I agree with Doobin, coming from a mini makes a backhoe feel awful. Its certainly something that comes with time, knowing how far they will go before lifting a leg. Without the bucket down - not very far! Yet with the kingpost in the right position you can go surprisingly far too. I'm told you can lean one right over and touch the floor out the side window before pulling it back again, but I haven't tried it
As for the 2CX, 2DX etc. These model names have been used for years and there is several incarnations of the model over the decades. Its the 2B that had the removable back end back then. Great idea, but as I think we are all learning with our excavators - versatility is great, but its not always the best machine for the job. JCB tried again in the 00's with the Midi CX. Super rare to find one now but must have been ideal for small holders, large estates etc. But ultimately a very small market.
You'd think versatility is what you would want from a machine. The ability to do as much as possible with one piece of kit is certainly very appealing to those of us on here with our own little business's. But these machines never actually seem to take off in the way you would think they should. The backhoe concept itself is prone to this! Site managers want a telehandler because it will do a better job of fork duties. An excavator because its a better digger, and a dumper because it allows the excavator to keep digging while it tips elsewhere - and works cleaner.
I see the same thing with forks on excavators - although there is a lot of issues with excessive fork use we now see on sites, ultimately, its taking the machine away from its main job - digging! It wouldn't surprise me if sites started moving away from excavator forks soon, especially once a few loads are dropped.... For them, the cost of a telehandler sat there for use as and when just isn't an issue.
For us - well, we wouldn't be dropping stuff in the first place so its not safety that concerns us, but track wear etc. But on small tight sites, one machine to rule them all works well, and that's how I've been making my backhoe work for me.
Now if only I could sell my tractor and fit the flail to the 3cx somehow.....
