JCB has started to sell machines online for the first time in its history.

The company say they have introduced the new order online option to support businesses with their plant requirements during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Focal Landscapes owner Marc Woodward

A Poole-based company called Focal Landscapes became the first customer to purchase their machines online, buying a 8008 micro excavator and a HTD-5 tracked dumper direct via the website direct.jcb.com - with the manufacturer saying order to delivery took less than a week.

Focal Landscapes owner Marc Woodward said, “You get all the benefits of an online purchase, but you also start a relationship with the manufacturer. That gives access to JCB Finance and JCB support. I’ve already been introduced to my local JCB dealer Holt JCB and been able to purchase a range of attachments for my new excavator."

JCB UK and Ireland sales director Steve Smith said, “We are determined to support our customers’ machine requirements during the challenging current Covid-19 crisis. The new service gives customers the ability to buy some of JCB’s most popular products online, directly from the manufacturer, with no need to meet face-to-face or leave their homes.”

The JCB machines available to purchase on line are the 8008 micro excavator; the 16C-1, 18Z-1 and 8026 mini excavators; the HTD5 Dumpster; the 1T-2 site dumper and S1930 and S2632 scissor lifts.

Available to UK mainland customers, buying online using JCB Finance, website visitors select the model and pay a £100 ’holding fee’ to secure their machine.

They will then be contacted by JCB Finance to complete the application and the machine will be delivered by JCB.