JCB Unveils Its Most Powerful 480 and 490 Wheel Loaders

JCB has rolled out a new generation of wheel loaders built for high-output sites, with two larger machines targeting heavy material handling in quarries, ports and major construction projects.

The 480 and 490 are the largest machines in the range, built to move more material with fewer stops. They are not upgraded versions of older models, but completely new machines designed for greater productivity and efficiency in tough working conditions.

The first public showing came at Hillhead 2026 in Buxton, UK, held 23–25 June.

The 480 and 490 handle up to 8,000 and 9,000 kilos, respectively. Both meet EU Stage V standards and can use standard or long loader arms for feeding crushers, loading trucks, and moving materials.

The loader arm is where most of the change shows. JCB has mixed the breakout force of a Z-bar system with the visibility and control of a tool carrier layout. 

The company describes it as “Compact bucket link packaging that removes the forward-protruding Z-link, freeing up space for oversized, low-density buckets.”

A wide-angle, high-torque bucket makes lifting and dumping smooth, even on rough or steep ground. With a lift height of 4,445–5,000 mm, it can load tall trucks, hoppers, and crushers easily.

“Sealed and lubricated pins and bushes, set in heavy-duty castings, are engineered to keep maintenance requirements low and uptime high,” the company said.

Both machines are powered by the Cummins X12 diesel engine with 250 kW (335 hp) and 1,695 Nm of torque at 1,400 rpm. The low-speed power helps push into piles and lift a full bucket easily.

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A hydraulic boost system adjusts output in real time to match demand from the front end, keeping the engine in its efficient range while still delivering full digging and lift performance when required. In practice, that means better fuel use and more material shifted per shift.

Inside the cab, it’s built for long hours rather than short demos. The Command Driving Position puts electro-hydraulic controls into the air-suspended seat so everything moves with the operator instead of being constantly reset.

The seat itself is fully adjustable, with heating, cooling, lumbar support and damping settings to suit different ground conditions and shift lengths.

A 10-inch JCB UX touchscreen handles machine control and settings, along with options such as auto-greasing, object detection and on-board weighing. Operators can also dial in how the controls respond to suit their preference.

Safety is integrated rather than added on. Flush-mounted beacons provide full 360-degree visibility, while an object detection system with automatic braking comes as standard to help reduce incidents on busy sites.

Taken together, the 480 and 490 sit firmly in the heavy-duty end of the wheel loader market, where uptime, fuel use and operator comfort carry as much weight as raw power.

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