I recently purchased a used Toolcat. A 2007 5600. Always thought they looked very handy and wanted one. Found one that was extremely rusty but at a good price. I've set out restoring it. One thing that has surprised me is how little traction the machine has. It gets stuck at even the slightest spot where the plane it is driving on becomes not flat. Reading more info, I hear that this is a common finding with the toolcat. Was hoping it would be more like my skid steer. Questions I have for others that have them (as I don't even have another in my area to compare it to):
- The front a-arms have zero movement. The a arms rest on the rubber bushings all the time. When loaded, unloaded and even when I have lifted the entire machine off the ground on a lift. Is that normal? The rear a-arms have a good amount of travel. It's like the front is just for looks and is really a solid assembly.
- The moment the machine encounters any type of uneven ground, one of the wheels comes off the ground in front and rear (caddy corner). At that point it obviouslly stops and spins. I see nothing on this machine that provides the option to lock the differential. As such, the wheel with the least resistance (the one off the ground) spins and the one on the ground just sets there. I have discovered that if I get a run at it, I can overcome the issue in some cases by getting through it before the momentum stops. I've read posts on this forum where there is a rear differential lock. Wondering if that was an option that my machine did not come with spec'd out.
- The whole lack of a diff lock is so frustrating, I've reviewed the service manual and am contemplating welding the rear dif solid. Has anyone ever done that or added a lock to a tool cat? At that point it should behave like my Polaris RZR. I drive it mostly in areas where I am not worried about disturbing the soil, so it shouldn't cause an issue from that perspective.
- It is also worth noting that the dump bed is being remade. The other one was so rusty it self destructed the first time I used it. Hoping that additional weight will help the traction matters some.