Innovative Iron Award: JCB’s 4TS-8T Teleskid Lifts Track Loaders to New Heights
Compact Equipment’s annual Innovative Iron Awards spotlight the year’s most game-changing compact machines, attachments and technologies. The 2025 class showcases major leaps in electrification, smarter control systems, automation, telematics and operator comfort. From battery-powered loaders and ultra-efficient mini excavators to intelligent hydraulic systems, self-leveling booms and climate-controlled cabs, these award winners reflect how innovation is reshaping performance, safety and sustainability across jobsites. Each honoree delivers measurable improvements — longer runtimes, faster cycles, lower emissions and better visibility — proving that compact equipment is evolving faster than ever. The future of earthmoving is here, and it’s smarter, cleaner and more connected. Here’s one of our 2025 Innovative Iron Award winners. Congrats!
Compact Equipment’s Innovative Iron Awards spotlight machines that move the needle. The JCB 4TS-8T Teleskid does exactly that. It takes a category JCB already owned and stretches it into new territory — literally. More power. More reach. More real-world versatility.
“With the new 4TS, we’ve taken everything we learned from [smaller] 2TS and 3TS [telescoping track loaders] and pushed it further,” explained Lee Tice, senior product manager at JCB, talking in our Machine Heads video, which I’ve embedded below. “You get a 15-ft hinge-pin height, 8 ft of forward reach and full hydraulic flow at full extension. That’s huge for forestry. You can run a mulcher fully extended at full height with full flow. You also get traditional teleskid advantages — loading full-size trucks, material handling and fork work. With a 4,000 lb ROC and 8 ft of reach, you’re getting close to compact telehandler specs, but on tracks. It really changes how customers work.”
Those numbers matter. They let operators precisely place materials at height, deftly dump over obstacles and work ditches without constant repositioning. That could mean lots of time savings, and we all know the simple math of time = money.
Full Power at Full Reach
Maybe the most innovative aspect of the 4TS-8T Teleskid is that it can operate full auxiliary hydraulic flow while fully extended to 15 ft. That’s not the case with JCB’s other smaller Teleskids or telehandlers in general for that matter. An important example of this for CTLs is (as Tice noted in the quote above) the ability to use brush cutters or mowers (notoriously hydraulic hungry implements) at full height. CTLs have become increasingly popular in land clearing operations over the last 10 years. That single capability separates the 4TS from almost everything else in the compact loader market. Plus, there are multiple options:
- Standard flow at 24 gpm
- High flow at 33 gpm
- Super Flow up to 42.3 gpm
Super Flow even has two pressure modes (3,300 or 4,000 psi).
“Different attachments have different pressure limits, so operators can select the appropriate mode,” said Tice. “The highest-pressure mode delivers maximum performance and recovery for forestry and cold planer applications. Mode selection is simple — just a button in the cab with on-screen confirmation.”
Built on a New Large-Frame Platform
The 4TS-8T shares its bones with JCB’s new 400T CTL. Both machines ride on a large-frame platform designed for sustained high-flow work. The 4TS-8T runs on 109-hp diesel powerplant. The EcoMax 4.4-liter engine meets Tier 4 Final without a DPF. No regen cycles. Less downtime. Always a fan of that. Despite the reach, the 4TS-8T still behaves like a compact track loader. Push power stays strong. Controls feel predictable. The machine does not turn awkward when loaded. JCB managed that balance by keeping the machine under 7 ft tall while spreading weight across the undercarriage. JCB also stays true to its single-arm Powerboom. That design brings real advantages.
“Studies show most skid steer accidents happen during entry and exit over attachments,” noted Tice. “Side entry keeps operators out of harm’s way, especially in muddy, uneven or unpredictable jobsites … And the single-arm boom we borrowed that design philosophy from our telehandlers. It improves visibility and allows the side door. We’ve been building single-arm booms since 1993 and back them with a lifetime warranty.”
Cab Focused on Long Days
The 4TS-8T cab is absolutely loaded. It focuses on comfort and control. A 7-in. touchscreen handles flow settings, control patterns and machine preferences. Operators can switch between ISO and H-pattern quickly. Electric-over-hydraulic joysticks respond cleanly. The heated air-suspension seat helps on long shifts. Everything supports high-output work without distraction.
“From a heated seat to Bluetooth radio, everything is standard,” said Tice. “You enter through JCB’s side door, then you’ve got a 7-in. touchscreen, EH controls and customizable profiles. Operators can adjust speed, responsiveness, joystick detent and more. You can set different profiles for different attachments or applications.”
Why CE Picked It
The JCB 4TS-8T Teleskid expands what compact loaders can realistically do. We didn’t really dwell on it above, but the innovative telescoping boom of the 4TS-8T extends applications higher and reduces machine moves. It blends CTL muscle with telehandler-style reach. It keeps hydraulic power where others fade. It does all this without giving up stability or control. That combination pushes the category forward. That earns the hardware. Congrats.
Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.
Let’s take a look at the smallest mini excavators on the market.
