View Full December PDF Issue - Utility Contractor Online

Rearmed
JCB’s New Generation of One-Armed Skid
Steers and Track Loaders
In 1993, JCB introduced the industry’s first mono-boom
skid steer, a machine based upon the same principles as a
telescopic handler. Today, the company’s New Generation
skid steers and track loaders embody this same innovative
spirit while taking performance and safety to a higher level
(a true NUCA mission statement). Available in a range of
models featuring radial or vertical lift and compatible with
more than 30 attachment families, these skid steers and
track loaders are safe, durable, comfortable and simple to
use for operators at all skill levels.
JCB’s unique “PowerBoom” design provides an unobstructed
rear view and best-in-class visibility. This design
also gives operators access via the industry’s only sideentry
door, clear of the attachment and loader arm. Redesigned
control panels are located in the panels at the top
of the cab within the operator’s line of sight. A 17 percent
larger cab, multifunction joystick controls and an optional
heated air-suspension seat improve operator comfort.
A simplified design has decreased the total number of parts
by 38 percent, and the company claims these machines use
16 percent less fuel for significant savings over time. Contact:
www.jcbamericas.com.
Operator Assistance
John Deere’s G-Series Excavators Designed
with Contractor Collaborations
Nobody knows machines like the operators in the field. So
John Deere figured it would bring the professional operator into
the design process, launching three new G-Series excavators
featuring IT4-certified engines, more power and cab improvements
to increase visibility — all with customer input. The new
series introduction includes the 250G, 290G and 350G, ranging
from 191 to 299 net hp. The company incorporated a whole
host of new technologies and creature features on these three
models that actually came from customers (from increasing
power and hydraulic flow to reconfiguring the cab).
Customer John Gleim, one of a group of excavator owners
who has shared his needs and opinions with Deere for many
years, noticed a power gap between excavator models that
wasn’t apparent during conventional digging. It was apparent in
another application, craning trench boxes. “They won’t use as
big a box as is really needed, and pretty soon safety is compromised.
We can’t have that — safety is critical to our day-to-day
operations. I talked to Deere about adding more stability and
power. They not only listened, they responded,” Gleim says.
Contact: www.deere.com.
December 2011 | Utility Contractor 17