In 1953, the company introduced the Si-draulic Loader, which was mounted on the side of a tractor and provided superior lift and forward reach, and went on to sell more than 6,000 units, at £75 each. With one a day being built between 19, and initially costing £110 each, it was marketed for industrial, construction and forestry work, as well as for agricultural purposes, and was sold in kit form for mounting on a tractor. Moving on with the JCB story, one of the first machines to be developed was the Major Loader, which was Europe’s first hydraulic loader. “It was found on a farm at Bonsall, in the Derbyshire Dales,” Chris said. To start things off, the JC Balls’ collection houses one of the original trailers. It all began when Joseph Bamford constructed a tipping trailer from war-surplus materials, which was made from steel sheet that had been part of air raid shelters, and it was sold for £45. The story of JCB products has been well-documented over the years. “We’re always looking for something unusual,” Kevin said, and they have succeeded in doing just that with a superb line-up of machines, some of which are extremely rare.īut it’s not just the JCB name that’s represented Caterpillar, Bray and Hymac machines also make up an important part of the collection, again with some rarities among these machines, too. Vintage JCB collection: A 1964 JCB 1 stands alongside the other backhoe loaders in the JC Balls collection, and what a fine sight they make.Ĭhris and Kevin Balls, of JC Balls & Sons, have built up an exceptional collection of plant equipment, much of which comes from the JCB stable, which might not be very surprising given the firm’s initials.

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