NSW machinery contractor William Cauchi recently acquired an excavator as part of a diversification strategy for his business, WC Excavations. Cauchi, an owner-operator who has worked in the building industry for the past 15 years, specialises in road construction, repairs and maintenance as well as general building construction in the Rooty Hills area, near Blacktown.

In the past he has predominantly operated backhoes, but decided the addition of an excavator to his fleet would increase versatility and the ability for his business to undertake a far wider range of jobs. After an investigation, Cauchi decided the JCB 98-hp JZ140D auto tracked excavator best suited his needs for good manoeuvrability in tight spaces, reliability, power and fuel efficiency. And, to increase the machine’s versatility, he also ordered an optional dozer blade attachment.

He plans to use the new excavator mainly for road construction and repairs, digging pads and footings for warehouse and office buildings, and for general excavation. Cauchi said a main feature of the 14t JZ140D that appealed to him was its zero tailswing, making it ideal for use in confined spaces. “It is very compact, with good width and manoeuvrability, and it can get into tight spaces. Sometimes when I am doing footings I need to be hard-up against a wall, and with this machine I can still slew around within the machine’s own tracking width without bumping the wall.

The JCB JZ140D has a standard 4.7m boom and 2.5 dipper, which Cauchi said was ideal for his type of operations, and has plenty of power from its Isuzu turbo-charged Tier III engine. This engine is renowned for power, reliability, durability and fuel efficiency and has low noise and exhaust gas emissions.

The main hydraulic components in JCB excavators, engineered in Japan, provide increased flow and pressure. This increases the available power and speed for improved dipper and bucket dig force, drawbar pull and work equipment speeds, making machine operation faster. The cushion control to the boom and dipper on the hydraulic system also protects the machine and its operator from shock loadings, meaning smoother and more comfortable operations for the operator.

“Visibility was a major factor under consideration when I was searching for an excavator and a surprising number of machines had bars and obstructions at their windows,’’said Cauchi. “The JCB excavators have clear glass all round and it is excellent.”

JCB excavators employ an Advanced Management System (AMS) for control in the cab. This has four operating modes to maximise productivity and fuel efficiency and minimise costs. Auto mode automatically switches between maximum and economy power depending on the hydraulic system loading. Economy provides maximum fuel efficiency in normal digging conditions by reducing hydraulic pressure and flow as well as engine rpm. Precision mode further reduces hydraulic flow and engine rpm for fine work and grading. And lifting mode gives maximum power with reduced oil flow for better control.

The AMS also alerts the operator if any problems arise and records the machine’s key operating data. “You have three speed options for tracking and these are easily changed with a simple trigger action of the finger on the joystick. It is really easy to change the speed while you are manoeuvring a suspended load and that is a really great feature of these excavators.”

“Another feature I really like on this excavator is its refuelling pump that can be set to the level you want filled, for example, 80, 90 or 100 per cent. It means you can’t over-fill it and it is very efficient,’’ William said.