Bullsh1t reviews

[Thomas7740]

Just sitting reading the latest edition of earthmovers. Reading the product launch review of the new JCB mini diggers. It’s such a nonsensical review when it comes to reviewing how the digger digs. “I set about digging into the pile, which was an effortless operation for this compact powerhouse.” “In the dig, the zts mini never faltered once, with no noticeable dragging down of the engine power. The machine was nice and smooth to operate and had plenty of poke about it.”

It would fooking need to feel powerful, a small 450ish mm bucket and a loose pile of stone is hardly a good test! Why not put a 900mm bucket on it and some good tight original clay? Properly test it out. Do these reviewers actually be impressed by this? Or do they not want to tell the truth? Not just bashing JCB, but it’s the same with all brands.

Rant over

 

[Bri963]

N##k D##w?

 

[V8Druid]

Just sitting reading the latest edition of earthmovers. Reading the product launch review of the new JCB mini diggers. It’s such a nonsensical review when it comes to reviewing how the digger digs. “I set about digging into the pile, which was an effortless operation for this compact powerhouse.” “In the dig, the zts mini never faltered once, with no noticeable dragging down of the engine power. The machine was nice and smooth to operate and had plenty of poke about it.”

It would fooking need to feel powerful, a small 450ish mm bucket and a loose pile of stone is hardly a good test! Why not put a 900mm bucket on it and some good tight original clay? Properly test it out. Do these reviewers actually be impressed by this? Or do they not want to tell the truth? Not just bashing JCB, but it’s the same with all brands.

Rant over
View attachment 59657

journalistic suicide to actually tell it like it is ... never get asked again .... they're all brown tongued tossers who couldn't earn a living 'actually' working

 

[Thomas7740]

N##k D##w?

Spot on

 

[DaveDCB]

How many hours were on the clock???? *like we give a shtt*

I stopped buying earthmovers years ago as it’s all regurgitated garbage , but picked up this months as saw it on the shelf somewhere…. Nothings changed!

 

[DaveDCB]

journalistic suicide to actually tell it like it is ... never get asked again .... they're all brown tongued tossers who couldn't earn a living 'actually' working

Oh and this is spot on, the second you question or slightly criticise(even in a positive manner!!) JCB you are out the door forever! They hate hearing it how it is!

 

[Nick...]

Everything in earth movers gets a great report otherwise the magasines and journos woukd not get demo machines or get invited onto product launches etc.just a load of arse lickers.I don't know the journalist but are they just that or do they have any experience as operators.most on here have years of experience,40 in my case and could find issues and give a truthful report.
nick...

 

[Thomas7740]

How many hours were on the clock???? *like we give a shtt*

I stopped buying earthmovers years ago as it’s all regurgitated garbage , but picked up this months as saw it on the shelf somewhere…. Nothings changed!

Same, apart from the pointless reviews, everything else in it can be got online.


They should do what Profi do, a long term test. Profi follow tractors for say 2000 hours and give a review of it then, good and bad, any repairs needed etc

 

[Bri963]

How many hours were on the clock???? *like we give a shtt*

I stopped buying earthmovers years ago as it’s all regurgitated garbage , but picked up this months as saw it on the shelf somewhere…. Nothings changed!

TBH, no-one buys a machine based off a magazine or online review, but there’s still quite a few interesting articles in there. But for an example I know more about Carter and Takeuchi from this forum than any journalists review, and we’ve had hissy fits from members on here when something negative has been said about JCB. I think I might have provoked one. There’s a thought, PlantTalk reviews: genuine reviews from genuine operators, and apologies for the language.

As for Nick Drew, I don’t know him, a lot of people have an opinion about him, but end of the day he’s just an operator topping up his wallet with a bit of writing. Whatever he’s like as an operator he’s no worse at putting an article together than I am on a tiltrotator.

 

[Storrsy]

I was once asked if I might be interested in being in an EM article. Nick Drew lives not far from here and saw me mucking about on the moor one summer with my Takeuchi and thought the photos would make good publishing. I think in a moment of dourness I said I can't really see reinstating footpaths on the moor would make particularly exciting reading for your average EM reader and that was the end of that. Probably should have taken him up on the offer in hindsight for a laugh

 

[Gunners]

Oh and this is spot on, the second you question or slightly criticise(even in a positive manner!!) JCB you are out the door forever! They hate hearing it how it is!

This is generally true and the reason why plant journalists are very fluffy on their wording. Somehow I've got away with pointing out plenty of JCB's flaws, and I continue to do it, because I would love to see the product up there with the best. The engineering is very good, they just lack on quality often sadly.

It would fooking need to feel powerful, a small 450ish mm bucket and a loose pile of stone is hardly a good test! Why not put a 900mm bucket on it and some good tight original clay? Properly test it out. Do these reviewers actually be impressed by this? Or do they not want to tell the truth? Not just bashing JCB, but it’s the same with all brands.

Having been to one of these events, you don't get a choice of what the machine is setup on, or the size of the bucket sadly. He probably had less than 10 mins on it before the next journalist has his turn, and in that time he needs to get pics of him operating it, setup cameras, internal shots etc. I don't want to defend the journalism in Earthmovers - I would love to see it be a bit more edgy, less reading the brochure back at you and more investigative into what makes the machine better than the last model. But you are on a conveyor belt on these days, lots to look at and report on, and not a lot of time sadly. One day I see plant magazines being as good as their car counterparts are, where products are sent to them for at least a week of testing and sometimes months. But we are a long way off that sadly.

And if you really want to get frustrated with plant journalism, you should know that there's a whole load of journalists you have never heard of reporting for magazines that either don't exist or are "online only". Who reads them? I go out of my way to find reviews on kit and don't come across them. Judging by the calibre of people I met, I would say its an easy ride and they don't really care about the products, its just a way to make a living. How manufacturers keep funding this circus is beyond me - some of these magazines must have a readership of less than 100 judging by their lack of social media account followers.

 

[Thomas7740]

Time for an Independent PlantTalk magazine with no nonsense reviews

 

[William127]

I was once asked if I might be interested in being in an EM article. Nick Drew lives not far from here and saw me mucking about on the moor one summer with my Takeuchi and thought the photos would make good publishing. I think in a moment of dourness I said I can't really see reinstating footpaths on the moor would make particularly exciting reading for your average EM reader and that was the end of that. Probably should have taken him up on the offer in hindsight for a laugh

Shame, I'd rather read that than 90% of what's in there. Seems to be all new releases and low carbon this, Euro 6 the other. I'm sure big site managers and 12 point PPE lovers read every issue
I have got this month's at home, came free with Classic Tractor, which is still decent.

 

[Left hooker]

I cancelled my subscription last year felt it was just repeating stuff about the next round of emissions related crap

 

[Furniss]

Its never going to be anything other than dross set up like ut is.
Hire a machine, use it for the job, write a review a bit like gunners does.....but even then its going to be somewhat prejudiced depending on what type of machine the tester prefers.
Use the same method as mags, ie several testers,same machine, rating them on key points is about the best you could do..... how you would get on if you asked top manufacturers to supply a demo machine to be tested against its competitors over a weekend I dont know
Comon @Gunners get it sorted , we will come test them

 

[Thomas7740]

Profi have the right idea, get several different brands and fully scrutinise them. They always get more so it must work

 

[Left hooker]

Case and new Holland are basically same tractor

 

[Thomas7740]

Case and new Holland are basically same tractor

New Holland is better tho

 

[APhillips]

Ollie is pretty spot on with this, a lot of these types of event really don't give anyone much time. When we have done a events like this with Mecalac we have tried to keep the number of journalists to a minimum so the ones interested in driving the equipment (Actually a lot less than you might expect) actually get some seat time in various configurations. We don't have the luxury of a big quarry full of stone though, our demo area is fairly heavy clay and either seems to be a wet mess or bone dry and hard.

And if you really want to get frustrated with plant journalism, you should know that there's a whole load of journalists you have never heard of reporting for magazines that either don't exist or are "online only". Who reads them? I go out of my way to find reviews on kit and don't come across them. Judging by the calibre of people I met, I would say its an easy ride and they don't really care about the products, its just a way to make a living. How manufacturers keep funding this circus is beyond me - some of these magazines must have a readership of less than 100 judging by their lack of social media account followers.

This always surprises me, I have worked with so many 'journalists' who's articles I have never seen published or promoted anywhere yet they clearly still earn a living somehow.

I'd love to see a Profi style approach but I am not sure how easy it would be to pull together something like that and I feel a lot of construction manufacturers wouldn't be so open to this type of testing. I would say there is a lot more Brand loyalty withing Ag where a customer will stick with a brand because of a dealer etc in the general construction market these days I don't feel this is the case, they just want the best price and don't care what brand or dealer it comes from. Obviously there will be exceptions to this but I feel they are fewer and farther between than you might expect.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Genuine question...how many folk actually read a magazine ?

I actually like them but never end buying them anymore. Used to religiously get top gear and truck and driver and LRO etc years ago...seem a ripoff now and full of ads.

If I want a review I go on YouTube
Some of the best are the American stuff imo. Where they get given it for a month and give it some real stick. Take some b#lls to dump your machine with some of them roughnecks but their the ones I trust as they give you it worts and all.