This is the first JCB 419S to get into the hands of an Irish contractor. Having arrived in Laois about a month ago, the specification makes for impressive reading. The 419S Agri has replaced the 418S Agri in the JCB range. It comes with a 6.7-litre Cummins six-cylinder engine. Max power is up 5% on the older model to 183hp and the engine meets latest emissions rules using only an AdBlue injecting SCR system and DOC – no particulate filter is needed.

The ZF six-speed powershift provides torque converter lock-up in all gears for silage pit climbing, and a top road speed of up to 48km/h make this machine very useful for Irish contractors who tend with our small field and job size to spend a lot of time on the road. An all-new front and rear chassis design, longer wheelbase and bigger axles enable larger tyres to be fitted, and the 419S Agri can run on tyres sizes up to 750/65 R26s. The new axles are available with limited slip differentials front and rear, and a new auto locking differential can be installed on machines likely to operate in challenging conditions. The front end can be equipped with standard and high-lift loader arms, load-over heights range from 3.48m to 3.71m and the newcomer has a full-turn tipping load of almost 6.9t.

The cab is 15% bigger than the previous design, and new controls provide in-cab adjustment of auxiliary oil flow, the speed at which the optional boom suspension engages, and timing intervals for the auto-reversing engine fan option to suit different conditions. An integrated remote camera display is also available. Both the new joystick and multi-lever hydraulic control feature a thumb-operated shuttle switch and provide proportional control of all loader functions. But what do all these facts and figures mean when you put it on to a heap of grass?

On the pit

Climbing up into the 419 is a welcoming experience: the new cab feels every bit of the 15% bigger that JCB says it is. This added to the extra glass stretching right down to floor level either side of the instrument panel and pedals make for a major improvement in visibility.

Getting going is a simple as a flick of a switch on the A pillar and on the joystick to release the hand brake and engage drive. Also on the joystick is a switch for the third service. Which in this case is used for the folding action of the 12ft rake.

Once under way and up the pit, the JCB climbs very well with lots of power, this is greatly helped by the torque converter lockup engaging above 1500rpm and the loader feels as if it would drive through a wall.

While driving around on the pit doing a spot of rolling, the 419 was very nimble and changes of direction using the new ZF transmission were seamless once I had gotten used to it.

Then the next trailer arrived in the yard and tipped its load of grass. This test occurred just at the end of the recent warm spell and the grass was well wilted and low-moisture. The trailers being used were 18ft Kanes. Once lined up at the load and sent at it, the new JCB pushed a full forkful at its ease and lifted the full scoop and climbed the pit easily once the torque lockup engaged.

The hydraulic system showed no sign of stress lifting the load and the shaking out of the grass across the pit was easily done due to the speed at which the hydraulics reacted to my hand movements on the joystick. Tidying of the pit using a raking action either in forward or reverse was easy to control with the pace and smoothness of the hydraulics. The full load was delivered up the pit and spread in two trips. This was possible with the type of grass that was present but in a wetter time more trips may be required. The 6.7l engine never came under any strain and made a very reassuring throaty roar when asked to climb or push.

This loader is owned by Thompson and Son Agri from Co Laois. The 419 came as a replacement for a 2012 416S with 5500 hours of hard labour. Driver Michael Delaney he said the 419 was a huge upgrade from the previous loader, which is to be expected as it is one step above in the range.

Verdict

The latest offering from JCB to the loading shovel market does everything it is meant to do and more.

Some of the new features really make it stand out from the older range and with the rest of the 41 range due to get the same upgrades in the near future, one of Ireland’s favourite ranges of pit climbers will stack up very well against its competition. Though the 419S is now one of the smaller machines being used on pits across the country, I believe that it punches well above its weight and that its comparatively small size allows it to be a useful tool in any business all year round.