The quiet cab provides good all round visibility and features a stable door so that the top half can be latched back fully open when desired. A useful option on the Miniscopic 515-40 is the ability of hirers to select either a compact Loadall attachment carriage or skid steer loader style quick coupler. The former is better for sustained use with forks fitted because it provides more visibility for the operator, although JCB has sensibly modified its skid steer quick coupler by cutting out a new viewing window.
The forks on the Miniscopic are self-levelling as standard and there is sideshift available when they are used with the Loadall carriage.
A 0.5m3 capacity loader bucket is amongst the attachments that can be used on either attachment carriage. To aid safe operation, the machine comes with an audio-visual load moment indicator (with a display of green, amber and red indicator lights). There is also a simple bubble type inclinometer in the cab above the front screen.
Whilst not as fast on boom raise as a purpose-built loader, the overall cycle times of the Miniscopic on loader work are said to be similar to a JCB Robot 190 skid steer. Compared to a skid steer, the machine is easier to operate and will not churn up the ground as much. My test telehandler had plenty of power to prise out a full bucket of material from a stockpile but, like a skid steer, bucket roll-back is more limited than a dedicated wheel loader.
A useful feature at the head of the two section telescopic boom is a simple mechanical plate that allows the lateral level of the forks to be adjusted after the wear pads become worn. Slackening off two bolts allows the eccentric pivot pin housing to be turned - an easier task than shimming the wear pads themselves.
Sharp-eyed EHN readers will have spotted that the Miniscopic carries the new JCB machine branding. The use of the three white JCB letters in a black rectangular box is gradually being introduced across the product range. It is more prominent than the traditional JCB logo that is still being used, both corporately and on the side of machines.
The availability of this new, significantly smaller Loadall allows JCB to offer customers another compact plant option alongside its smallest Robot skid steer loader and 403 articulated loader. JCB’s Keith Hoskins, is convinced that the versatility and small size of the new Miniscopic is a great combination that will find favour with many plant hirers. All in all, this machine will undoubtedly be one of the stars of the Executive Hire Show next February. •
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