fishfactor
Gold Member
After a few months of waiting for a unit to come in, we finally got to demo the Bobcat 870 today. We used our mulcher (a bobcat branded fecon head). Had about 5 broken teeth, 50% of the others have about 100 hours on them and the other 50% have between 500 and 800 hours on them. We used our head to make sure any perceived performance difference wasn't in new teeth or a different head. This unti had rubber tracks, but will be available soon with steel tracks as an option.
It was a little cooler today, only 90 deg F. We ran it WOT the whole time with no water or hydro temp problems.
Performance was suprisingly stronger than our T320. You could really tell a difference on larger hardwoods. The 870 powered through them with much less stalling. When you did stall, recovery time was very similiar to the T320.
Lift height was impressive. I think it is about 12 ft.
Visibility was greatly improved over the 320, especially out the back.
A/C was wonderful. Had to keep it on low and couldn't run the thermostat on the coldest setting.
Cab was sealed and pressurized tight. In fact, you couldn't shut the cab door without opening a window first. The windows are greatly improved as well. You can actually open and close them. The cab was much nicer in general. You stay clean, and have a cup holder.
The roller supension undercarriage was nice. Made the mine field of stumps easier to deal with.
The machine is a bit larger than the 320. Both length, width, and weight. This isn't a factor for us, but it may be if you try to pull it with a pickup.
The radiators are finally hinged to allow for easy cleaning.
Improved rear bumper. This may not sound like much, but we have totally destroyed our tailgate by backing into stumps and getting them hung under the tailgate. The new bumper should eliminate this problem and also gives you a better angle for crossing ditches, etc.
So... how does it stack up to the Terex PT100G?
Performance wise, I would estimate very similiar. The Terex seemed a little stronger, but it had a two speed head with almost new teeth, so I have to call it a tie. I expect that with the same head the machines would perform very similiar.
Visibility, Bobcat wins. If you recall, visibility was a concern in my Terex demo. I loved the visibility out of the T870.
Forestry protection, Terex wins. The rear protection is much better. The cab forward design of the bobcat leaves the rear open to falling limbs and tops of dead trees.
Ease of maintenance, Bobcat. Hinged radiator being the deciding factor.
Tight places, Terex wins. It has a much smaller footprint.
One other thing I like about the Terex is the bypass on the hydraulics. If you start to stall the head, it goes into bypass until you clear the problem. This allows you to pick up the head without turning it off. SOmething I have always hated about the Bobcat.
So overall, I would call it a close race. Dealer support in your area would be a big factor, as well as which ever of the above comparisons mean the most to you.
It was a little cooler today, only 90 deg F. We ran it WOT the whole time with no water or hydro temp problems.
Performance was suprisingly stronger than our T320. You could really tell a difference on larger hardwoods. The 870 powered through them with much less stalling. When you did stall, recovery time was very similiar to the T320.
Lift height was impressive. I think it is about 12 ft.
Visibility was greatly improved over the 320, especially out the back.
A/C was wonderful. Had to keep it on low and couldn't run the thermostat on the coldest setting.
Cab was sealed and pressurized tight. In fact, you couldn't shut the cab door without opening a window first. The windows are greatly improved as well. You can actually open and close them. The cab was much nicer in general. You stay clean, and have a cup holder.
The roller supension undercarriage was nice. Made the mine field of stumps easier to deal with.
The machine is a bit larger than the 320. Both length, width, and weight. This isn't a factor for us, but it may be if you try to pull it with a pickup.
The radiators are finally hinged to allow for easy cleaning.
Improved rear bumper. This may not sound like much, but we have totally destroyed our tailgate by backing into stumps and getting them hung under the tailgate. The new bumper should eliminate this problem and also gives you a better angle for crossing ditches, etc.
So... how does it stack up to the Terex PT100G?
Performance wise, I would estimate very similiar. The Terex seemed a little stronger, but it had a two speed head with almost new teeth, so I have to call it a tie. I expect that with the same head the machines would perform very similiar.
Visibility, Bobcat wins. If you recall, visibility was a concern in my Terex demo. I loved the visibility out of the T870.
Forestry protection, Terex wins. The rear protection is much better. The cab forward design of the bobcat leaves the rear open to falling limbs and tops of dead trees.
Ease of maintenance, Bobcat. Hinged radiator being the deciding factor.
Tight places, Terex wins. It has a much smaller footprint.
One other thing I like about the Terex is the bypass on the hydraulics. If you start to stall the head, it goes into bypass until you clear the problem. This allows you to pick up the head without turning it off. SOmething I have always hated about the Bobcat.
So overall, I would call it a close race. Dealer support in your area would be a big factor, as well as which ever of the above comparisons mean the most to you.
