Jcb 3cx eco ,grading issues!

[GazCro]

It is mental when you are seriously considering spending £70 k + and accepting that chopping it in at the end of warranty is reasonable! My 2002 contractor has been brilliant an absolute testament to jcb at the time.It’s so wrong that you cannot buy a machine,van ,lorry whatever with a reasonable long term view,but these are the times we live in I guess!

Ironically your 2002 contractor was a step backwards from the model before in more ways than it was better.

 

[GazCro]

Plant hire firm up from us had this issue with 10 new 3cxs that year so sent the lot back for new ones
Was the valve block that was not ment for the eco models and for the export models for likes of India that weren't up to those levels of emissions and had different pump setup

Don't believe the "wrong valve block" hype. Jcb are known to use a standard/kind of universal valve block and fit restrictors to make it work/flow share rather than tailor a valve block to the job to begin with.

 

[Simon edwards]

Previous to the 02 I had a 95 project 8 I definitely think the latter was a huge improvement on that.I hope you’re right on the valve block.

 

[Left hooker]

Don't believe the "wrong valve block" hype. Jcb are known to use a standard/kind of universal valve block and fit restrictors to make it work/flow share rather than tailor a valve block to the job to begin with.

It was the year JCB went from one big pump to a flow sharing multi pumps set up
the older style valve blocks were fitted that they still used for over seas markets with less emissions restrictions enforced that they still had in there parts bins as stock
For 10 nearly new machines at 60k each to go back and had been gone over many times by Holt's fitters and JCB HQ fitters to no better outcome than when they started had to be more than just whipping out a restrictor

 

[GazCro]

It was the year JCB went from one big pump to a flow sharing multi pumps set up
the older style valve blocks were fitted that they still used for over seas markets with less emissions restrictions enforced that they still had in there parts bins as stock
For 10 nearly new machines at 60k each to go back and had been gone over many times by Holt's fitters and JCB HQ fitters to no better outcome than when they started had to be more than just whipping out a restrictor

I'm not saying whipping out a restrictor is the solution far from it would possibly make it far worse. When i say "wrong valve block" what i mean is jcb didn't accidentally fit that valve block. It was a conscious decision they made to fit it and try and make it work whether it was just to use up stock or try and use cheaper parts.

 

[doobin]

I'm not saying whipping out a restrictor is the solution far from it would possibly make it far worse. When i say "wrong valve block" what i mean is jcb didn't accidentally fit that valve block. It was a conscious decision they made to fit it and try and make it work whether it was just to use up stock or try and use cheaper parts.

Yup, that’s the British thing to do!


British Leyland, anyone?

 

[Simon edwards]

Anyone interested in a really tidy 2014 3cx!

 

[Gunners]

Anyone interested in a really tidy 2014 3cx!

No but the 2002 one looks good!

 

[charlie2]

Ironically your 2002 contractor was a step backwards from the model before in more ways than it was better.

best 3cx i had was a 2005 contractor closely followed by a 2008, we had a 2010 that had the flowsharing issues a guy from the factory came and looked at it asked me what was up with how it worked i explained troubles i had grading or fine control he said he would get it sorted and he did with modified arvs and modified spools once they got changed it was fine, i thought the same would be done on 2014 contractor but jcb did not want to know. servo machines i have used seem ok its as if the stick machines dont matter.

 

[charlie2]

This was pretty much the issue I had with my cat432e but that was servo controlled.could use boom or dipper but not at same time.eventually had cat experts out who told me I had no idea what I was doing,after 25 years of site work.id never bu another cat product or support or do business with finnings,tossers
nick...

thats pretty much what jcb told me they said i was trying to do too much at the same time, i said well why could i do exactly the same on the older machine but not this one, it was like they could not understand at all.

 

[charlie2]

Previous to the 02 I had a 95 project 8 I definitely think the latter was a huge improvement on that.I hope you’re right on the valve block.

i didnt think much of the first pro8 i had after a pro 7 turbo plus i thought it a backward step. had another that was a bit better, the pro 12 machines were ok. you always expect a newer model to be a big improvement but sadly its not always the case. the other thing i have found that can mess things up is a replacement hydraulic hose that may have been crimped to much and restricts flow a bit i only had it happen once but it had a big difference on how the machine worked. the pro 8 machines still had the slew pots i think when they changed to the twin ram slewing although a bit fierce really made a big improvement.

 

[Gecko]

British Leyland, anyone?

A mate still has a poster that reads:

LEYLAND - The world is our proving ground.

It may not have been what they meant, but it was certainly true.

 

[DaveDCB]

Had afew days on one of that era while mine was being moved on the low loader, brand new and it was horrible, really stiff and heavy levers, slow hydraulics - even flat out it was slow and made me look amateur!

What really winds me up with JCB is they have made so lovely backhoes over the years, fast and smooth, responsive and bags of feedback and yet they release a ‘new’ version every so often and they ruin them?!!
My 1999 was sweet
2001 was a veryyyyyy bad year (never buy a 3cx with long sticks- the first P21 machines, they were all lemons!)
2005 was my personal favourite - sticks
2009 Friday teatime machine - servos
2010 was a cracker - servos , super fast but took a real eye to make it sing!
Then all the emissions crap really kicked into gear and I think the fundamentals of what makes a good machine got lost along the way!

 

[GazCro]

Had afew days on one of that era while mine was being moved on the low loader, brand new and it was horrible, really stiff and heavy levers, slow hydraulics - even flat out it was slow and made me look amateur!

What really winds me up with JCB is they have made so lovely backhoes over the years, fast and smooth, responsive and bags of feedback and yet they release a ‘new’ version every so often and they ruin them?!!
My 1999 was sweet
2001 was a veryyyyyy bad year (never buy a 3cx with long sticks- the first P21 machines, they were all lemons!)
2005 was my personal favourite - sticks
2009 Friday teatime machine - servos
2010 was a cracker - servos , super fast but took a real eye to make it sing!
Then all the emissions crap really kicked into gear and I think the fundamentals of what makes a good machine got lost along the way!

See you've just nailed why i won't risk my money with Jcb. You don't know what you're gonna get. Admittedly I do think the 3cx despite being the machine which got them their name has since the mid 90s been the machine they've chopped and changed and swapped parts about on the most and has unfortunately done them the most harm in the end.

 

[DaveDCB]

100% agreed, they let themselves down on so many occasions!
I used to do a lot of work with JCB in developing the 3cx and initial Hydradig concepts , infact I’m 99% sure I was in the original brainstorming meeting for the Hydradig I think my opinions weren’t yellow enough for them in the end so I was blissfully dropped!

 

[Giles]

Our 2002 still puts in a shift when called for where as my mates new one been nothing but bother with jcb having it more than him in 1st year

 

[Simon edwards]

Back on the new machine today,seriously considering sticking to the 20 year old contractor ,bloody shame the eco looks good,is a nice place to spend a day but just so frustrating to use!

 

[V8Druid]

Anyone interested in a really tidy 2014 3cx!

what's it grade like?

 

[charlie2]

Back on the new machine today,seriously considering sticking to the 20 year old contractor ,bloody shame the eco looks good,is a nice place to spend a day but just so frustrating to use!

Has it got the dampers on last bit of travel of the rams I am sure that was another thing I found frustrating at first, the 2014 contractor was the worse machine I had even with flow restrictions removed and different arvs I never felt at one with it. It could dig and do most things ok but fine control and grading was a battle with it. We never had eco machines all the 3cx machines I had after 1995 were contractors on sticks.

 

[Simon edwards]

Cheers Druid!
As you say Charlie,it does everything else ok,just not grade.
I’m pretty it sure it has dampers on the rams.
I’m having a look at a new New Holland tomorrow,see how that goes I guess