Depending on operation, a hydraulic hitch can save up to 25% of total machine operating time compared to direct mounting or a mechanical hitch.

The new hydraulic hitches offer:

• Proven positive locking design with front and rear lock
• Compact design for improved machine breakout force
• No greasing requirements for low maintenance and ease of use
• The ability to reverse buckets to excavate under walls and pipes
• A hose guide on the tipping link for extra protection

Maximum security

The two new hitches, which have been designed for use with both crawler and wheeled JS excavators, have a positive locking system in which the front safety lock is forced into its default position by a spring, retaining and locking the attachment pin. The hitches use the rear lock as a secondary safety feature, backed up by two powerful springs. This retains the attachment's rear pin in the event of a cylinder failure.

Variable pin centre designs make the hitches suitable for use with a wide range of attachments. They have an open frame design to prevent material build-up and there are no grease points, cutting regular maintenance and boosting productivity. Both front and rear pin hooks are painted, to make them visible to the operator in the cab. There is also a heavy-duty lifting eye on the end of the hitch that is CE tested and certified.

JCB Attachments has improved the hose routing to the hitch and there is now a guide on the hitc's tipping link to prevent snagging and damage to hoses.

To operate the hitch the machine driver must press and hold the hitch switch in the cab for one second until a buzzer sounds and the hitch light on the boom is activated. An unlocked image also appears on the machine's main console. The buzzer will continue to sound and the lights flash to indicate that the hitch is unlocked. Once the operator has changed the bucket or attachment, they simply crowd the bucket service to position the attachment in a safe position and fully close the hitch jaws around the attachment pins. A prompt on the machine display ensures that the operator has checked the attachment security, with a press of the dial required to confirm this.

The smaller of the two new hitches is designed for use with the JS130, JS131, JZ140, JS145 and the JS145W. The larger model is for use with the JS200, JS210 and JS220 models. Both hitches are available as line fit items, or can be ordered through a JCB dealer as an aftermarket offering.