| JCB box. | | Some of the paintwork is not the best such as the yellow spots on the bumper. | | The shovel cannot lower any further than this . | | Interior detail is good. | | The shovel does not sit level. | | Silver wheel nuts are a good detail. | | Profile view. |
| The JCB 330 Skid Steer is a 4 tonne machine with a rated operating capacity of just under 1.5 tonnes. It can be configured from a range of 30 tools on the boom including brushes, breakers and rakes.
Packaging
The box is a JCB branded sleeve which encloses a pair of clear plastic formers holding the model. There were no missing parts on the review model.
There is no information on the real machine included, and strangely the box does not even include the machine number or name so there is no way of telling the model is a 330 unless it is taken out of the box. The model requires no assembly.
Detail
There is no particular detail underneath. The tyres are good and the wheel hubs have some tiny silver wheel nuts represented.
The cab has a windscreen wiper and a couple of silvered lights, and the roof has some nice perforations for operator visibility. However there is no door mirror. Inside the cab the detail includes the joystick controls.
At the rear of the body some of the lights are good with plastic lenses.
The metal boom is simply detailed but the appearance is spoilt by large silver rivets which contrast with the black paint on the boom. The shovel is a good casting but the mounting is off level, at least on the review model.
Features
The model rolls although the wheel pairs share a common axle so turning is difficult and not like the real machine.
The cab has an opening door however it has a problem as it cannot fully open properly because it snags on the rear tyre.
The shovel can be raised to a good height and tips. However it cannot be fully lowered due to an error in the thickness in one of the linkages and so the model will not pose properly in an 'at rest' position.
Quality
There is little plastic used. The paintwork and graphics are not to the best modern standards.
Price
The model is expensive given its size and what it offers.
Overall
It is good to see a new release for JCB and the 330 could have been very interesting if a selection of tools had been provided. However this is a disappointing model from Motorart and it lets JCB down. It is poorly engineered and the large rivets on the boom belong to a previous age. The quality of manufacture is not the best so this is a model for hardcore JCB collectors only.
Footnotes
The model was first appeared at the Nuremberg Toy Fair 2011. It was also produced as a Volvo branded machine: MC 155C.
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| | Silver rivets on the boom make the model look like a toy. | | Simple underneath. | | The cab door opens, but snags on the rear tyre. | | Height of lift and shovel tilt is good. | | Hitching a lift on a MAN TGS Tipper. | | It can load a low sided tipper. |
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