180 Excavator

The 180 Excavator is possibly the most versatile CPCS category of plant offered at Staffordshire Operator Training. A 180 Excavator is a wheeled machine with a large loading bucket on the front and digging arm on the back. It owes its name to the digging arms range of motion which is 180° however some may refer to it as a backhoe loader or 180 backhoe.

The 180 uses stabilisers or ‘legs’ for stability when using the digging arm and comes in a range of sizes with different attachments. The most well known model of 180 Excavator is possibly the JCB 3CX which is used at our centre for candiate training and testing.

Novice course duration is 2 weeks (10 days)  CPCS theory test questions and CPCS practical test specification can be found on our CPCS page. For the next available course date please see the training schedule or contact us.

Some of the skills you will acquire during your course:

• Complete Pre-start and running checks.
• Travel on slopes and carry out hill climbs.
• Operate in confined spaces.
• Change buckets and attachments.
• All applications of the 4 in 1 bucket.
• Dig trenches and excavations to specifications.
• Grading, spreading and levelling.
• Lifing and placing slung loads.
• Understanding Safe Working Loads and ranges.
• Rescue a bogged machine.
• Load a variety of vehicles such as forward and rear tip dumpers.

About 180 Excavators

The front loading bucket is referred to as a 4 in 1. It can load material, grab with its clamshell and stack with folding forks. Its controlled with a single joystick that lifts, tilts and opens the clamshell bucket allowing the operator to drive and load at the same time. A lever on the seat rotates the driver to face out the rear of the machine to operate the backhoe which is controlled with 2 joysticks similar to a 360 excavator. The 180 Excavator utilises a different control pattern than a 360 which can cause confusion whilst learning on both machines.

Basic 180 Excavator Components