UK renter buys 250 JCB machines

UK rental company Plant Hire UK Ltd has invested in 250 new JCB machines during 2010, with telehandlers dominating the order.

The order - supplied by Gunn JCB - includes 230 Loadall telehandlers, 12 tandem vibratory rollers, four micro excavators, three 2CX Airmaster backhoe loaders and a VMT850 double drum vibratory compactor.

The Loadalls range from compact models through to the 540-170, which has a lift capacity of 4.0 t and a maximum lift height of 16.7 m.

St Helens-based Plant Hire UK, which is only five years old, now has 500 JCB telehandlers in its rental fleet.

Graham Jones, managing director of Plant Hire UK, said the investment was part of an ongoing update of its fleet to provide customers "with the latest and safest equipment in excellent condition, ensuring no machine is more than two years old. The JCB models continue to be popular and these new machines are already all out on hire."

The new telehandlers include JCB's Adaptive Load Control system, which ensures that the handlers comply with the new European regulation EN 15000. This requires the use of an automated longitudinal load moment control system to reduce the risk of forward overturning of a handler when performing stationary loading or placing on stable and level ground.

In addition to its JCB fleet, Plant Hire UK rents Atlas Copco compressors, Terex site dumpers and compaction equipment, Volvo machines and bowsers.