Don't see this very often !!

[Nick Drew]

Well its been well documented that I do not like operating backhoe loaders, but sometimes needs must and a few years ago I was offered the use of a Cat backhoe loader to clearout the muck heap at home.

I started my career on JCB 3C's as so many of us did, but once I got into the 360 degree machines I never went back.

Make the most of these photos .....it could be many years before you see me in one of these again !!!

Nick

[tone_rmz250]

when was that mate! nah ive never known you to want to drive a wheelie! get on ya mate!

[Nick Drew]

when was that mate! nah ive never known you to want to drive a wheelie! get on ya mate!

That was taken on 29th February 2004, and the machine belonged to Matt Troup from Callington who I was doing a bit for at the time on a Steve Hoskins site in Okehampton, I was operating Matts Cat 312B which I believe he has still got

Of course I can operate them (in a fashion) but I just find them so frustrating and indeed hard bloody work when compared to 360's

Nick

[tone_rmz250]

i know what you mean but what i love about them is they are so versatile and you can move yourself from site to site! also you can do private jobs!

[martyn williams]

Hello Nick
How did you get on with the back acter controls on the old JCB 3 c's and the way they bounced on the road? I did not like the diagonal arrangement. I liked the Ford 550 4550 and 136 machines.Thats all they had in Devon in the 1980's.Also had a go on 580F construction king and the MF 50B and MF 300 fitted with backactor.Done a lot of "private jobs" with a 550.

[jcb3cMk3]

Hello Nick
How did you get on with the back acter controls on the old JCB 3 c's and the way they bounced on the road? I did not like the diagonal arrangement. I liked the Ford 550 4550 and 136 machines.Thats all they had in Devon in the 1980's.Also had a go on 580F construction king and the MF 50B and MF 300 fitted with backactor.Done a lot of "private jobs" with a 550.

Hello Martyn,

I've just bought a JCB 3C MK3 for restoration. I'm not from the plant industry. I drove the 3C for the first time last week and noticed the bonce factor, in fact the faster I went the worse the bounce get - near lost the JCB in the hedge at one point. Is the bounce really that bad or is it dependant on acurate steering geometry?

Cheers


Philip

[Nick Drew]

Hello Nick
How did you get on with the back acter controls on the old JCB 3 c's and the way they bounced on the road? I did not like the diagonal arrangement. I liked the Ford 550 4550 and 136 machines.Thats all they had in Devon in the 1980's.Also had a go on 580F construction king and the MF 50B and MF 300 fitted with backactor.Done a lot of "private jobs" with a 550.

Hi Martyn,

I never had a problem with the diagonal controls to be honest I guess this was because it was all I knew from an early age

Yes Philip,

They all used to bounce about on the road !! It could be quite scary at times!!

My first brand new "out of the box" machine as an operator was a 3C MkIII for Wimpeys in 1979 I remember it well reg no AYY 350T would love to know what happened to it???

My Father was on hire to Wimpeys on one of there sites in Southampton and I replaced him with the Wimpey machine He never let me forget that I blew him out

IT was a great machine in its day mine had a borg warner transmission 4 gears with forward & reverse selector which was the business back then!! Just wish I had taken photos of it

Nick

[martyn williams]

Hello Philip & Nick
They are all the same,we used to put the buckets in the front bucket or a 45 gallon drum of diesel,to add a bit of weight.I drove a 3C from our old workshop in Devon to a new building about 5 miles.The brakes were also rubbish on the older machines,if not set up right they would pull to one side.
So you had the bounce,iffy brakes and a backhoe that would drop on the move, made an interesting ride.Top gear was like and overdrive,same as the Majors.Revs would drop,leaving a trail of black smoke behind you until speed picked up.Happy days.A Ford 550 was like driving a car.