Versatile, comfortable excavator preferred for Queensland mines

Mackay-based earthmoving company Ticwood Pty Ltd, required a machine for all-round solid performance, that would be comfortable to operate with minimal downtime, to carry out its maintenance responsibilities at the Goonyella coal mine site in central Queensland.
After extensive market research and test drives, company employee Hank Stegeman chose the JCB JS220 excavator, to replace an existing machine earmarked for retirement.
He said the new 22t, long carriage JS220 auto tracked machine, was proving to be an ideal workhorse.
“We are responsible for maintenance at the site and that means carrying out jobs like erecting safety buntings, excavating and cleaning drains, cleaning up spillages and constructing car parks and building pads,” Hank said. “We have a range of attachments we use on the machine to do these tasks, including the digger, rock rakes, grabs and power tools.”
He said the long carriage JS220 was designed for extra stability and, with slightly less width than the previous machine he had been using, was more versatile getting into inaccessible areas. “Despite being slightly less wide than the previous machine, it is still stable enough to carry out jobs at full reach with zero fear of tipping.’’
More dipper force
The hydraulic components of the JCB JS and JZ excavator range have been engineered to provide more dipper force, drawbar pull and bucket dig force to enhance the performance of these machines.
It is fitted with a 130kW Isuzu turbo-charged engine designed for power, reliability, durability and high fuel efficiency.
Hank said JCB’s attention to the fine control of these machines was outstanding. “They have used a joystick-mounted track gear selector to make gear changing very simple. All your auxiliary functions, such as idle speed or accelerate, are on the joystick and you can change these at the same time as carrying out other machine functions with just the touch of your finger. It makes it really safe because you don’t have to take your hands off the joystick to hit other buttons – everything is right at your fingertips.”
The JCB excavator range also employs an advanced management system on-board computer that controls all of the machine’s major functions, providing extra power or precision when needed, depending on the job.
The AMS has four operating modes of auto, economy, precision or lifting, and is designed to provide better fuel efficiency and minimise operating costs.
It alerts the driver there is a problem with the machine and records all key operating data – valuable if you are tracking the machine’s use, diagnosing any problems or re-selling.
Cushion control
All JCB auto tracked excavators also feature cushion control to the boom and dipper and this is continuously employed, unless deactivated by the driver.
It works to cushion the shock loadings to the machine and boosts the comfort for the driver.
Hank said driver comfort was vital when working long hours in the hot and humid conditions experienced at the Queensland mine.
“The JS220 has a really efficient air conditioner that works well in this environment and not all machines have that. I really like the cab layout, too. It is user-friendly, even down to the little things like convenient cup holders and the automatic radio cut-out when the phone rings.”
Hank said it had superior cab visibility compared to many other machines, especially on the right side where the window was deeper and unobstructed. “There is a mirror to the back of the machine and the bonnet is flat, which vastly improves visibility when you are in reverse. You can tell JCB has really spent a lot of time thinking about operator comfort and safety, even down to the blinds that can be lowered for sun protection.”
Head height service points
Hank said the JS220 was easy to service, with major components at the operator’s head height, and the machine was proving to be very fuel efficient.
He said the back-up service from JCB Construction Equipment Australia’s Wes Henshall had been excellent, although the machine had only done 900 hours of work and had not experienced any problems to date.
“JCB machines are known in the industry for being reliable and I don’t anticipate any problems going forward given the design and durability of this machine,” Hank said.
More information: JCB Construction Equipment Australia branches, 1300 788 757.