A few pics of my old 814 Super 1989 Grey Cab. These were taken last week when it had been cleaned for the first time in ages. She is still a great old tool and in regular use, I personally operated it for 7 weeks last year on a job for the current owner. The dipper ram needs some seals, but apart from excessive oil consumption from the engine and play in the bucket pins everything else works perfectly with no leaks! The powerslide boom arrangement on these machines is second only to a hydraulic two piece boom and is a really useful feature to have. I don't know why it was never re-invented with proper hydraulic ram actuation. The other great feature is the higher clearance and high seating position, it has no effect on the abilities of this old girl as I can assure you it will cling to a side slope no problem but gives great vision for working or loading. I wish JCB would go all 'retro' and produce a modern copy, with hydraulic powerslide and an Isuzu 6 cylinder without turbo or electronics ( a good heater and radio would be nice also!) One last point is the track pedals, they are still I argue the best pedal design/arrangement ever produced and with no hand levers fitted to them either.
Hi Eddie were these before or after the white cab version? I drove a white cab 814 super for several months developing some ponds, the machine was on its knees but still a good tool. Like you say the tracking pedals are excellent and i've never come across a better setup on any class of machine for tracking control. This machine I drove had the hydraslide welded up solid at full reach though. My Grandad had an old 805B with the hydraslide rig as well, he also ran JCB 5C and a Massey 450S also. All good tools but heavily worn. I'm a bit of the opinion that JCB 360's started to go down hill a bit after the 814 super with the JS series, 814's had a great reputation JS's don't have quite such a good reputation.
Hi Johnny, the Grey cab was the last version of the 800 series machines. I have spoken to a few factory sources, and the story basically was that the industry percieved the white cab versions a complete disaster. They leaked as much oil as a sieve, and hardly a dry one left the factory. This was at a time when Dash 3 Komatsu's were about and anyone who had the pleasure of Operating one of these will tell you they were the industry benchmark. JCB responded with the grey cab which was given the full works in terms of hydraulics from Rexroth and really is a great machine. I have owned a couple and would buy another without hesitation, it's the reputation of the early ones that overshadow the Grey cab and make them an underrated machine. As for the JS series I slightly disagree, the first versions were basically all Sumitomo and can be distinguished with a slightly lighter shade of yellow. These were outstanding machines, and set JCB back on the right track again. Then in their wisdom JCB started to produce portions of the machines themselves and assemble the machines themselves. The reliability and performance coupled with the industry perception has declined the more JCB have increased their own input. Case have now gone with Sumitomo and the CX machines are a pleasure to operate, it appears that Sumitomo really know what works and how to put it together.
The white cab version I drove was always dripping in oil, specially the tracking pedals, they always weeped and let dust stick to the mat surrounding the pedals in the cab. I know firms round us that have used purely JCB 360's for over 30 years and even they have gone away from them now and run Volvo and hitachi machines.
hi hi guys i have also operated 814/s and the full lenght front window was great , as u didnt need to keep lookin over or under the bar in the middle witch on most modern machines is right in your line of vision ..:drinkup
Hello Eddie and Johnny, I am new to this forum and became a member because I have some questions to you re. JCB 814. Seems like you are familiar with old 814's. I consider buying a machine from 1990. I dont know JCB in general - use O&K and Kobelco - and need to know if I can consider an elderly JCB 814 a trustworthy machine? I do have som pictures for you to look at allthough I am not allowed to post them yet (I can mail them to you). Thanks in advance!
Welcome Tas do hope you will enjoy the forum and of course in a couple of posts we will want to see some pictures of the land of the mermaids Karls hill beer danish Iron.
I really like the extending boom! Is there anyone out there making them still , other than gradalls straight arm ? Good pics.
Welcome TAS, yes I am pretty familiar with the JCB 814 and all of my experiences have been good. There are a few basic reasons for this but the main one is only buy a 'GREY' cabbed version. The one you are describing as 1990 should definately be a grey cab and will be one of the last and best made. I don't know your intended use but lets get one thing straight from the start the 814 is not like modern machines and comes from simpler (better?)times where any Operator worthy of the name was able to weild a spanner for basic tasks. Here lies their popularity in the UK especially with Farmers, as I would describe the 814 as one of the easiest machines ever assembled to work on. They have a list of known faults but contrary to all the myths the Grey cabs don't leak oil from everywhere! However as a performer a well maintained 814 can be a real eye opener, I spent two days alongside a new Volvo ec140 and comprehensively out dug it in every aspect apart from tracking (814's are slower than a snail), but actually used twice as much fuel as the Volvo to do it. The powerslide boom (if not welded up solid!) is a really useful tool and coupled with a very high seating position make it one of the best ever machines for cleaning ditches. I don't know how we get my e-mail to you, so try and get a few posts in then put the pics on here and everyone can have a look. If you are close to doing a deal then I will do my best to give you a few pointers, but the pics will really help. Best of luck Eddie.
Hello everybody, Thanks for your replies and helpfull information. The machine I am looking at is a grey cab and Eddie, if you send me your email at [email protected] I will mail you the photos I got. My main purpose is to use the machine for digging / cleaning lakes. It is a model with extended arm/dipper and it should be able to reach 12m. It has an inbuilt watertank to use as counterweight. The powerslider should be working fine. The clock is broken so the actual hours are unknown. Motor is a 6 cyl Perkins. I have been working with old school excavators since I bought my first machine, a Weserhütte W6 in the late 80's. Its a wire model from the 60's - no hydraulics only mechanical functions. Still got it, but the cylinders are blocked. I also have two O&K RH6LC from the 70's which still can do a job. One of them is nearly "dead" due to a 0% undercarriage the other one is a bit more ok
TAS, you sound an Ideal 814 candidate and the river rig versions are an ideal tool for your intended uses. Hopefully it will be fitted with the wide track pads and indeed they have the old perkins 6-354 motor in them. (replacements often sourced from Massey Ferguson Combines) I will send you my e-mail to get the pics.
I'm nearly sure the enviroment agency in the UK still buy some JCB 360's with the river rig boom. Think I saw a js200 the other week with a river rig on it. I think they buy case at times as well now but with solid long reach booms.
This is in fact an ex. government owned 814. I don't know if it indicates that it has been well looked after(?) The undercarriage should be 80 cm wide.
Here are some photos of the machine (I am qualified to upload now
lost in cyberspace I think
Give it another go TAS:bash
I try once again ....
... more pictures.
.... and yet some more pics to look at. Please let me know if you have some comments. Does it look ok, and what is the price-level for such a wonder? Thanks!
doesn't look like a very normal boom & dipper setup ,what reach is it?,first time I have seen that top ram set up and I think she will be very poor at digging especially on the movement for bringing the stick in. On the plus side don't think you will hit the cab though, Very straight machine though what hours are on it?
Maybe you got a point with the boom & dipper setup. The reach should be around 12 m. The hours are unknown - the clock is defect.
Well TAS you seem to have turned up a real beauty of an 814. It certainly seems all there with no panel damage and all obvious bits present and correct. It's obviously had a good clean off (If it's not been washed recently buy it now!) however I prefer to see machines in working condition. With regard to the long reach set up, it was designed for the purpose and should perform adequately.(814's are hopeless lifting machines anyway) My advice would be try and 'hire to buy' if you have some suitable work to do with it. This will give you the opportunity to give it a fair trial before parting with your cash. If you are limited to a test drive, just make it a long one and get it nice and hot on the hydraulics (touch the counterweight and you will know how hot!)then check all over for leaks. Press the powerslide(buzzer should sound) switch to unlock it, then push the boom in and lock it again. With the boom full retracted pull against something solid to see if it will slide out whilst locked. Then extend it fully out and see if it will push back in whilst clamped again. The powerslide has wear bars (expensive) and simple shims to take up any slack (cheap and easily copied). With being a long reach, pay particular attention to the slew ring and the slew brake operation. Any play or jerky operation then walk away. Everything should work electrically as it's all fairly basic and the test switch will light the warning lights. The engines are real low tech and generally produce a bit of smoke and like a drop of oil but generally go on forever. The undercarriage looks ok, and it should track straight if somewhat slowly! I could go on and on but if you have anything that concerns specifically I will try to assist. Really hard to value in the current climate, only you will know what work you have lined up for it but it looks tidy and should reward you with many hours work if you look after it. Could you tell me what they are asking in English Pounds? Best of luck Eddie
Eddie, thanks for taking your time and for your assistance in evaluating this machine (which is new terratorry for me). It is very apreciated. The asking price is aprox. 13.000 GBP which seems high to me when compared to what a similar 814 (without long reach) costs in the present market which to my knowledge is between 5 and 7.000 GBP. I dont know how much should be added to this price for the long reach feature, but it seems to much to double the price. What do you know about second hand prices for theese machines?
Hi TAS, any of the 12 metre reach from our Enviromental Agency seem to get pitched around the 10 to 12,000 pounds region. I have never gone after one, but would not hesitate to purchase one if a job came along big enough to warrant one. However realistically I have never paid over £6,000 for an 814 and would possibly go to around £9,000 for something as tidy as the one pictured in Long Reach form if I had suitable work to take a fair chunk off that asking price straight away. The thing to remember is to bid low (especially in the current climate) as you can always go up! Best of luck, Eddie.
Hello Eddie, Thanks for your advice. I will certainly take it into consideration in my negotiations. I will keep you posted. Tom
here is a pic of a local 814 that has been parked for around 2years plus, maybe more. The owner was an ex forestry contractor, basically some of his kit got parked up, and never used again! I remember many years ago it was on a clearfell near my home and had a harvesting head, no doubt its last job was to pur some forest roads in...
Thanks for the pictures. Although an elderly lady she doesn't look 100% dead to me - maybe a job for Eddie It says "Risk zone 60m"!! Its a very dangerous machine By the way: I have given an offer on the long reach and await reply.
Just to inform that I have made arrangements to visit UK next week to check out the JCB long reach machine. I will keep you posted.
jcb 814 hi mike, I am looking for a jcb 814,to replace one that was stolen,I would like this machine as a collectors item,the one in your photos would be ideal,do you know if this machine is for sale ? thanks grey cab.
814 white cab 1985 hello to all, im very pleased to find a site dedicated to 814's, only last week i sold a little mini digger and the chap who bought it also wanted to purchase my 814 but i found it very difficult to sell her but the money was good (well certainly more than i paid for her 4 yrs ago) but as he was arranging a low loader to collect her i changed my mind and gave his money back, mine has had a bit of work done to her, ie new slew motor and slew ring, recon track motors, welded up rams, recon turbo 6cyl perkins and a serviced spool valve, it then got vandalized, windows broken, seat slashed cut hoses etc, didnt run properly, this is when i got her, i used to be a plant engineer and needed a machine, not done anything to her other than a little oil, fuel filters, it wouldnt stay running and i eventualy found the fault to be the fractured fuel pickup pipe inside the tank just below where its mounted to a bracket, is this common problem ?, i dont know what engine she has other than a perkins but she is a turbo, started motor on the otherside compared to pics ive seen on this site, modified exhaust, oil filller is in the middle of the rocker cover not at one end as shown in some pics on here), my tracks are well worn where they run round the sprocket but i run them a little loose and they dont bind up, wide tracks, it isnt a fast machine but its been so reliable i cant fault it, slow tracking and gets tired after running all day, can some one tell me why people say a white cab isnt the one to have and what leaks like a sieve, and are the pumps not very strong on these machines, i just thought she was an old girl that you needed to be gentle with, i dont know what it is but i really like the old girl who my wife calls butterfly as when the bay doors are open she looks like she has wings from the rear and cos she is yellow she called her butterfly. i would be gratefull for any info on what to look out for and or where i can get a owners manual etc and what is likely to cause me problems etc, thanks again.
ps forgot to mention, somebody said something earlier about if it hesitates or clitches when slewing round then to walk away, can i ask why, mine does this when she is cold as well as tracking slowly and as well as no control useage at all untill she has warrmed up and been running for a few minutes, then all hydraulics work and slewing is smooth as is tracking, i just asumed its because she is an old girl, any body got spares or know where i can get spares, could do with a side door on the hydraulic side and probably a few other parts, thanks
got a 1985 jcb 811 , breaking for parts, good tracks, + workshop manuel- not sure if it covers grey cabs tho
jcb 814 hi to all, message for eddie back blade, he seems to be knowledgable about the 814, or to any one else that could advise, today i used my trusty 814 white cab and she ddint work too well on the hydraulics, they were very slow to start working, i grant you its been cold so this i allowed for but then slewing left to right wouldnt work at all until i used the up and down on the boom then it would slew, tracking was slow and then i went to slew again with nothing there untill i used the boom up and dwon again then it would work but as i slewed round it would do it in stages and not smoothly as it has before, can anyone advise as to what may cause this, i also noted the bucket operation wa sslow as well, increasing revs made no difference at all, usualy i can run the machine on tickover and have all the controls and only need to increase revs when she gets hot or has worked for a long time or heavier work is needed, now it makes no difference at all if slow or high revs which makes me think somehting is wrong. oil levels are ok everywhere, are any of the controls on the 814 white cab controlled by electrics at all, my electrics are apalling but i couldnt see where electrics were required for the operations of hydraulics other than the buzzer / switch for the locking clamp on the slide boom, mine still works when i have fitted a new bulb, when my bulb blows the buzzer still works but the clamp wont, fit a new bulb and it works, lol. looking back it seems to be getting slower all round, wht could cause this / thanks to all happy new year. as i keep telling my wife, if you have to think about buying it, you dont want it enough.
Hi Plymouthfury, I have very limited experience of the 'white cab' versions of the 814 as I always searched for the 'grey cab' which were a seriously well built and completely underrated machine. The local story is that it was JCB's last throw of the dice for their own excavators, hence the grey cab being fitted with all rexroth hydraulic gear to try to eliminate some of the troubles. I have had great success with grey cabs, and the search is back on for another at present, but to get one as tidy as I want will take some searching. Back to your own, my head just says pumps going down straight away but firstly get the hydraulic filters replaced. There is a huge magnet in the grey cab filter, which I have seen some scary metal on before but never troubled them? There is also a servo filter for the controls (cast cylinder housing about 5 inches long with a nut on the base) this has probably never been replaced so worth doing also. Don't attempt it on the machine, just undo the few pipes and bolts that hold it to the frame and hold it in a good vice before attempting to crack it open. When you're happy all the filters are good and the oil is up to level, if nothing has improved then get the pump checked. I'm certain you are correct in assuming there is nothing electrical of note, but some have a horrible slew brake switch that people leave on and try to slew with. These can cause the juddering if in the wrong position and not working properly. Regarding parts and advice, try the 'Digger Doctor' (google it) I'm sure his name is Lee and he's a JCB trained fitter. He is based Leicester way, but breaks machines as well as selling parts and I have been over there for bits before and he's always been most helpful. In the main, every 814 I have ever come across usually suffers the same problem, which is blocked suction from the diesel tank. I have had nightmares with these and had all types of bodges to keep things going. I have found the only answer and it's a horrid job is to remove the access plate from the bottom of the tank and clean it out. It's a good size plate and simple to do but everything will try and run down your neck! Keep the glass bowl water seperator spotless and things should be ok after. I hope you get her sorted as these are good old girls, and I've had great success with them. This last few weeks of bad weather has taught me to get another again, as I was never short of a bit of fill in work when I had an 814, and you can let them stand on a job for weeks without worrying about finance/resale etc. Eddie.
A pic taken back in 1991, putting a new water main in.......
thanks for the reply thankyou for the reply, with regaurds to the fuel tank i can see othesr before me have attempted to sort that issue out, when i first got her i would have to bleed the fuel system out and would get around 10 mins running time before it would need doing again, someone had added another fuel pickup line that went down the fuel filler pipe and then to the fuel pump, i eventualy went inside the tank which was somewhat full of shi*, after giving it a serious clean i found a hair line crack in the original pickup pipe where the bracket is welded to the pipe that then fixes to the tank housing, the crack would let air in and then cause the fuel system to fail, if i had a full tank and it was above the crack it was fine but as soon as it dropped below which was around half a tank it would cause problems, i havent yet sorted it out as i cant remember where i put the tank entry plate, so ive been using 25 ltr clear tank placed on top of the machine, it does around 4 hrs constant use and i can see when its low, ive had all sorts of problems here with fuel, it eventualy was water in new fuel i was buying, the owner of the fuel station band me from going there when i complained about the fuel, i took a clear brand new tank to him, we filled it up with fuel, i then froze the fuel tank which froze the water in the diesel, drained the new fuel back out and showed him the remaining frozen water in the tank, all of this was done with him and he still said there was no water in his fuel, so i now place my fuel drums in a old chest freezer for a day, drain of the diesel and then i dont get water in my fuel system. what exactly are you refering to you when you say remove the filter housing and do it in a vise, where is this part located, i had new oil filters replaced 2 yrs back but it hasnt done much work since then, run half a dozed times really but i will change them. i do have a slew brake but im told its a hydraulic one not electric, but worth checking, i understand the pumps are poo anyways but after she has warmed up and used for 10 mins id have no problem usualy, it didnt cause any problems in the summer so i was thinking maybe too cold. i also had slow tracking a few yrs back and a jcb fitter said to take the track motors off and drain the housing as when the seal leaks the fluid bypasses and slows the tracking down, i seem to remember doing this and it all ran much better hydraulic wise, i may do that again. im slightly fortunate that what i paid for her 4 yrs ago would still leave me in profit if i were to scrap her at todays scrap value but i do like her a lot, and then you have to find another which is unlikely. i have to say its been ultra reliable since i have owned it, other then tinkering she hasnt failed in a big way, burst hose last week and the intitial fuel issues but other than that just fine, oh she did burst a water hose cos of sticky thermostate so i run it without one now to be sure it cant happen again. can a pump fail that quickly or just slow in performance, moving the boom in and out and tracking around is still the same so i would have thought the whole perfromance would be effected not just slewing. ive got some more fuel to freeze and bleed through again so i will change the filters if i can find some and get her well hot and see how she performs. another reply would be most gratefull thankyou in advance. ps nice pic of the 814 on the water main, mine is nothing like that in cleanliness, she was a machine that was repaired at a jcb outlet, new slew motor and ring, repalcement perking 6 cylinder turbo uint, cush drive to pump, recon track motors, welded up rams as they had cracks in, and then some kids trashed it, i bought it and got her running which brings me to the current day, cab is totaly gone but i have a replcement with all the glass etc, just never fitted it, i have the super wide tracks for the lake dredging which is what the original owner was using it for, all the pins and bushes are very good all round, she just needs a bit of time to sort her out, but that time never comes does it. cheers
update hi to all and happy new year. a little update on my jbc from posts listed above, my hydraulics are still slow to start and indeed i get no slew at all when first started, once been running for 5 mins everything comes back on line except the slew, until i move the boom in or out and then its slews, it starts to slew fairly fast but slows right down as if the brake is being applied, can anyone advise on this issue, ie what could be causing it and how to fix it etc. ive checked all the oil levels, includind the slew motors gearbox. checked all the fittings and controls etc, im out of ideas. a slow pump was mentioned in the above listing and it was sujested it may be at fault after trying other things first, if i have the throttle at 1/4 throttle i can lift the digger of its tracks with ease and no struggle at all, in fact it lifts so quickly that i thought i was going over at one point, if i had a week pump would the digger not struggle to do this, but it does seem that when using the machine its overall performance is slower, maybe after watching a grey cab perform which was much quicker i now think my white cab is slow. can ayone tell me what the pump is on these machines, it apears to have 3 seperate pumps all in line, each of these pumps has a take off fitting, im asuming i can use these fittings to power external hydraulics unit ? would the return just flow back to the tank, i found a couple of fittings the have blanking plates in them at the top of the tank ? would i use these, i would like to use my log splitter which did run off a tractor unit but no longer have the tractor. sorry for the long posts but i simply cannot find anyone with any knowledge for these old machines. thanks to all.
hi all, im new to this website and i have a jcb 805b powerslide, no electrics. gr8 working digger, only problem i have is the slew brake is not working and she drifts around if not on a perfectly flat surface, can anyone help me with how to repair this or any advice, thanks dave
Hi lads hows the old JCB's going by the way I'm just after trading an 811 for a 814 super I still think the 800 are the best for farm work as they can lie up for 12 months turn the key with a good bat and away u go as for the slew brake try the small valve block under the cab and try to lift off thr slew motor and that will bring u down to the brake but first of all try the oil level in the slew box hope that of some use to u so happy digging to u all david
jcb 811 hi just wondering if you still have the workshop manual for the 811 and would be interested in it and a few bits of the 811 if you still have it regards john
Hi new to the site here! Just wondering I am looking for a slew ring for a 314 powerslide super 1988 anybody know were I could pick 1 up?
hey guys, this is an old thread but ive found a 814 on an abandoned property, i think it has the monoboom but it is so rusty i cant really tell if its a super or not.i dont think its a turbo diesel but i didnt get a good look at the engine bay. its parked round the back of a property and was left there after owner built house without permission and then faked a house fire to try and get some of his money back. there is a lister engine dumper, an old jcb that was parked in front of the driveway to stop the council demolishing the house. and an 814 at the back of the land, unfortunately, it is so rusty i dont know if any parts can be salvaged.the engine cover was open however there was some brush so it was covered,interior is completely rusted away, i noticed an air conditioning vent under the seat and the metal literally crumbled but i did see an air con unit or some kind of ventilation. is this rare? i am going back there on the weekend and i will attach some photos but for now i dont have any. the house was last occupied (legally) in 2005. the 814 had 6884 hours on it. i dont know why i am even writing this the forum stopped in the late 2000's lol
do keep us appraised your progress....................................................................