3cx / Fermec 360

RedRag

Thinking of getting a second hand 3cx or Fermec 860 or similar for use on small farm. Can anyone tell me what I should look out for, any common problem areas etc. Wouldn't be going for anything too fresh so any advice or recomendations appreciated.

oflynno

i would recommend a 4wd for starters as there is always sticky stuff on the farm


the 3cx generation and fresher are the best

the massey 50b era and jcb 3c11 and 3c111 are too cumbersome and lack a bit of comfort.

the 3cx is the biggest seller of all in ireland and to be honest haven't too much to go wrong.having said that a fuse can stop them moving

most 4wd ones have been bought upto mid 90's and exported to poland by the polish lads them selves

i have no experience of massey/terex but the 50 hx looks like a great machine,even though they are a good deal more expensive than the jcb counterparts.

beware if buyiong repossessed machines as the owners/drivers in a small few cases have doenb the unthinkable such as sand in with the oil to render them useless.

after that the 4 in 1 bucket models are handy as you can adapt them for silage grabs

the jcb 4x4x4(with same wheels on front as behind) have popped up cheap but they have a huge turning circle and can be bulky.

the case 580 can ve a cheaper alternative in some cases too
i know where there may be a 90's 3cx for sale,if you want i can check if its still there or not.

RedRag

Thanks for the info oflynno. Looks like i'll be looking for a 3cx then. Will def be looking for 4wd, a 2wd wouldn't get around our place with the state of feilds from the recent weather. The 4cx would be out of the question, the yard is tight, dont want to be doing Austin Powers type reversing manoeuvre's. No need to check if that 3cx is still there, I wont be seriously looking until at least the summer but thanks anyway.

Cheeky Charlie

I have a MF 50hx for doing the odd bit of work around the farm. It's getting on a bit now (1988) but does everything it's supposed to. No complaints. Anyway I'm actually looking for a second hand narrow bucket/tile drain bucket for it & I've been told that a JCB bucket isn't compatible with a MF machine. Is this true? I don't fancy forking out for one that ends up not suiting the digger.

PJMCKE

Hi Oflynno,
I have just got planning and a c3x in the 90's is just what I am looking for. Cuold you possible PM a price and location . Kind regards

the case 580 can ve a cheaper alternative in some cases too
i know where there may be a 90's 3cx for sale,if you want i can check if its still there or not.[/QUOTE]

macnab

Dont get hung up on buying 4 wheel drive, its very easy to pull a JCB out of a hole with the back actor, unless you can find a 4x4 for the same money as a 2 WD machine I wouldnt bother.

oflynno

Cheeky Charlie wrote: »

I have a MF 50hx for doing the odd bit of work around the farm. It's getting on a bit now (1988) but does everything it's supposed to. No complaints. Anyway I'm actually looking for a second hand narrow bucket/tile drain bucket for it & I've been told that a JCB bucket isn't compatible with a MF machine. Is this true? I don't fancy forking out for one that ends up not suiting the digger.

well the best thing to do is get measuring,put it up here and we can compare for sure
measure
1. the pin diameter
2. the pin length
3. distance between lugs on the bucket
4. centre to centre on the holes on the bucket

we can compare the sizes with the jessie-b ones

oflynno

PJMCKE wrote: »

Hi Oflynno,
I have just got planning and a c3x in the 90's is just what I am looking for. Cuold you possible PM a price and location . Kind regards

the case 580 can ve a cheaper alternative in some cases too
i know where there may be a 90's 3cx for sale,if you want i can check if its still there or not.

[/quote]


rang the guy,the jcb is gone,no rubber tyre diggers but he has a yanmar 4ton mini digger,rubber tracks,mid 90's.i haven't seen it but he is looking for around 7000 for it.

Cheeky Charlie

Hi Oflynno,
I got measuring & found the distances from centre to centre on holes on the bucket was different to the measurements of the larger buckets I already have. I think I'll hang on & get one that suits the old MF. Thanks for the pointer anyway.

oflynno

the centre to centre holes don't matter as they only effect the the tipping out of the bucket and i think there isn't too much of a difference

you might put up the measurements you got so we can use it as a reference for future use


tvm

Cheeky Charlie

Well the pins I use with the larger MF buckets are 330mm long & 43mm diameter.

Distance between lugs on these buckets is 180mm.
Distance centre to centre on holes is 290mm.

Finding a suitable bucket less than 300mm (1') wide is hard work so far. I'm thinking of picking up one that wide & getting a lad I know to chop it down for me. I wouldn't have the gear for that kind of work.

oflynno

the jcb measurements are 45 mm pins
337mm centre to centre
167mm between lugs

so technically a jcb bucket will fit yours with a few shims(spacers) welded in to place

the centre to centre measurement doesn't make a difference too much as they are all independant yokeys on the end of the jib(can't think of the name for it)

JMSE

how about a jcb 2CX, extremely nippy, only front bucket though, rear compressor, we've lots for sale, well the company does, I'm being laid off