Pothole repair at five times the speed – that’s what JCB’s specialised machine is all about

The SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft. The JCB Pothole Pro, a machine optimised for road repairs and distributed by TERRA Hungária, was unveiled at the Dunakeszi asphalt mixing plant. The SWIETELSKY continuously monitors where savings can be made and how the environmental impact of construction work can be reduced. As JCB’s solution reduces pothole repair time by a fifth and also offers a longer-term solution, they were delighted to host the milling machine demonstration – after all, the SWIETELSKY Magyarország not only supports the sector’s development but is itself contributes significantly to innovative solutions.

It was unveiled next to the country’s largest asphalt mixing plant

A tool like this is a huge help to any road maintenance worker. This was confirmed by Tibor Gali, Head of Engineering at SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft., who welcomed visitors to the company’s largest site. „The Dunakeszi site,” he pointed out, “houses the administration, the materials testing laboratory and the company’s largest machine repair workshop,

Last but not least, Hungary’s largest asphalt mixing plant, the SWIETELSKY, is also in operation here.”

Following a welcome address by Ákos Varga, Managing Director of TERRA Hungária Construction Machinery Kft., Bence Szabó, Product Manager for TERRA Hungária Construction Machinery Kft., presented the machine.

The JCB Pothole Pro is an excavator-mounted device fitted with special adapters that can significantly speed up pothole repairs.

Can be used in a wide range of situations

In 2016, the British company JCB, which has been in operation since 1945, unveiled the Hydradig excavator, on which this machine is based. The engine and hydraulic pump – the excavator’s main components – have been housed within the chassis, which not only provides better visibility and manoeuvrability but also significantly enhances the machine’s stability. Their machine is much more of a versatile „tool carrier” capable of handling a wide range of tasks than a traditional bucket-type machine.

„The JCB Pothole Pro made its debut in 2021; it is a version of the Hydradig specifically optimised for road resurfacing, whilst retaining its wide range of applications. It has been fitted with specialised attachments for road repair tasks: a 600 mm wide asphalt cutter mounted on the chassis with a side shift, and a sweeping system with a collection hopper and water sprayer; an upgraded version of a JCB HM012T hammer, all mounted on a Steelwrist X12 tiltrotator, which allows the work equipment to be rotated and tilted,” explained Bence Szabó.

It performs three tasks simultaneously

The JCB Pothole Pro mills the asphalt in a single pass, cuts around the milled area and sweeps it clean, after which the area simply needs to be resurfaced – and it does all this in a fifth of the time it would take a team working by hand.

All this preparation for asphalting also means that there is no need for a separate transport vehicle when using the machine, as it carries all the necessary equipment on board; and since it can travel at speeds of up to 40 km/h on its rubber tyres, transporting it over short distances is not an issue.

The British manufacturer estimates that it takes eight minutes per pothole, and it is also safer than carrying out road repairs using manual tools.

„The JCB Pothole Pro offers a long-term solution because it not only clears the crumbled asphalt from the pothole and grinds down the area, but also cuts around it with a clean edge, which prevents further crumbling,” emphasised Bence Szabó.

The manufacturer offers a 5-year / 4,000-hour warranty on all such machines, which are also suitable for dredging and riverbed maintenance. They are fitted with a quick-change system, so you can attach a bucket, a mulcher or even a fork – making them a true all-rounder for any business.

All of this was demonstrated on site: the machine prepared a strip measuring approximately 1.2 by 8 metres in just 8 minutes, after which this section was asphalted using a JCB 427ZX and a JCB CT260-120 vibratory roller, thus completing the entire work process.  Photos of the entire demonstration can also be viewed in our photo gallery.

„We want to be part of the innovation”

„We have a long-standing business relationship with TERRA Hungária and Kft., and we regularly purchase certain machine models from them. Beyond the reliability of their products, JCB’s development philosophy and Terra Hungária’s sales and service activities have all strengthened the relationship between our companies,” explained Zoltán Hegyi, Managing Director of SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft., to our publication , explaining why they provided the venue for the test demonstration.

„This new combination machine fits perfectly into our production profile; furthermore, we are constantly seeking opportunities for innovation in the fields of asphalt production and paving, which will make our production more efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable.”.

Innovation plays a key role for us and across our entire group because we do not merely observe the rapid technological, IT, economic and environmental changes taking place around us; we want to be part of them.”