A significantly improved version of the versatile Multi Shovel has been introduced for loaders and telescopic handlers as part of an expanded range of JCB AGRI attachments.
The JCB Attachments business unit is placing greater emphasis on its agricultural range, recognising that modern farming practices and the drive for productivity place increasing demands on handling and loading machinery. Attachments need to have the same standards of design flair, ease of use, innovative construction and in-service durability that operators expect from the JCB machines that use them.
“New design and manufacturing technologies, as well as new materials, are being introduced into our products for attachments that work better, deliver increased performance and have designed-in strength, which puts metal only where it is needed,” explains Edward Roach, Sales and Marketing Manager, JCB Agriculture. “The outcome of this approach is a range of attachments with improved load ratings and increased durability.”
The Multi Shovel comprises a compact heavy-duty shovel with removable side plates and a tough fully-welded grab. It can be used for handling loose materials such as grain, soil, sand and gravel but also bulky materials held in place by the grab, which opens to a gaping 1.67m to handle grass and maize silage, yard manure and bales.
A new hydraulic ram design and geometry creates a 50% increase in clamping force for class-leading performance and it can pick up cleanly against a wall because the fork tines are positioned just behind the toeplate when the grab is closed and more than 200mm back when open.
The easily unbolted side plates – which were designed-in from the outset, not added as an after-thought – ensure maximum capacity for handling these materials and also allow the Multi Shovel to grab, lift and carry long lengths of timber and similar loads.
A new curved spill guard across the back of the shovel maintains capacity while protecting the backplate coupling but visibility is not compromised – large laser-cut ‘JCB’ lettering at its centre provides a handy viewing panel.
Large diameter pivot pins for the Multishovel’s reinforced grab are greasable and electroplated to protect them against wear and corrosion, and fully sunken bolt heads secure the reversible toeplate, which is manufactured from 500 Boron steel. Intelligent positioning of the full-length wear plates beneath the shovel has improved both durability and load distribution.
The JCB AGRI Multi Shovel now comes in nine instead of six variations to fit a wider range of handlers and loaders using different backplate pick-ups. Grab closed capacities are from 1.08cu m to 1.44cu m, with payloads increased largely as a result of using high-grade Domex 500 steel and intelligent load/stress analysis to provide the strength and durability needed while minimising weight. Specially-placed skids are now integral to the design and corner supports reinforce key areas of stress without adding weight unnecessarily.
