What's happening with the Ingersoll rand

[capt_met]

here is a pic of a good sized stump i picked up today. couldn't get the grapple all the way around it. just squeeze and hold tight.

 

[davidseaquist]

nice action shot thanks David.

 

[Lindblom Lawn Care]

They informed me that IR was trying to sell the entire Bobcat line. But they have not been told what companies have enquired about buying Bobcat.

IR is selling some of their construction type divisions. One of these was IR in Garland, TX. I machined some large castings for some of the large construction/earthmoving equipment. IR sold this division to a company called Atlas Copco which I still do work for.

I tried to pick these guys for info on who was looking at Bobcat as far as buying, but they only had heard rumors of who was interested. I will be talking to them again next week and will try to see if they have any inside info.

I seen that annoucement a couple of weeks ago. I am thinking it was at lawn and landscape.

Apparently sales of bobcat are slipping.

 

[Builder]

I hpoe the Chinese don't gobble them up. Bobcat was true American ingenuity.

 

[NHDealer]

Volvo would do good at picking up BC.

 

[John White]

Yes its too bad Ingersoll or Bob Cat did not further refine this back hoe. With a few changes it, nothing in its class would compare. Last fall I bought a Earthforce EF4 2000 model (just when Bob cat bought them out) . No one machine can do everything excellent. Its hard to beat a small track hoe when it comes to digging. I had a JD 50 trackhoe, but at times I was on the job and would need some dirt moved and it just was'nt practical or wanted to travel across a field and it took too long . I had a JD 240 skid steer, that I would haul to my job site but that took extra time and fuel. If I just bought out the skid steer, with the back hoe on it, then needed to spread some dirt then I had to switch the backhoe off of it. Then if I was doing a job on soft ground in a persons yard, when I got done with the skid steer it looked like a bunch of wild hogs had been routing around for acorns. I bought the Earthforce and used it for awhile to see how it worked out. I dont feel it matches the speed and mobility of the skid steer. But you cant have everything in one piece of equipement. I just sold the JD skid steer and trackhoe a couple of weeks ago. The Earthforce had cut down on my traveling cost and speeded up my overall efficency. It doesnt tear the ground up near as much as the skid steer. Mine has only 275hrs on it. I dont perticular like the forward and reverse control on the shift lever . Its ackward for me. I like the mobility of it, the room it has, the smoothness of the controls. I dont think there is any thing made under 10000 lbs that will match it. A larger tractor would be too big for what I do. I, like every one else is wondering what the parts situation will be in a few years. I was wondering how it would compare to a JCB 210? Has any one had any experience with one of them and what do they weigh? Is it as mobile as the Earthforce.

 

[Builder]

Yes its too bad Ingersoll or Bob Cat did not further refine this back hoe. With a few changes it, nothing in its class would compare. Last fall I bought a Earthforce EF4 2000 model (just when Bob cat bought them out) . No one machine can do everything excellent. Its hard to beat a small track hoe when it comes to digging. I had a JD 50 trackhoe, but at times I was on the job and would need some dirt moved and it just was'nt practical or wanted to travel across a field and it took too long . I had a JD 240 skid steer, that I would haul to my job site but that took extra time and fuel. If I just bought out the skid steer, with the back hoe on it, then needed to spread some dirt then I had to switch the backhoe off of it. Then if I was doing a job on soft ground in a persons yard, when I got done with the skid steer it looked like a bunch of wild hogs had been routing around for acorns. I bought the Earthforce and used it for awhile to see how it worked out. I dont feel it matches the speed and mobility of the skid steer. But you cant have everything in one piece of equipement. I just sold the JD skid steer and trackhoe a couple of weeks ago. The Earthforce had cut down on my traveling cost and speeded up my overall efficency. It doesnt tear the ground up near as much as the skid steer. Mine has only 275hrs on it. I dont perticular like the forward and reverse control on the shift lever . Its ackward for me. I like the mobility of it, the room it has, the smoothness of the controls. I dont think there is any thing made under 10000 lbs that will match it. A larger tractor would be too big for what I do. I, like every one else is wondering what the parts situation will be in a few years. I was wondering how it would compare to a JCB 210? Has any one had any experience with one of them and what do they weigh? Is it as mobile as the Earthforce.

IMO, I think you'll be OK on parts & service.

They look like the best machine under 10,000lbs and they'd eat a JD110 or L-48 alive.

It really ticks me off. Finally an American built TLB that rocks and it's gone in just a years.

Resale value scared me off. I've seen them sell for really cheap, and as good of a machine as they are, that tells me that others may fear parts/resale problems, even if they're unjustified.

I couldn't take it anymore and just bought a Case 580 Super M 4x4.

 

[capt_met]

one good thing is if the resale value keeps going down i can buy another for a parts machine. run the nicer of the 2. be nice to have 2 for less than an L48 or 110.

 

[Yourkie]

How tippy are the BL275, 375, 575 versions when moving on slopes, and also when digging as compared to other backhoes in their class? The vertical stabilizers don't have the spacing of a fixed backdoe.

It is always best to go up or down the fall line, but there are times when it is necessary to traverse slopes.

 

[davidseaquist]

I don't own the model with the vertical stabilizers but it is still all wheel steer all wheel drive thev maneuver very well and you can swing the backhoe towards the uphill side for more stability. Or move the back hoe over to the uphill side. The backhoes are very strong for their size. I personally think they are good units. Any piece of equipment that you buy is a compromise, it will excel in some areas and not work as well in others. David