This month we’ve taken a bit of a departure from our usual Long-Term Test format where we would normally focus on just one machine. Instead we’ve chatted to two users of Loadalls equipped with JCB’s innovative hybrid DualTech VT gearbox to find out if it lives up to the hype

It’s rare that something truly groundbreaking comes along in the world of telehandlers, so when JCB unveiled its hybrid Dual Tech transmission in 2016 we were keen to follow its progress. Combining hydrostatic and powershift drives, it promised to provide precision at low speeds and a bit more oomph from a direct mechanical link between engine and axles at higher speeds.