FUEL SAVING JCB EXCAVATORS FIND NICHE DEMOLITION ROLE

A rapidly expanding Scottish plant hire firm has just taken delivery of three 20-tonne JCB JS220 tracked excavators to capitalise on increased demand from the demolition sector.
 
Based in Darvel in Ayrshire, Tom Grant Plant purchased the machines after identifying a gap in the market for a mid-sized excavator to perform clear up duties after heavier equipment has left demolition sites. The JS220 has the power to handle heavy materials and attachments but offers greater manouevrability and cost efficiency than the traditional large demolition excavator.
 
The new machines join two earlier JCB JS220s which were purchased in August 2013 and have been in high demand for the site clearance role ever since.
 
The JS220 is the first JCB excavator above 20 tonnes operating weight to adopt the company’s highly efficient Ecomax diesel engine. The 4.8-litre engine delivers 129kW (172hp) and is equipped with 2,000 bar common rail fuel injection, a variable geometry turbocharger and full electronic engine control, resulting in a 10% cut in fuel consumption and improved engine responsiveness. As with all JCB Ecomax engines, the clean burn technology results in there being no requirement for a costly, and bulky diesel particulate filter (DPF).
 
Company owner Tom Grant said: “With its agility and excellent fuel efficiency thanks to the Ecomax engine, the JS220 is significantly cheaper to run than a large demolition excavator yet able to perform a wide range of handling, cutting and sorting tasks required as part of the demolition process.
 
“We have spotted the opportunity to deliver this service – providing a smaller and productive machine than many out and out demolition contractors have in their fleet. In addition to the machines’ performance the service from Scot JCB is also excellent. Its response times on support or parts is rapid and the competition just can’t compete with that.”
 
The three new machines have been specified with specialist auxiliary pipework, a rotation circuit and directional controls to give enhanced attachment utilisation. They have been put to work on a series of demolition projects across central Scotland picking up steel, wood and building materials and feeding crushers on site, using a range of attachments including buckets and a selector grab.
 
Founded in 1997, Tom Grant Plant has grown from a single machine operation to a general purpose plant hirer to construction industry. 80% of these are JCB excavators, including 8018, 8030, 8045 and 8085 compact and JS145 and JS220 tracked models, along with several JCB 3CX Sitemaster excavators.