Yesterday was the day, when we finally ordered our all-purpose all-terrain vehicle. It is not exactly the “Car vNext” I wrote about some months ago, but hopefully will serve our needs well. It is a – drum roll – JCB 531-70 TeleHandler.
Why did we choose this and why that specific model?
Our plot is currently only accessible via an off-road vehicle and the non-existing road is sometimes in such a bad condition that I really have trouble to get there even with my Hilux (this certainly can also be attributed to my driving skills). While our Kawasaki Mule is fine to get back and forth, it lacks the ability to carry larger loads.
In addition, we wanted to lift things to a level of above 5m (as the barn will be that high). And I wanted to be able to move stuff around without needing to buy a Dumper.
Other factors we considered: larger manufacturer sold by a larger distributor “near by” with a technicican that can react in days not weeks.
So this is why I sticked to the JCB guys in Muir of Ord (despite my mixed feelings at the start).
Because of the lifting hight a normal tractor or wheel loader would not really be a good fit, I ended up with looking at tele handlers.
It is the non-agri version with the small engine, as I do not intend to tow larger loads. And the best of all, it is probably the only machine in that size, that is available this year.
I opted for the 5 year / 2000h warranty extension, as I will probably using it for not more than 400h/y. This means, I can keep it for 4 year and still sell it with one-year of warranty, if I feel like it.
In addition to the standard fork, I also ordered a 1m3 bucket, so I do not need to get a Dumper (we will see how this turns out). Plus I swapped the construction tyres to proper agri tyres.
A note regarding pricing: looking at used machines showed me, that even after a couple of years and thousands of hours, they still sell for roughly the half of a new one. And with the current inflation rates rising, I came to the conclusion that a new model will be actually cheaper. As weird as it may sound …
And now for some techie bits:
Looking at the chart, lifting stones and a generator should not be a problem at all.
Delivery is scheduled for end of June. So until I keep happily waiting …
Our Journey to Scotland 