Relaunched tracked JCB Teleskid outlifts its wheeled equivalent

After a brief period off the UK market, the tracked version of JCB’s Teleskid loader is back on sale via JCB Agriculture dealers with the latest in-cab instruments and an engine that meets European emissions requirements.

The US-built Teleskid 3TS-8T incorporates all the features of the wheeled 3TS-8W – including a single telescopic arm – but runs on 450mm-wide rubber tracks rather than tyres.

That, says JCB, gives the machine greater traction potential, increased safe operating load capacity and a gentle footprint for its weight on sensitive surfaces, as well as a tough undercarriage for harsh woodland and land clearance work.

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JCB Teleskid

Side-mounted door gives easy and safe access to the cab © JCB

Cooling of its 74hp JCB engine is kept efficient by a reversing radiator fan fitted as standard that blows out dust and debris. And, as before, the machine is steered using the two-speed hydrostatic drive, which tops out at 13kph – a fair bit less than the wheeled version’s 20kph.

The two models share the same 2.1m height, 4.05m maximum lift height at full extension and 1.7m forward reach at a full-height lift.

The tracked model is a little wider at 2m (it’s 1.8m on wheels), and its longer wheelbase and greater mass give it a lift capacity advantage, too. With the boom retracted, its safe working lift capacity rating is 1.7t, fully extended 746kg – 15% and 18% more than the 3TS-8W achieves.

In the cab, there’s now a 7in touchscreen display for the operator to choose ISO or H-pattern joystick movements, to adjust joystick input sensitivity, and to set timed fuel-saving features such as the reversing fan interval, engine auto idle speed reduction and engine auto stop.