There is a new top dog in the Loadall range, with the recently unleashed 542-70 Agri Pro now the most powerful and fastest model in the company’s ranks.
It is fitted with JCB’s standard 4.8-litre Dieselmax block, which has been cranked up to a heady 173hp and 690Nm.
That makes the existing 542-70 models look rather wimpy, with the Agri-spec version rated to 109hp, the Agri Super at 130hp and Agri Xtra at 150hp.
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According to JCB’s calculations, the extra poke translates into 22% more tractive effort that should come in handy for loading muck from a well-rotted heap.
The Agri Pro also gets a high-speed version of the Dualtech VT transmission, which is capable of a 50kph top speed (where it’s legal, anyway), rather than the usual 40kph.
Similarly, the hydrostatic element now runs to 22kph, up from 19kph, beyond which the mechanical portion of the gearbox comes into play.
© JCB
Running gear includes 10-stud hubs on heavy-duty axles and 500mm-wide tyres on stronger rims.
There is also a new hydraulic braking system with separate feeds for the front and rear axles, plus automatic four-wheel-drive engagement when the Loadall is running in rear-wheel drive on the road to improve stopping power and stability as the brakes are applied.
As with the other 542-70 Dualtech models, maximum lift capacity is 4.2t and it’ll reach to a smidge over 7m.
But the headstock and boom should be quicker to react to joystick movements, thanks to more hydraulic flow, achieved by uprating the piston pump from 140 to 160 litres/min to match the heaviest-lifting Loadalls in the JCB range.
The firm’s regenerative hydraulic system is standard, as is cylinder end-stroke damping on the boom lift and retract rams, and auto bucket or fork shaking.
The boom suspension system has apparently been improved too, and there are new rubber spring cab mounts to calm down any vibrations and shocks before they reach the operator.
List price is £123,000. The 150hp Agri Xtra, which is one peg down, costs £114,997.
