Major upgrade for JCB’s Robot compact equipment range

AT this month’s Executive Hire Show in Coventry, JCB will be unveiling their newly upgraded range of Robot skid-steer and compact tracked loaders, which are said to offer greater performance, operator control and comfort than the earlier models.

Building on the success of JCB’s Robot design, the new models feature redesigned cab access together with improvements in controllability, operator environment and versatility, together with a range of 34 compatible attachments.

The new range consists of five wheeled skid-steers (the Robot 160, 170, 180, 190 and 1110) with rated capacities from 600kg to 1,100kg –– including JCB’s first ever 800kg capacity model –– and three new compact tracked-loader variants (the Robot 180T, 190T and 1110T), with rated capacities from 820kg to 1,020kg.

A spokesperson for JCB said: ‘The market for skid-steer loaders is relatively mature but it is still growing and evolving. The eight new models are not only the safest products on the market but feature an upgraded cab with an enhanced operator environment and easier operation. With further improvements to the machines’ hydraulics and transmission, and the addition of a Power Management System, performance, precision and control are increased without sacrificing fuel efficiency.’

The first and most visible change is the revised cab structure and operator environment introduced on all models. JCB have upgraded both the internal look and feel of the machine, as well as the ease with which the machine can be operated.

With its unique single-arm design, the JCB Robot remains the only skid-steer on the market to offer a side entry door. This improves safety by eradicating the need for the operator to climb over attachments to gain access, and significantly enhances visibility as there is no left-hand arm to obscure the operator’s view. Access to the cab is even easier on the new models as the door hinges are now positioned to the right of the aperture rather than the left.

Elsewhere in the cab there is an improved instrument layout with the Robot adopting the switchgear as other JCB machinery. In addition, multi-function controls are now incorporated into the standardized servo control levers, allowing the operator to control attachments and auxiliary hydraulic flow without taking their hands off the controls.

The range also incorporates numerous improvements to the machines’ hydraulics and transmission, to deliver both the driving characteristics and hydraulic power required for the many attachments associated with skid-steers. At the forefront of these developments is the JCB Power Management System, which matches available engine power to the demand on the hydraulic system, thereby eliminating engine stall.

The larger Robot 190, 1110, 190T and 1110T models are now powered by JCB Dieselmax engines. These deliver 83hp (63kW) in the 190 tracked and wheeled models, while the larger capacity 1110 Robots feature a turbocharged 91hp (68kW) version.

In addition, the Robot 190, 1110, 190T and 1110T high-flow models benefit from greater hydraulic output, with pressures rising from 185 bar to 225 bar and flow increasing from 120 litres/min to 130 litres/min, resulting in significantly improved performance for all high-flow attachments, such as cold planers and trenchers.

However, increased performance is not limited to the high-flow models, as the redesigned hydraulic system featured in the new machines also benefits from a substantial rise in breakout forces across the range, with increases of up to 20%.

At the front end of the machines JCB have altered the quick-hitch attachment system, replacing the twin-lever design for a single lever. Operated from the cab entry side of the machine, this lever is mounted to the left hand side of the quick hitch, allowing for faster and more efficient changing of attachments.