In a busy market, JCB excavators have stood out to Sydney contractor Top Civil Group – providing power, comfort and stability with zero tail swing
For Top Civil Group owner Shaun Liu, it’s the versatility and power to size ratio that makes his JCB excavators stand out. With a third JZ140 16-tonne excavator and one of the new X Series – the 27-tonne 245XR – recently joining the Top Civil Group fleet, we caught up with Liu to find out why JCB hits the mark for his business.
“At Top Civil we do a wide range of different projects,” he says.
“We cover demolition and asbestos removal, subdivision work, installing water and sewer pipes, building roads, large-scale excavation, piling and concrete.
“Our reputation is built on commitment to the builders we work with and the subbies we hire. We always start a project on time and do everything we can to finish when we say we will. We never walk away from a problem and, because of that, we have built very strong relationships in the industry.”
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news in the earthmoving industry
- Never miss a great deal and subscribe to our monthly magazine
- Download a free copy of our latest digital magazine to catch up on the biggest news and developments in the earthmoving industry
As part of Top Civil’s commitment to getting where they are needed, when they are needed, Liu has built up a 20-strong fleet of new machinery, which he keeps regularly updated.
“All of the machinery is new, under 4,000 hours,” he says.
“I borrowed a JZ140 from a friend a couple of years ago and it did such a good job that I’ve since bought my third, along with my first 245XR. They’re very powerful for the size of machine – even at higher loads they just keep on going.”
JCB CEA territory manager heavy line Samuel Coombe says that the JZ140, which JCB describes as being in the 14-tonne category, has been very popular with Australian customers due to the level of engineering expertise that goes into JCB’s machines as well as the heavy build.
Having worked with Top Civil Group for many years, he says the addition of the new X Series 245XR excavator to the fleet will allow the business to see even greater productivity gains.
“They’ve got larger cabin spaces, they’ve got better fuel savings, and they’ve got really good stability over the side,” Coombe says.
“With Top Civil doing a lot of demolition and excavating work, both of these new machines pair well with the business, particularly as they are both zero swing excavators. Shaun has done his research, he knows what’s on the market and he decided that JCB was the best option.”
Top features
Coombe says JCB excavators appeal because of their power to weight ratio, with a compact size and zero swing reducing collision risk on site, particularly on compact urban or roadside construction sites.
“The reason why I like to sell JCB machinery is that JCB have been around since 1945, so they have a vast wealth of knowledge,” he says.
“They’ve invented a lot of machines, like the backhoes and telehandlers, and their product continues to evolve, which can be seen with the new X Series excavators coming through.
“One of the biggest things that JCB do with their excavators is they build a lot of their weight down low. They’ve got really thick, heavy chassis, and they’ve got big blades. This gives them, especially in demolition, a lot of strength and stability.
“JCB also manufacture their own parts, which means everything can be exactly what they want. We have one of the largest cabins on the market for example and with regards to visibility the main boom arm is mounted in the centre of the slew ring. This gives better balance, plus, when the operator brings the excavator arm right back, they can see clear under the arm to the other side of the machine.”
The excavator operating system can also be customised, with up to 10 different attachments able to be programmed through the dash. All JCB machines are also fitted with the LiveLink System for remote tracking of data such as fuel usage and maintenance alerts.
“LiveLink has a lot of benefits for our customers,” Coombe says.
“You’ll get service reminders, or we can do things like geofencing to lock the machine in a job site, so if it exits that site, the customer or ourselves get a notification to let us know that it’s outside of its set area.
“Another good feature for hire customers for example is the ability to monitor start and stop times. All of this information can be accessed remotely which gives an in-depth summary of what is happening with the machine.
“In addition to this, there is a power boost button located on the bottom of the joystick, so if a customer is operating in harsh conditions, pressing that power boost button will alter the hydraulics to direct more digging power into the ground surface.”
X Series
The JCB 245XR excavator that recently joined Top Civil Group is one of two models in the new X Series of excavators released by JCB, with Coombe saying a 14-tonne excavator and 37-tonne excavator will soon be joining the lineup after their release in the UK.
“What they’ve done on these machines is they’ve slightly improved the JCB engine, to be more fuel efficient,” Coombe says.
“JCB has also included its new CommandPlus cabin, which is both larger and the quietest cabin on the market at 68 decibels.
“You can merge your auxiliary flows to get a combined flow of 300 litres per minute and they’ve improved the hydraulic pumps on these machines with next generation Kawasaki hydraulic pumps. There is no DPF on these machines either.
“It’s really good for utilities work, road construction and pipelaying jobs. Top Civil Group uses this for demolition and excavation works as well. The zero swing machines are definitely putting the counterweight swing machines out of the market.”
Top Civil Group’s Shaun Liu says the new 245XR has been an instant hit with his operators, who like the larger cabin and find it comfortable and easy to operate. He says it’s also great value as it’s overspecced for the 25-tonne category it’s positioned in, with the machine able to reach higher and take on the larger demolition and excavation work his business undertakes.
“It’s highly versatile,” he says.
“We’re using it on a range of projects, from levelling land to excavation of around 20,000 cubic metres of soil at another site, and then it’ll be used to demolish a nursing home. With it being zero-swing, it can do anything.
“CEA has provided us with great service and, price-wise, the JCB brand suits us very well. If there are any issues, CEA are there to help us out – they’re very good.”
For further information on the JCB range available through CEA, visit: jcbcea.com.au
