Old hand brings fresh comment

Mick had been with us before so he knew the drill. He was scrutinising the MF Industrial 750 Turbo before you could say 'pallet forks'. He was fair but firm: 'I like it,' he said, 'this company has really come on in the last couple of years. The design looks right and it's quite well screwed together. If I appear to feel "at home" it's because I own two similar MF machines! There was a time when I wouldn't have considered an MF but times - and designs - change. This has a powerful front end and it digs well at the rear. It's also stable when roading and that's very important in today's traffic conditions. I chose the 860 for my own fleet and I didn't buy the top of the range model because you can't get any more rate for the extra investment.'

Then it was time for the next sortie and Walsh quickly appraised the Cat 428-B. 'I've never considered buying a Cat,' he said, 'but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's not so "all of apiece" as some other machines. There's a bittiness about it somehow. But looking closely the hose runs are neat and there's a bit of belt and braces about having spring clips at both ends of the pivot pins and that's never a bad thing. I like the single front bucket ram - one less to go wrong and it works effectively too. But I'd like to see a bolt-on bucket edge to combat wear.'

Once aboard he found points to praise too: 'Apart from the awkward gear lever - it's in the middle - and the high bonnet line, it feels stable when roading and the back end digging power is OK but there's a tendency for the crowd ram to uncurl. It's either a sticky valve or a leak, I'd say.

'The front bucket works well enough but I'm not so tall and it's quite hard to see properly because of the high bonnet line. This Cat seems quiet compared to some backhoe loaders I've experienced.'

Case's 580SK came third in the running order for Walsh and he smiled ruefully as he looked at the example on site. 'Some things don't change much do they,' were his first words. 'I've owned and operated lots of these and I know their faults and foibles.'

Once he'd had a drive he came back - still with that rueful smile - and said: 'It's still noisy in there and the front bucket isn't as powerful in use as some. But I like the front counterweight - it's strong and cuts out a lot of possible site damage. However the boom foot hose runs are messy and the rubber clamp blocks don't seem too well thought out to me. But just like always it digs well with the back end - once you get used to these lever patterns.'

(Case has opted to follow the EC Directive and go for standard lever patterns as found on 360¼ excavators, the only backhoe loader manufacturer to do so thus far.)

Walsh added: 'Maintenance is simple on these machines and access is very good and that's important in today's pressurised work environment.'

New Holland Ford's 655-D Turbo featured next and Walsh eyed it up and down and said: 'Another machine that's bit of an unknown quantity to me. I'm not sure anyone has ever attempted to sell on to me!

'I'm not in favour of the metal pipe unions on the slew, they look a bit too susceptible to site damage for me. And the hoses have a bit too much spare length in them, they'll snag on something on site surely. It would be better if they were heavily reinforced too.

'Maintenance is a bit hit and miss too, lots of removable panels to get lost on site - not recommended. But once they're off it's all there to see.'

When Walsh jumped on the Ford all was forgiven: 'This is a nice machine - why you don't see more of them is a mystery. It's powerful, easy to drive and I like the single lever control for the multi-purpose front bucket, it's very cleverly thought out. The digger is strong but the slew seems just a little soft for my taste. It handles really well on the road too. The whole thing is a bit of a revelation to me I even like that strong-looking rear digger bucket (made in-house by NHF).'

Walsh's final session was destined to be the JCB 3CX Sitemaster. 'I'll own up now, I run two of these. You can see why it's a big seller. It looks right from any angle and then when you climb into the cab it's a revelation. The workplace is superb.

'It isn't all glory though and the 3CX isn't the easiest to handle when roading. It feels a bit floaty at times. But using the front bucket it's powerful enough and the excavator is equal to or better than the others. It isn't strictly part of this test but the good residual values it holds are a strong factor in this machine's favour too.'