Dundas Civil owner Evan Callow bought a JCB 260T compact track loader to do roadworks with a grader blade attachment but is now using it for a range of tasks he hadn’t anticipated.
Dundas Civil, based in the north-eastern Perth suburb of Inglewood, has been doing civil subdivision work including roads, sewerage and drainage, underground services and earthworks for the past 14 years.
Callow says the power and torque of the 5-tonne JCB 260T and the range of attachments available for skid steer loaders means he can use the machine on other jobs such as stripping top soil, raking roots and installing fence posts.
Also making life easier is an after-market GPS machine control system to do laser levelling.
JCD says that the 260T, which has an operating capacity 1,179kg, is part of a new compact track loader range which has been designed from the ground up, taking inspiration from the company’s telehandler range.
“The new loaders have a larger, quieter cab, 270 degrees of visibility, and the pulling power and fuel efficiency of a 55kW JCB Diesel MAX engine,” the company says. “The tilting cab and rear opening service door make for easier servicing and less downtime.”
A major sales point of JCB skid steer loaders and compact track loaders is their side entry, made possible by the use of a single PowerBoom loader arm.
It’s a feature Callow particularly likes, he says, as it gives the operator more visibility and improves safety.
“Having side access is a real bonus,” he says. “With a conventional skid steer loader, you go in and out the front and, with an attachment on, that means you’re climbing over everything. This is so much easier.”