The underlying issue is still there on the X series though, same as everything else.... Designed to be quality, then attacked by accountants and seemingly built by ex british Leyland employees.
There fantastic machines as are the new mini diggers. But you need to realise the fact that bits will fall off due to a accountant deciding a light bracket doesn't need to be as thick and Robert not tightening the bolts up. (See NTNOCN - Built by Roberts)
That said having seen some main dealer bodges/disinterest recently, Takeuchi and Hitachi have some to answer for too :/
my four pence worth...bought a new bucket for a 100C, it’s spent 400 hrs digging soil, not a single rock, last week had to tighten all of the teeth, and this week one of the teeth snapped. It looked like it had been cracked probably from when they were first fitted. Watlings have offered a new tooth for the price of a phone call and two emails. Think the tooth is made out of either Chinesium or Accountitanium.
i’ve found Watlings to be far better than the machines, and over my dealings have been unfailingly helpful. I think one thing that helps is that JCB’s breaking down is so regular they know what’s likely to break and carry the fast-moving parts. Like when I had both top rollers fall off a 55 and they had a line of them on the shelf when I went round.
Like when I was in Mozambique, I knew what was going to fail on Defenders and carried half a container of shockers, bushes, bearings, springs etc., , but for Land Cruisers breakdowns were so rare that all we carried were filters and brake shoes and pads.
