Bobcat ct335 info.

[John White]

Any one own a Bobcat CT335 with a cab and backhoe. Hoe do you like it. What do you think it is worth? I am looking around for a medium size backhoe but I want one with a cab and heat and AC. (used of course) I made contact with a dealer who says he has one coming in. I haven't seen on in person yet so I don't know what they are like. Here is my dilemma., I own a JCB 212 which has been a great backhoe and a good money maker, have a 14k trailer for it. I keep it at my place of business and all equipment stored inside including trailer. I am at the age that I must down size and just have one for my own personal use at home, .as I am not able to hand dig a hole for planting a tree or installing a drain line. (will probably sell the JCB in the near future). I had a little New Holland 1720 tractor for several years with a little Woods 3pt hitch backhoe. It did a great job of doing home digging. And if I needed something big I could load the JCB up and haul it out. I sold the NH 1720 last year and after reading all the information on the Kubota B3030 on TBN I and corresponding with fellow members, I bought one. I love it and especially the heat and AC. I kept the Woods backhoe but found out it won't work and not recommended that you do not mount a backhoe on 3pt. I can see from what I have read on here that Bobcat left a bad taste in the mouths of owners because they quit making them and some supposedly cant get support. Now the are suppose to start making new ones and a lot of talk about if they will be for the long haul. Now lets go back a little further with Bobcat. At one time there was a backhoe made called Earthforce. I owned one. Bobcat also carried them and sold them under Bobcat name and IR also sold them under their name. I was having a problem so I went to Bobcat to try and get some answers and they just gave me a dumb look. That soured me with Bobcat. When I needed a skid steer I bought a JD and a track hoe also. So back to the CT335. Some mention that it is made by Kioti. Do they make a small one like the CT. I have about $15k to put into one and the one the dealer says he is getting in is in the ball park. If I get anything, I want a enclosed cab with heat and AC. The JCB has heat which is great in the wintertime but in the summer it is a hot box.

 

[tman1020]

I have one size down from what you’re looking for it is a CT 225. Pretty much the same thing as a kioti CK 27. I have a front loader cab and similar back hole that would come on what you’re looking at. It’s a fantastic tractor and pretty much every way. However I do not believe the cabs are available with AC on my size. Mine only has heat. I believe the newer model is available with heat and AC though. And no matter what you will be out of the cab when using the backhoe.
I don’t feel the sub frame is strong enough for the back hoe because it does flex quite a bit when in use. But it does the job and has not let me down. Power seems fine. And has decent reach for the size.

 

[tman1020]

Here’s a picture for reference.
Kioti and the new bobcat lineup dropped the three series partly because it didn’t do much more than the 2 series could. A lot of guys really liked it but I always felt if I was going to jump up in size I would go all the way to the four series. It gives you considerably more lift capacity.

 

[John White]

Will any of the parts for the new Bobcats fit the older ones?

 

[John White]

I have one size down from what you’re looking for it is a CT 225. Pretty much the same thing as a kioti CK 27. I have a front loader cab and similar back hole that would come on what you’re looking at. It’s a fantastic tractor and pretty much every way. However I do not believe the cabs are available with AC on my size. Mine only has heat. I believe the newer model is available with heat and AC though. And no matter what you will be out of the cab when using the backhoe.
I don’t feel the sub frame is strong enough for the back hoe because it does flex quite a bit when in use. But it does the job and has not let me down. Power seems fine. And has decent reach for the size.

Thanks for the info. Does your cab feel roomy enough? I have never seen one in person. Trying to find some one in my area who has one that I can go look at. You mentioned frame flex. I wonder if that is a problem because I heard of one BC having a crack on he axel housing. I wonder if that is a bad link in their system. Also do they come with the arms for 3 point lift or is it a dedicated backhoe?

 

[tman1020]

Thanks for the info. Does your cab feel roomy enough? I have never seen one in person. Trying to find some one in my area who has one that I can go look at. You mentioned frame flex. I wonder if that is a problem because I heard of one BC having a crack on he axel housing. I wonder if that is a bad link in their system. Also do they come with the arms for 3 point lift or is it a dedicated backhoe?

The only frame flex I was referring to is on the sub frame of the backhoe. The tractor itself is rocksolid. yes mine came with a three point hitch. The backhoe is a completely separate unit With its own sub frame. It’s fairly easy to put on and off. But like I said a bit more flex that I would have liked but maybe it’s meant to be that way.
I feel the cab is plenty roomy enough. This is my first cab tractor though so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I have never felt cramped in anyway in it. For reference I have the cab referred to as the steel cab that they offered. It is an all steel frame with glass panels in it. It was made for bobcat/kioti by a company called cozy cab. And then bobcat labeled it as there own. It does not have floor and fender insulation. So it is a touch louder than a standard factory cab. But I really like it. Heater works great and doors remove for summer use. And with it being a steel frame It is very durable. It has taken quite a few pretty solid hits from branches when I was doing lot clearing. So far so good.

 

[tman1020]

Will any of the parts for the new Bobcats fit the older ones?

I wouldn’t think there would be too many parts that were the same. The new tractors are tier 4 Final And are a redesign. Similar but not the same. I’m sure they do share some parts but it’s probably minimal. This is not a fact just my opinion.