I bought a JCB

[Woof999]

Wanted one since I was a kid, the chance reared its head and I went for it. It's a 15 ish year old 3CX that almost looks like it just came out of the factory and has orange number plates.

 

I would like to be able to drive it on the road legally, only between my rented house and my land (OK my wife's land if those people are here), and to the fuel station. All 3 locations are on the same stretch of road, with no more than 2km between them.

 

Is there a special license needed for a backhoe? Can a foreigner hold that license? Is it worth the hassle? Should I just drive it any way as the risk of being caught is minimal (unless the locals dob me in). I will only be using it for my own work (play mostly) on my own land (already covered that). It wont be used on other people's land, hired out to anyone else or doing any kind of work for payment.

 

I'd rather be legal as I'd rather hold valid insurance should the worst happen.

[cheeryble]

Well done! I

 

envy you

[steven100]

A good all round machine ...    did it come with any other attachments ?   hole digger ? grass slasher ?

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by steven100

[Woof999]

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

A good all round machine ...    did it come with any other attachments ?   hole digger ? grass slasher ?

 

 

 

 

Just a 2ft (I think, not measured it) bucket. Almost all JCBs here are of low spec, so there's no 4 in 1 / 6 in 1 bucket, no forks, no extradig (extending dipper).

 

I'll probably add forks to it or i'll end up buying a forklift too. Next on the list is a 9m manlift.

[Woof999]

27 minutes ago, steven100 said:

A good all round machine ...    did it come with any other attachments ?   hole digger ? grass slasher ?

 

 

 

 

Here she is sat outside the house

 

[steven100]

Woof,  I honestly bet you'll have plenty of offers of boxes of beer etc .. for that neighbors well or the drain pipe install at Somchai's or that pond cleanout at the temple ....  

 

 just give it a day or two.     haha ....

 

I know you said you didn't want any of that .....  

 

 

Edited June 8 by steven100

[Crossy]

Orange plates make it an agricultural vehicle.

 

 

Probably time to visit your local DLT to see what restrictions are in place regarding foreigners obtaining a licence to drive the beast.

 

Or, as you say, just wing it.

 

And where's the "jealous" emoticon?

 

EDIT Response from a knowledgeable friend "I would say as long as he has cash on him then fine"

 

[Woof999]

8 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Woof,  I honestly bet you'll have plenty of offers of boxes of beer etc .. for that neighbors well or the drain pipe install at Somchai's or that pond cleanout at the temple ....  

 

 just give it a day or two.     haha ....

 

I know you said you didn't want any of that .....  

 

 

 

I'd be happy to have it assist people occasionally. I kind of have the use of a Kobelco SK200. The owner lives only 200 metres or so from our land, is a really nice chap and looks after his machine well (it's old, but works). I'd probably have bought a 12 ton 360 if his machine wasn't available, rather than the JCB. No way I'm going to drive it for anything that could be construed as work for other people though, just not worth the risk. I also wouldn't just let anyone use it. I've seen how they (don't) look after machinery and repair bills can get very high very fast. I also have a CAT D4H bulldozer and it's taken a fair amount of time and money to unbodge some of the bodge jobs that they do to repair things.

 

The JCB has a few issues, all small so far. Mainly undoing some of the "custom" wiring that they've done to bodge in an aftermarket coolant temp gauge rather than spending a few baht more, using the existing wiring and re-using the fully working factory installed gauge (which is still there!). All they needed to do was purchase the correct temp sender, but no.... the wrong one that needed bodging in was a better solution.

 

All part of the fun. Oh, and they reconnected the slew hydrualics the wrong way round, so slew left goes right and vice versa. An easy fix.

[Woof999]

12 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Orange plates make it an agricultural vehicle.

Probably time to visit your local DLT to see what restrictions are in place regarding foreigners obtaining a licence to drive the beast.

 

Or, as you say, just wing it.

 

And where's the "jealous" emoticon?

 

 

Yep, time to send the wife on an errand by the looks.

Don't be jealous, they are relatively cheap here. Seem to be in the region of 50% of what they'd be in the UK (where you can drive one on a standard car license).

 

Original JCB parts are another matter here though. JCB UK wont ship out of the UK, and so far I've had no replies to emails to the few authorised dealers that exist here, or the dismissive "no have" response to any phone call.

[jvs]

Well ,i am jealous !

What a nice machine,

Like you say probably no issue if you are just using it where you are,but

    just in case some one does not see you and an accident happens you maybe in some trouble.

Maybe easier to put it in your wife's name?

Also doing work here may be frowned upon,all depends where you live of course.

Good luck and many happy hours in the field!

[Woof999]

40 minutes ago, Crossy said:

EDIT Response from a knowledgeable friend "I would say as long as he has cash on him then fine"

 

Always amazing how cash can smooth things )

[steven100]

to be honest Woof ....  if I was in your situation ....  I wouldn't worry about getting any license ..... 

 

 geeeze ... the thais drive every piece of rice machine, tractors,   tillers,  down the road ....  I've never heard of a cop pulling one of them up.

 

just do it slow and not every hour and you'll be fine.     imo

[worgeordie]

Put in your wife's name ,she will be able to hire it out for jobs,

and find someone to drive and use it on jobs ,if you want to

make some money with it, 

 

regards worgeordie