JCB’S Teleskid 3TS-8 offers the extended reach of a telehandler with the mobility and toughness of a skid steer loader
JCB has a long history of pursuing innovation. The telehandler concept it pioneered in 1977 is a testament to that – not to mention the iconic backhoe loader Joseph Cyril Bamford invented in 1953.
The JCB Teleskid 3TS-8 is the latest example of how innovative thinking can shake up the norm.
Combining the flexibility of the telehandler’s single telescopic boom with the mobility and toughness of a skid steer loader, the Teleskid offers a compelling package of versatility, safety and productivity.
Changing the game
The company has always strived to be “innovators, not imitators”, JCB CEA’s national government business manager for backhoe loaders and compacts Glenn McLeod says.
He adds that the Teleskid provides a unique offering for the Australian local market, due to the massive popularity of the machine in the United States since its debut in 2017.
“It’s just going gangbusters over there,” he says.
“We can’t produce enough of them to satisfy the American market. We’re trying to play catch-up.
“The demand shows there was definitely a gap in the market for such a versatile machine.”
Before the machine was released in Australia, local interest had already built up with a pile of pre-orders – based purely on what information had been available to prospective buyers online.
“We had a very significant number of Teleskid 3TS-8 models ordered by the Australian Defence Force for use across a range of applications,” McLeod says.
The machines are being used for earthmoving, construction and everything in between.
“They were even transported by air and deployed to target locations by parachute,” he says.
Safety and productivity
As with the company’s existing range of skid steer loaders, JCB’s single-side boom allows room for an extended offset cabin, as well as side-door access. McLeod says this design gives JCB an edge with safety.
“Your typical skid steer requires ingress and egress through the front of the unit,” he says.
“With our side-door access, there’s no clambering over a loaded bucket or a bulky attachment to get in.”
Another key safety and productivity feature is the 270 degrees of visibility from within the Teleskid’s cabin. McLeod says the large front windshield is also easily removed for quick exit in case of an emergency.
The main attraction though – and the Teleskid’s biggest point of difference – is the telescopic boom, McLeod adds.
He says the versatility this provides can have an enormous positive impact on productivity.
“Because you’ve got a 1.7 metre reach at full height, it allows you to dump debris into the centre of the truck body, for example,” he says.
“A conventional skid steer struggles to attain that sort of height, and it certainly can’t dump into the middle of the truck body because it has no forward-reach.”
McLeod says this can mean operators of traditional skid steer loaders often have to “throw” material into trucks with a skid steer’s bucket, at a potential cost to both safety and productivity.
“In terms of working at ground level, you’ve got 2.25 metres of reach – so that offers all sorts of extra versatility,” he says.
“For example, with pallet forks attached, you’re able to reach over the side of a truck and unload the whole thing from just one side.”
Versatility
From what he’s seen overseas, McLeod says the Teleskid is well-suited to Australian infrastructure, agriculture, construction and landscaping industries, among others.
“Its versatility certainly lends itself well to general road construction and infrastructure support,” McLeod says.
“You’d have the ability to reach over a footpath and place material or a heavy pallet over the curb without having to drive up over it.
“The Teleskid will also reach below ground level, which allows the machine to clean out drains, for example. There’s no way a conventional skid steer can do that.”
McLeod says agriculture has also historically been a big market for both JCB’s telehandlers and skid steer loaders.
“Depending on the customer’s requirements, they could be looking at replacing the need for two machines with just one,” he says.
Something to prove
McLeod believes there remains a long-standing degree of cynicism around JCB’s single-arm concept on its skid steer loaders when compared to the industry standard, whether it’s a question of functionality, durability or stability.
“Well, it’s an absolute fallacy,” he says. “We’re now coming up to 30 years since we first introduced this concept in the marketplace with the telehandler – a machine which never seems to have the same criticism levelled at it,” he says.
“Hopefully, what the Teleskid will do once and for all is dispel any myths about the integrity of the JCB design concept.”
JCB Teleskid 3TS-8 is available in both wheeled and tracked configurations from, Australian distributor CEA.
For more information, visit www.jcbcea.com.au
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