Do many here use a JCB 3CX for bales and other farm work. I’ve a good bit of handy digger work to do and am half thinking of purchasing. You’d buy one cheaper than a telehandler and they always hold their value. I’ve no awkward sheds so space isn’t an issue.
Have a hitachi ur75 here 2001 machine on steal tracks, was on rubber but changed as it was sliding on the hilly ground we have, it's basically the same as a ex60 with a knuckle boom and zero tail swing and a blade on the front, we down sized from a hitachi ex100 after all the major land reclamation was finished with here back in 2012. Would use the 75 for cleaning out the open fronted straw bedded sheds and loading the dung spreader, it will stack straw with a grab 4 bales high inside the shed, cleaning out a large drain running about 300m by about 5m wide along one end of my land at its ease in a few hours once a year, grab would be used for lifting any large stones back up onto walls that fall and driving any posts for electric fence. Very handy machine to have around in fairness
The ex 100 was a far better work horse for large scale works but would be to big for stacking the straw in the shed or cleaning out the dung, the jib is a lot higher then it is on the 75
I've no loader or tractor with loader here and if going again id nearly consider a jcb 3cx , fit a bale handler on the front and have the back actor for any other rooting id be at. kinda kill two birds with one stone. Lad next door feeds out about 300 bales with a 1970s 3cx at its ease every year, might not be the quickest yoke but it seems to keep chugging away year after year.
Not a 3cx, but have the equivalent in a Case 580. I have it about 3 years now, very handy for fencing, dig a hole for strainers and use front bucket for tapping in stakes. Sheargrab on it for the winter feeding. Mucking out sheds etc. If you're buying a digger make sure it has the 4 in 1 bucket. Get as many back buckets as you can the first day even if you think you'll never need them. The 5 ft grading bucket is probably used the most here, very handy cleaning a yard or doing a bit of a roadway. Go for the extendahoe as well. On the downside a digger is awkward in a small old yard with low sheds. I remember the first day I had it just driving around I nearly knocked a wall, the front bucket is about 7 and a half feet wide.
It's a jack of all trades, loader wise it's great but if you have drainage work to do on wet ground you're better off with a track machine. Mine is old, I don't do much roadwork with it. Try to buy as new a machine as you can afford, with an old machine you'll be spending money on hoses etc. oil leaks are expensive. Whelan on here has a 3cx.
Ex60 if you can get a good second hand one. Great machine
I've a 50hx 87.
She stacks bales, empties fym , does anything asked of it. .
Didn't cost an aweful lot 10 years ago
Back actor has been used for stripping topsoil, digging a few drains, digging holes for gate posts and sheds.
Normally too heavy for fields that want draining if that makes sense.
The Father used it at one stage to draw stone to drains but it cause a lot of compaction .
If you were buying , try to get one with an extendible back actor. Makes it easier to load trailers.
For doing bits n pieces it's grand but if you are doing a lot of digging nothing beats a track machine
1996 3cx sold today in Hennesy’s auction, I think it made €12,500.
May be interesting too. Goff's agri and plant sales, Bridgetown, wexford on their facebook page they are in China and after getting a wheeled digger made up. He has his own brand made DGM and gets the Chinese manufacturers to put the machines together with what components the way he wants for the Irish and wider field market. He sells them then here.
We have a 3cx, great job. Oh used to do a good bit of work with the back arm. I'm slowly getting used to it. Got it fully serviced a few weeks ago, oh used to look after it. We have it 2 years it's a 151 and had another one before it.
Whichever one of your lads is it's main driver, I'd advise getting them a battery grease gun and warn them to grease it weekly. They don't be long getting worn where grease is scarce.
Was put driving one years ago by a foreman, had plenty of experience on a tracked digger, hated it for the first week but absolutely fell in love with after, they're a pig on diesel when driving and using the front bucket, but very easy when using the back arm.
Is a quick attach suitable for a 3cx? Would it be strong enough? Thinking of investing. Uses would be bale soft hands, tine grab and bucket.
You can buy quick attach s for any loader or machine. Adapter plates can be purchased for them, too.
I'm assuming you want to use the likes of a tractor euro brackets on the 3cx.
AdAdapter plates can be made or bought.
The hx at home came with no quick hitch.
To change implements you had to pull 4 pins. Twas a bit painful. I bought a quick hitch that uses existing hx brackets on bucket and bale handler with no modification . If I needed it I could make an Adapter plate to take tractor euro implements.
But be aware the 3cx is a heavier machine than a tractor. I can lift 2 bales of silage on the front of the hx with hydraulic bale handler. I wouldn't like to do that on tractor euro brackets.
ADR Adapter – Universal Euro 8 Compatibility for Loaders & Telehandlers
I got one of these made for the Case, after seeing one on a 3cx. The digger I saw had a bale shear on it. I reckon he might have one for a 3cx in stock. Only issue you might have is that the weight would be maybe 6 inches further out. I was told that the original bucket would be better as it's stronger.
I only use it for the sheargrab which has a euro hitch on it. If I'm feeding bales before the pit is opened I just grab them with the 4 in 1 bucket, or grab 2 of hay.
I will admit putting the bucket on and off is awkward but I do it by leaving it off on an old concrete water tank which is about 4 feet high, at least I can sort of see what I'm doing. I then nudge forward with the extendahoe instead of driving forward into the bucket. Jacks can be used then to level the holes up for the pins. I thought about buying a wide Quicke bucket for the digger but they're around €1200 for a yoke made in China. They might be ok on a digger for a bit of cleaning up around the yard, but for any serious work the 4 in 1 bucket is built for hardship.
Whelan got one made when she changed the digger by someone local to her a few years ago.
Tighe Engineering did it for me
Thanks for the replies. I feed almost 500 bales and the little Deere 2650 wasn’t designed for them heavy bales long term. The quick attach would still work a 4 in 1 bucket for heavy work. That’s my main concern.
There doesn’t seem to be much for sale out there at the moment. What’s the New Holland like? I’ve been told cheaper and better than a 3cx.
A neighbour told me that only a rough farmer buys them type of machines! I’ve thick skin
Look at the terex 860. There nearly the best of them for farmers as bigger wheels than a 3cx and we'll able to push.
+1 for the 860. I have one and it’s given 20+ years service. Lighter machine then a 3cx but wouldn’t let that worry you.
Is it a special oil for transmission oil in 3cx?
It's a fluid they call it. Best to ring the dealer to be sure. It would be in the owners manual too if you have one. Try the pocket on the back of the seat.
The New Holland wouldn't compare to a jcb. Massey/Terex are better loaders. Back actor is better on the jcb.
Ye oh used to have a little black gallon can in the digger which I assume was it. There's a warning coming up that it's low, I dipped it and it's low but not really low
It could be ATF
automatic transmission fluid. Red in colour
As other said check manual though!
I'm inclined to agree with him, which is why you're probably better off buying one that wasn't on a farm before. When a farmer is finished with one it's probably only fit for export.
If you think about it, most farmers need it for loader work and a small bit of digging. But if a digger was mostly used on a site for example it's mainly used for digging, so the bushings, pins etc. are probably gone a bit sloppy in the backhoe but are still pretty good on the loader, also the transmission should be ok too. We can cope with a sloppy backhoe for the odd day we use it, but a loader that's warped or worn out is bad. If you're going looking at one take someone that knows them with you, they'll know how worn it is.
Typo, you meant ATF.
I got one of the lads out yesterday from Tom Hoeys, battery had been hit and miss for a while he put a new one in. There's a leak in the coolant, he sorted that and did the transmission fluid.
Anybody using a 2cx with backhoe? The wheels looks fierce small on them so wondering if they would do anything at all in the fields. They would be a lot more nimble around my yard than the 3cx etc. and the backhoe doesn't look to be that high above the cab when folded up
Looking at getting something for feeding anyway and am caught for room in the feed passage so was thinking either a 2cx or a 406/7/8/9
JCB 2CX for sale in Co. Longford for €32,750 on DoneDeal
Maybe not this one but similar
