Tackling fuel costs: LJ Developments JCB 245XR & 86C-2 use Leica Geosystems MC1 machine control

South West earthworks contractor LJ Developments has invested in a new JCB 245XR and 86C-2 excavator, fitting both machines with MC1 machine control from Leica Geosystems part of Hexagon.
Peter Haddock visited MD, Leon Adams onsite in Westward Ho! at a large house building project to see the new machines in action. They are combining 3D technology and Stage V engines to reduce the impact of the Red to White diesel changeover.
Peter and Leon talk about his major investment in technology and equipment, made possible by a total funding solution from JCB Finance and how this is already making a big difference onsite.
Leon also explains how he has partnered with an engineering firm to design the models for the machines and how he will be using drone technology to support this.
Talking about his investment Leon said: "The JCB 245XR was a good buy for me due to the lifting capacity for the new preformed manholes. It's also quite compact for a big machine with good lifting.
"Investing in MC1 machine control was a big thing for me, but it has paid off. The driver is totally happy with it, and we can see the productivity has gone up massively. We are saving on materials, muck away and all of the jobs.
"There are a lot fewer visits from the engineer as well because he can update the site model over the air, using the Leica Geosystems ConX solution."
With the change from red to white diesel, Leon has been monitoring fuel usage and idle times since the machines arrived, using the JCB LiveLink telematics system.
Leon: "With LiveLink, we know exactly what is going on, and we can see a lot less idling time as the drivers are digging to the whole site model. So we can see fuel burn against job tasks as we know what each machine is doing using ConX. We definitely wouldn't change back, as it's a lot better."
This is a great success story for Leon and his team, and it just shows how you can invest in new solutions, equipment and service contracts to control your costs and improve productivity.
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