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19 September 2006
When Linton Military Camp took delivery of four new 4CXM JCB backhoe loaders at the end of August, a technical director from JCB UK was surprised to see a model released in 1988 still being put through its paces.
JCB UK’s Mark Neal said it was a testament to the Army and to the manufacturer that it had been used and maintained for 18 years and was still going strong.
The new multi-purpose 4CXM loaders are specially modified for military use, with a lower roof to allow them to be loaded into a C130 Hercules. They come with a number of features, including a hydraulic quick-hitch so the shovel can be removed and forks put on. The loaders have two-wheel steer, four-wheel steer and also crab steer so they can move sideways. They come fitted with a compressor, a jumpstart mechanism and also a fuel siphon so they can be filled from another vehicle in the field if necessary.
The loaders will be used for a variety of excavation work within the Army, including trench digging, clearing transport routes and preparing the ground for setting up command posts.
Lieutenant Colonel Phil Morrison said the older backhoe loaders were used in Afghanistan and East Timor, and part of the NZDF long-term plan was to make additional purchases over the next few years.
JCB’s local distributor, Landpower New Zealand, held a training session at the camp to familiarise Army engineers with the running and servicing requirements of the loaders. The 4CXM models were modified at the JCB factory in Britain before being shipped to New Zealand.
(In case you think diesel engines are slow and cumbersome: an extensively tweaked version of the same engine that powers JCB’s backhoe loaders has just set a world land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA. Last month RAF Wing Commander Andy Green drove JCB’s Dieselmax at an amazing 563kph, setting a new record for a diesel-powered car.)
This page was last reviewed on 21 September 2006 and is current.
