Located just outside Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, Joe Fay operates a small contracting business, with hedge-cutting accounting for the main percentage of the business. Joe’s fleet is mainly made up of fresh John Deere tractors and McConnel hedge cutters.
JCB 413s suits small Westmeath contractor.
During the summer period, Joe works alongside a local contractor cutting silage. Joe supplies tractors and trailers and takes care of pushing grass while the partnering contractor supplies the rest of the machinery. Joe explained how this suits his business given that his tractors are generally free over the summer months when the hedge-cutting season is closed. Alongside the contracting business, Joe keeps a 30-cow purebred Simmental suckler herd.
Up until two years ago, Joe had been pushing up grass with his John Deere 6140R and John Deere front loader which was fitted with an 8ft silage fork. Although the tractor and loader were capable of keeping the grass pushed up, he found it to be the limiting factor given the pace grass was coming in off the self-propelled harvester. This often left him under pressure to keep pits rolled.
The end of the 2017 season came and Joe decided to look into upgrading to a wheeled loader. Having looked at the secondhand JCB 416s, Joe happened to cast his eyes on a 413S. He felt it was a perfect size for the work he does, pushing 50-60 acres of grass on average daily during silage, loading dung and handling bales, yet manoeuvrable around the yard for winter feeding. He explained that after browsing the market, there was no direct, like-for-like competitor for the 413S at the time. Having liked the machine, he decided to go ahead and order a 413S for the coming season.
Engine and transmission
The 413S is fitted with JCB’s own EcoMax 4.8l four-cylinder engine churning out 145hp and 560Nm of torque, which to date has never seen him beat for power. Joe explained how the 413S has proved as easy on diesel as his 6140R and front loader which he initially didn’t think would be the case. Joe opted for a larger 10ft Tighe silage fork when he moved away from the tractor and front loader setup. He says the 10ft fork is a good size for the 413S.
Having spent some time on his 413S, one of the standout features is the responsiveness in its hydraulics and the visibility on the pit given the full-length front windscreen. The 413S is equipped with a single variable displacement hydraulic pump, delivering 156l/min flow.
Joe’s machine is fitted with 540/70 R24 Michelin tyres but he fits duals on the front for extra stability on silage pits which he says is a great benefit. The loader is fitted with a 40km/h six-speed ZF transmission and limited slip differential (LSD) axles.
The transmission can be operated in automatic mode, which Joe says is ideal for road travel and light work but he tends to remain in either first or second gear pushing up grass. Overall, he finds the transmission faultless.
Cab and other features
Joes’s 413S is fitted with the latest Command Plus cab, which has a simple clean control layout. All switches are on the right-hand pillar. A full LCD colour screen terminal is cleverly placed at operator eye level. Joe’s machine is fitted with a rear view camera, which he noted is essential from a safety perspective, especially on silage pits. A rotary encoder allows for navigation between menus. The second LCD screen displays engine rpm, speed, gear selected, etc.
Joe is impressed with the cab’s clean layout and unrestricted visibility when operating the loader which he says isn’t anywhere comparable to his previous setup. The loader has a high level of specification and is equipped with the full LED lighting package, in-cab cooler, electric mirrors, electric parking brake, reversing camera and a Lincoln auto greaser. These make a huge difference – for instance, the auto greaser almost cuts out the majority of daily maintenance and the LED lighting package gives off super light distribution when working at night.
Conclusion
Now in its second season and with just over 750 trouble-free hours on the clock, Joe cannot fault how the machine has performed. He intends to keep the loader for a long number of years given that he only clocks up 350-400 hours annually. Since making the move from the tractor and front loader, the main standout message to Joe is the comfort and ease at which he can operate now when pushing up grass in the summer.
The only negative is that Joe would like more lift height when loading bales. Not only has the 413S freed up a tractor to pull a trailer or remain on a hedge cutter, but the extra capacity now allows more acres to be lifted daily.
Specs