Beruflich Dokumente
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Feature Comparison
November 2005
Caterpillar
428E
Backhoe Loader
vs
JCB 3CX
Backhoe Loader
Summary
This document is designed to compare some of the features of
the Caterpillar 428E versus the JCB 3CX Backhoe Loaders.
It is intended as a tool to be used by the Dealer when selling
against JCB, highlighting the important Caterpillar design
advantages and how they provide a solution to the wants and
needs of the increasingly demanding backhoe loader customer.
The document also highlights perceived deficiencies of the
JCB 3CX.
Chassis
Side Rails
Stabilizers
Tool & Battery Storage
Hydraulic Tank
Electrical System
Boom Transport Lock
3-8
9 - 12
Loader
Durability
Visibility
13 - 15
Backhoe
Excavator Style Boom
Extendible Stick
Bucket Linkage
Visibility
16 - 19
Operator Environment
Operator Station
Personal Storage
Controls & Operation
Security
20 - 23
Serviceability
Daily Checks
Engine Bay
Front Axle & Drive Shafts
Hydraulic Filter
Cylinders
Stabiliser Wearpads
24 - 29
Performance Comparison
30
Brief Specifications
31
Chassis
Advantage:
The backhoe on the 428E side-shifts on a flat rail without the need
for running channels.
Slide-Rails
Conclusions:
The channels which the 3CX slide frame travels in are prone to
significant dirt ingress during trench work. This can result in
difficulty when trying to side-shift the machine, with the operator
having to constantly clean the running channels. The Caterpillar
machine side-shifts without the need for such runners and is
therefore free of these problems.
428E
3CX
3CX
Chassis
Stabilisers
Advantage:
The 428E is designed with large stabilizer feet which can be
fitted with bolt-on reversible two piece street pads to prevent
damage to asphalt surfaces. The stabiliser system also includes
built-in lock valves as standard.
The 428E stabiliser leg also includes a clean-out slot as a
standard feature.
428E
Conclusions:
The larger stabiliser feet on the 428E provide lower ground
pressure and more machine support. This is beneficial when
working on soft ground, where the JCB foot will be more likely
to sink in.
The street pads protect road surfaces from damage when the
stabilisers are deployed. Being two-piece and reversible, the
pads can also be easily replaced or reversed to prolong their life
span. The optional pads on the 3CX are manufactured from an
softer compound that wears down more easily. They are also
non-reversible and require more frequent and costly
replacements.
3CX
Chassis
Advantage:
The 428E has a large combined tool storage and battery box. It is
easily accessible for the operator. A heavy duty two-battery option
is available.
Conclusions:
The Caterpillar operator benefits from the reassurance that he has
storage space all of his tools, chains, pins etc. A 3CX owner may
have to leave some of those tools at home, or longer tools, such as
a Backhoe Quick Coupler Release Bar, rolling around on the cab
floor.
Stowage space on the JCB is limited by the close proximity of the
hydraulic tank, which also limits how wide the lid can be opened,
restricting access to an already small toolbox.
428E
428E
3CX
3CX
Feature Comparison Caterpillar 428E vs JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader
3CX
5
Chassis
Hydraulic Tank
Advantage:
The Hydraulic Tank in the 428E is mounted up inside the
loader tower. The tank on the JCB is a pannier tank mounted
on the LHS of the machine chassis
Conclusions:
The Caterpillar design has the hydraulic tank out of harms way.
It also provides a positive head of oil for the hydraulic pump.
The tank on the JCB is more vulnerable. The sight gauge is
exposed and could be damage by the operator when getting in
and out of the cab, or by debris trapped between the sight gauge
and the tool box lid.. The lines into the tank are exposed
underneath and could be damaged on site. Also, the steps in the
hydraulic and fuel tanks are rigidly mounted and could damage
the tanks, if impacted on the jobsite. By contrast, the E-series
steps are designed to bend and not damage the tanks,
if impacted on site.
3CX
428E
6
Chassis
Advantage:
Electrical harnesses on the 428E are fully braided for durability
and use connectors sealed against dust and water ingress. All
electrical circuits are colour coded for easy trouble shooting and
all fuses are located neatly in one area. A 120 amp alternator is
fitted to the 428E as standard.
Conclusions:
Harnesses on the JCB are either protected by plastic ribbed
conduit or not at all. This design is not as durable as the braided
harnesses on the 428E and does not offer the same level of
protection against damage on the jobsite.
JCB harnesses use the same colour wire for all circuits.
The circuit number is printed in the wire. This makes electrical
troubleshooting more difficult.
The JCB has two alternator options: a 75 amp alternator is fitted as
standard and an optional 85 map alternator is available when a
Turbocharged engine is fitted. This larger alternator is still smaller
than the 120 amp fitted to the 428E and may not provide sufficient
charging when working in winter with all the lights and heater etc.
turned on.
Electrical System
3CX
428E
Chassis
Boom Transport Lock
Advantage:
The 428E has a boom transport lock system which can be
operated at any point in the backhoe swing range.
Conclusions:
The boom lock system on the 428E be engaged and
dis-engaged at any swing angle.
The system on the JCB can only be activated when the
backhoe is directly in line with the machine axis.
This prevents the operator from safely locking the boom up,
unless in a predetermined position.
3CX
3CX
3CX
Engine
Conclusions:
The choice of engine option on the 428E allows the customer to
specify the machine to more exacting requirements. The 3CX also
has two engine options. The first is a Naturally Aspirated 59.8 kW
(Net), while a 64.5 kW (Net) Turbocharged engine is available as
an option.
Comparing the Standard and Optional engine selections on the
two machines shows that the 428E has more power in both cases.
This will make the 428E more productive on the jobsite and
provide better hill climbing ability when roading, providing faster
travelling between jobsites.
Advantage:
The hydraulic system on the 428E utilises a load sensing closed
centre system. Hydraulic power is provided by a load sensing,
variable displacement, axial piston pump. The valves are flow
sharing, which makes operating multiple functions much easier.
Conclusions:
The Caterpillar system reacts to the demand that is required
by the implements, adjusting the flow and pressure provided
accordingly. This leads to full hydraulic power at any given
engine speed, allowing delicate operations where precise
modulation yet powerful forces are required. The flow sharing
valves ensure that all services receive the oil they require and
results in very smooth modulation of multiple functions,
without any one function stalling out.
The load sensing system on the 428E ensures that hydraulic
oil is not constantly circulating through the hydraulic lines and
filters. This greatly reduces parasitic loads on the engine and
leads to reduced fuel consumption, improved hydraulic filter
performance and longer hydraulic oil life.
The JCB 3CX uses an open centre hydraulic system supplied
by a twin section gear pump. In this system, oil is constantly
flowing though the lines and filters. This has the effect of
placing parasitic losses on the engine and creating excess heat
and noise. This will lead to increased fuel consumption, shorter
filter service life and faster breakdown of the hydraulic oil,
reducing the interval between oil changes. This also means
more wear and tear on the engine and hydraulic pump and
higher demands placed on the cooling system.
Greater hydraulic efficiency is achieved on the 428E by
delivering the required flow and pressure on demand.
This also leads to more controllability, a clear advantage
when excavating in tight areas or close to services.
10
Front Axle
Conclusions:
The offset and angled position of the 3CX front driveshaft can lead
to excessive vibration and limited driveshaft component life.
Mounting the differential centrally removes this risk. The JCB
front driveshaft is also unprotected, compared to the 428E which
benefits from an optional, durable transmission guard.
The front axle on the 428E is also sealed and lubricated for life,
unlike the axle on the JCB.
428E
3CX
428E
11
Advantage:
The 428E is available with 20 front tyres which allow better
flotation on soft sites.
Conclusions:
The JCB is also available with 20 front tyres. However, these
tyres restrict the turning circle of the machine, leading to
reduced manoeuvrability. The turning circle is reduced by as
much as 30%. On the 428E, there is no loss of turning circle
with 20 front tyres, allowing the operator to retain maximum
manoeuvrability.
428E
12
3CX
Loader
Advantage:
The 428E is fitted with a Parallel Lift Loader as standard.
Maximum bucket capacity is 1.03 m3.
Conclusions:
The 3CX has a parallel lift loader, which offers the same
performance benefits as on the 428E. However, the 428E
design is more productive, with larger pins and cylinders,
providing increased performance and durability.
12.4
mm
The JCB bucket design uses thinner plates for the side plates
than the Caterpillar design. Thicker side plates result in greater
wear resistance, providing a much more durable bucket with
longer service life.
428E
10.4
mm
3CX
428E
50.75
mm
3CX
39.87
mm
13
Loader
Durability
Advantage:
The Caterpillar bucket features thicker bucket mounting plates,
and XT3 hoses rather than the JCBs metallic tubes used for the
MP bucket cylinder lines.
Conclusions:
Thicker plates contribute to a greater resistance to bending when
loading the bucket or lifting uneven weights. This contributes to
a more robust, hard wearing bucket.
3CX
428E
428E
3CX
428E
14
3CX
Feature Comparison Caterpillar 428E vs JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader
Loader
Advantage:
The 428E offers the operator good visibility to the loader
bucket. Four adjustable front work lights are available.
Visibility
Conclusions:
The narrow hood on the 428E is clear of obstructions. This,
along with the divergent lift arms, a large area front windscreen
and a narrow front console, results in a clear line of sight to the
bucket for the operator.
On the JCB, visibility is reduced by the air inlet bowl on the
hood and the tilt cylinder links. The arms are not diverging and
the windscreen is much smaller than on the 428E. The operator
must move around in the seat more to see the bucket, leading to
more fatigue.
428E
3CX
428E
3CX
15
Backhoe
Excavator-Style Boom
Advantage:
The 428E utilises the proven Caterpillar excavator-style boom.
Improvements with the E-series includes an excavator style nose
and a combined cylinder mount pin for improved performance.
Conclusions:
The excavator-style boom allows additional clearance when
reaching over obstacles and the ability to dig closer to the
machine. The 3CX boom has a very deep and straight profile.
This makes it more difficult to dig over obstacles than with the
428E. This also makes excavating and dumping close to the truck
very difficult, as is common on road works.
428E
3CX
16
Backhoe
Advantage:
The E-stick on the 428E features an outer-sliding extension,
with serrations for improved clamping incorporated into the
design.
Extendible Stick
Conclusions:
The outer sliding extension keeps the wear pads and running
surfaces clean and away from the material being excavated.
On the JCB, any material being clamped in the bucket is
clamped against the sliding rails of the extension. This can
result in damage to the running surfaces and material being
dragging back into the wearpads. Both conditions will result in
an increased wear rate on the pads and reduced service life.
The serrations on the 428E E-stick also allows the operator to
clamp material without the risk of damage to the stick or the
need for a thumb.
428E
3CX
17
Backhoe
Bucket Linkage
Advantage:
The 428E has a high rotation linkage which has 205 of bucket
rotation with a single pin position. The JCB has only 201 of
bucket rotation, with two pin positions.
Conclusions:
The high rotation linkage on the 428E allows easy bucket
clamping, longer flat bottom trenches, and deeper vertical trench
end walls. This is not achievable on the 3CX, which only has
201 of rotation. This results in less machine repositioning with
the 428E and no need to adjust the linkage for speed or power
when moving from job to job.
428E
18
3CX
Backhoe
Advantage:
The 428E boasts superior visibility to the backhoe bucket
through large, fully opening windows. Four adjustable rear
worklights are available for working at night.
Visibility
Conclusions:
The 428E boom is of a narrow fabricated design which is
255mm wide. By comparison, the boom on the 3CX is 412 mm
in width. This narrow design ensures great visibility to the
bucket throughout the operating range.
428E
3CX
428E
3CX
428E
3CX
428E
Feature Comparison Caterpillar 428E vs JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader
3CX
19
Operator Station
Conclusions:
The Caterpillar machine offers the operator a considerably more
spacious cab than the JCB. The cab on the 3CX can give the
operator a feeling of being squeezed in.
428E
428E
3CX
20
Personal Storage
Conclusions:
The 428E cab offers the operator lockable compartments, as well
as a flask holder and a number of areas for storing loose items.
The 3CX only offers a single compartment, which cannot be
locked and a flask holder that cannot be used when stowing a
beacon in the cab.
428E
428E
3CX
3CX
21
Advantage:
The machine controls and switches in the 428E cab are laid out in
logical and ergonomic locations, allowing precise modulation.
Every switch and lever falls easily to hand and is clearly labelled.
Conclusions:
The control layout in the Caterpillar cab results in a machine that
is easy to drive. The gauges on the RH panel cover vital machine
systems and provide more information on machine health than on
the JCB. All the switches on the RH panel are logically placed
and well spaced. Compare this to the JCB RH console: the
switches are all squeezed together, are not in a logical order and
the panel does not have any spare switch locations for customer
and dealer options
The backhoe controls have been located such that the operator
can easily set-up for backhoe work. On the JCB, the operator
must reach over the back of the seat to operate the stabilisers.
This is made more difficult by the headrest on the seat. The boom
lock control on the JCB is also awkward to operate and usually
quite stiff.
The radio position on the JCB is a reliability concern. Being
upward facing, it is prone to dust ingress, which may cause a
premature failure. By comparison, the radio in the 428E cab is
positioned neatly in the headliner.
3CX
22
Security
Conclusions:
The vandal guard in the 428E cab is incorporated into the
design of the console. On the JCB, there is a separate cover,
rendering it an easier task for the vandal to remove. It must
also be completely removed by the operator and stowed in the
cab by the operators feet when not in use.
Both the 428E and the 3CX are available with MSS. However,
the system on the 428E can be operated without removing the
key: there is a separate key fob to deactivate the system. On the
JCB, the deactivation chip is part if the key, meaning the
operator must remove the key every time the machine needs to
be started. At best, this is an annoyance. At worst, this will lead
to premature failure of the ignition switch.
428E
428E
3CX
3CX
3CX
23
Serviceability
Advantage:
All fluid levels and fill points are easy to access underneath the
hood on the 428E. All daily fluid servicing is on the left hand side
of the machine, and all filters are mounted vertically to avoid
spills and contamination.
Daily Checks
Conclusions:
The fully opening hood on the 428E provides excellent access to
the engine bay. All fluid check and fill points are easily accessible
and colour coded, to help the operator identify the correct system.
428E
3CX
3CX
428E
3CX
24
Serviceability
Advantage:
The 428E has an accessible, clear engine bay and is equipped
with a standard fine mesh fan guard.
Engine Bay
Conclusions:
The 428E operator can be assured that Caterpillar have safety in
mind. The engine bay on the JCB appears cluttered and has an
unguarded fan which poses a significant safety risk. The air precleaner on the JCB also blows dust into the engine bay, whereas
the Caterpillar system has Automatic Dust Ejection and channels
it out through the exhaust.
On the 428E, the fuel and water separator filters have been
combined. This has lead to a 40% reduction in filter costs, as there
is now only one filter to replace. On the JCB, there are two filters
and the water separator does not drain directly onto the floor,
which can contribute to a dirty engine bay.
428E
3CX
25
Serviceability
Front Axle & Drive Shafts
Advantage:
The 428E has sealed bearings and grease free king pins on the
front axle. The machine also has sealed for life driveshaft
bearings.
Conclusions:
The front axle and driveshaft on the Caterpillar BHL are
maintenance free. The cuts down on the time the operator needs
to spend on daily greasing.
428E
The 3CX front axle requires regular greasing; at the main pivot
pin, the driveshaft, the axle universal joints and the axle king pins.
This means the operator must crawl under the machine regularly,
all year round, to perform this maintenance. A dirty job, wherever
the machine is located.
428E
3CX
3CX
26
Serviceability
Advantage:
The Caterpillar 428E utilises a cartridge-type hydraulic filter.
Hydraulic Filter
Conclusions:
Changing the hydraulic filter on the 428E is a simple and clean
process.
By comparison, the filter on the JCB is immersed inside the
hydraulic tank. It is accessed through a panel in the top of the
tank, requiring the removal of 6 bolts. This open access panel
carries a high risk of contamination of the hydraulic system by
material falling in through the opening, during service.
3CX
428E
Feature Comparison Caterpillar 428E vs JCB 3CX Backhoe Loader
27
Serviceability
Advantage:
The 428E hydraulic system uses Caterpillar XT3 hoses and steel
tubes, which are completely serviceable. All connections use oring face seals.
Cylinders
Conclusions:
The cylinders on the JCB use welded tubes. These are difficult to
replace, should they become damaged. Some of the tubes are in
vulnerable positions, such as on the the bucket cylinder. If
damaged, the old tube must be cut off and a new tube welded on
in its place. Compare this to the 428E, where the tubes can be
easily replaced, with minimal tools.
428E
3CX
28
3CX
Serviceability
Advantage:
The 428E stabiliser leg wearpads have positive screw
adjustment that takes the operator only minutes to complete.
Stabiliser Wearpads
Conclusions:
The adjustment system on the 428E used a standard bolt and
locknut. Free play can be adjusted out in minutes, providing a
stable machine for backhoe operations.
The JCB system uses screw in plastic pucks. These can work
loose, swell and seize up or strip on the thread if not adjusted
regularly. They are also adjusted using non-standard size tools.
Mounted on the outside of the leg, the adjusting pads can
become damaged on site. By contrast, the adjustment on the
428E leg is on the opposite side and therefore better protected.
428E
3CX
29
Performance
Performance Comparison
Backhoe Performance
The 3CX has 9% more bucket breakout force when using the
Power pin position, but 5% less breakout force when using the
Speed pin position. The Power pin position also reduces the
bucket operating angle to around 160.
The 428E has 7.5% more stick breakout force than the 3CX.
The 3CX can dig a 610mm wide flat bottom trench (to SAE
standards) 38mm deeper than the 428E.
Loader Performance
The 428E has 12% higher loader breakout force than the 3CX.
The 428E has 7% higher loader lift capacity than the 3CX.
30
Brief Specifications
Caterpillar 428E
JCB 3CX
General
Net Power
NA:59.8, Turbo:64.5 kW
Hydraulics
Pump Type
Max Flow
Axial piston
125 l/min
System Pressure
227 bar
Backhoe
Breakout (Bucket)
51.1kN
Breakout (Stick)
Max Dig Depth (SAE 2ft)
31.8kN (Ret)
4172mm (Ret)
48.4 kN (Speed)
55.9 kN (Power)
29.5 kN (Ret)
4210 mm (Ret)
Loader
Breakout
Max Dump Height
Hinge Pin Height
Lift Cap to Max Height
Type
(6-in-1 shovel)
47.6 kN
2720 mm
3450 mm
2930 kg
Parallel Lift
31
The information contained herein is intended for circulation only to Caterpillar and dealer employees whose duties require knowledge of such
reports and is intended exclusively for their information and training. It may contain unverified analysis and facts observed by various Caterpillar
or dealer employees. However, effort has been made to provide reliable results regarding any information comparing Caterpillar built and
competitive machines. Effort has been made to use the latest available spec sheet and other material in the full understanding that these are
subject to change without notice. Any reproduction of this release without the foregoing explanation is prohibited.
HEKB3334 (11/2005)
www.CAT.com
2005 Caterpillar
All rights reserved