What the hell is it?

[Joes1989]

Ive just come across this rather sorry JCB on ebay.....what model is it? I cant get the big pictures to have a closer look so cant tell what it is.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JCB-CLASSIC-DIGGER-BREAKING-PARTS-/110737929656?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item19c87eb5b8

Joe

[Hugh Jaleak]

Its a JCB 3, predecessor to 3C with a slightly modified cab!

[jcb4cx]

jcb 3 by the looks of it

[Martyn Henley]

Hey Graham, there's one here just that one

104_20070620125440.jpg

I was up at JCB.com, measuring up for the JCB 4, and that one had not long been in his yard, found out the history to it as well.

Martyn

Oh yes Joe it is a 3 with a some what modified cab

[grahamgrigg]

Its a JCB 3, predecessor to 3C with a slightly modified cab!

cab is not modified at all that's how they were, you could stand up and operate it with that cab

[Scooby]

My first ever JCB. Called a JCB3 and was in production at the same time as a 3C. But the 3C had a bigger front bucket and was a heavier machine altogether. The cab shown is exactly how they were made. The back of the roof folded back so you could stand up if you wanted to. There was no door, you climbed in through the back (no back window as such) and I nearly came to grief one day when getting out. A boiler suit pocket got caught in the slewing lever and as I climbed out the boom suddenly swung round to meet me I bought my machine s/h in 1969 (it was a 1963 machine) and paid £345 for it. I preferred it to a 3C because it was much lighter and we were working on farm land most of the time, ditching in the Winter etc. I think I was on £1.50/hr (30/- in old money)in those days.

The only other choices were MF or the old Whitlocks. I don't think Ford diggers had appeared at that time, nor Case or Cat but could be wrong on that.

I made a muck (manure) fork for mine out of 3" channel and half shafts, which was the same width as the front bucket. No teleporters in those days and all farm muck loading was done with front end loaders on tractors. I could fill a muckspreader of the day with a couple of forkfulls and people used to hire me and the machine and then get as many spreaders as they could muster from neighbours etc. so that they got their money's worth out of me and the machine

Super Major skid unit, no 4wd, and of course no extra-dig. And those stupid swivel couplings round the kingpost !!! Power steering was that awful ram that had the valves in the end of it but it was better than nothing (just LOL)

[Joes1989]

Funny you should say that about the manure loading only last night did I see a 3C loading manure on my way home from work! I'd never seen an old girl working before yesterday and it was a very enjoyable thing to see

[Scooby]

The problem with a 3C was that they had a 1cu.yd bucket on the front and a longer loader frame which took more weight off the back end. The 3 had a 3/4 cu.yd bucket and the loader was much shorter so didn't stick out as much. The 3C had a better backhoe though, more reach and more depth. When you were working round a muck heap in a field and it was very wet you had to put the back actor in the middle of the slides and swing it out to give you a bit more weight on the back end. In those days muck heaps were usually in the same place every year and after a few years of inevitably picking up a bit of soil as well as muck a hollow was formed and that made things worse.