PineRidge
Super Member
Do you use the Bob Cat for business or is this your personal unit?
Bobcat S185
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FL_Cracker
Platinum Member
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I just replaced my Kubota Tractor with this New Holland LS180 and it really does so much more work..... 67hp turbo diesel and 2500lb lift & tracks. I have bush hog, auger, bucket, 6-way dozer blade, fertilizer spreader, 6' grapple, 5' tiller, fork lift attachment, 6" wood chipper, backhoe attachment & 3 point hitch converter with hydraulic PTO motor. This unit can really do it all, total property work tool.
It is so much faster and easier to use the a tractor it hard to understand why everyone wouldn't switch....
It is so much faster and easier to use the a tractor it hard to understand why everyone wouldn't switch....
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FL_Cracker
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2004
- Messages
- 626
- Tractor
- Kubota L5030HST,R4 & Kubota RTV900R Utility Vehicle
FL_Cracker
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2004
- Messages
- 626
- Tractor
- Kubota L5030HST,R4 & Kubota RTV900R Utility Vehicle
FL_Cracker
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2004
- Messages
- 626
- Tractor
- Kubota L5030HST,R4 & Kubota RTV900R Utility Vehicle
RobertN
Super Member
This discussion has been on other parts of this site.
A big reason for a CUT over a skid steer or track-steer is $$$$$ A small to medium size tractor is less expensive. The 56hp Bobcat S185 I know about, because I use my buddies; $25k with a bucket brand new. Also, pto equipment is less expensive than hydraulic equipment used on most skid steers.
There are differences in how you use the two styles of tractors, which is hard to explian. A skid steer or track-loader can do pretty much anything a CUT or mid sized tractor can. It does it differently though, and is hard to explain without seat time.
Having this 6000lb beast here at the house right now, I can not use it(s185). It is an awesome machine, but not in wet condidtions. Right now, I stick with my 2000lb Kubota.
I personally am sold on the tracked machines. Not the add-on grousers, but the rubber track like the ASV-RC30 and RC50, CAT-247, and some of the Gehl. I have used the ASV-RC30 and CAT-247(uses ASV track system). They are awesome! I have used the 6500lb 60hp CAT in very wet condidtions. It worked great, with little extra damage. A regular skid steer would have made a big mess, and been stuck(been there, done that).
Anyways, a probably the biggest thing is $$$$$. Otherwise, my little Kubota would be gone and I would have an ASV-RC30.
A big reason for a CUT over a skid steer or track-steer is $$$$$ A small to medium size tractor is less expensive. The 56hp Bobcat S185 I know about, because I use my buddies; $25k with a bucket brand new. Also, pto equipment is less expensive than hydraulic equipment used on most skid steers.
There are differences in how you use the two styles of tractors, which is hard to explian. A skid steer or track-loader can do pretty much anything a CUT or mid sized tractor can. It does it differently though, and is hard to explain without seat time.
Having this 6000lb beast here at the house right now, I can not use it(s185). It is an awesome machine, but not in wet condidtions. Right now, I stick with my 2000lb Kubota.
I personally am sold on the tracked machines. Not the add-on grousers, but the rubber track like the ASV-RC30 and RC50, CAT-247, and some of the Gehl. I have used the ASV-RC30 and CAT-247(uses ASV track system). They are awesome! I have used the 6500lb 60hp CAT in very wet condidtions. It worked great, with little extra damage. A regular skid steer would have made a big mess, and been stuck(been there, done that).
Anyways, a probably the biggest thing is $$$$$. Otherwise, my little Kubota would be gone and I would have an ASV-RC30.
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
Like Robert said, they do things differently. Doing land clearing and leveling a skid steer will work circles around a conventional tractor.
We've been thinning trees and removing ditches in a heavily treed area at my buds. He has a Massey 231 and I have a JCB165HF skid steer.
We have what I believe is basically the same motor, about a fifty horse Perkins. I do believe his tractor with two wheel drive has more pull, more effecient application of traction, for just pulling. But he will get stuck faster than I will because of his front end sinking and taking the weight off the drive wheels.
For doing construction work a skid steer can't be beat. We're in heavy black clay. I don't have the weight to take advantage of a tooth bucket in this clay. So I put on my forks and do the same repetitive movements a person would with a fork in a garden, but probably faster and with much larger bites. It only takes seconds to change to the smooth bucket and I'm cleaning, not unlike a person following their forking with a feed shovel to remove the earth they've loosened up.
I've found that in the heavy clay the forking is much more efficient than the root rake--scarifier I made. The scarifier makes ten inch deep grooves in the clay but doesn't break it up like forking does.
We developed a routine where I'd fork up a berm and then clean it dumping the material in a pile no more than twenty feet away. He'd take the Massey and using the FEL move that pile to a ditch fifty to a hundred feet away. Our buckets have the same capacity but he was much more efficient at moving material any distance than I was.
And I'm with Robert also on the tracked tractor being the cat's meow. But I want the JCB1110T. It's about eleven thousand pounds of worker with the JCB door. Gotta have the door!!!
We've been thinning trees and removing ditches in a heavily treed area at my buds. He has a Massey 231 and I have a JCB165HF skid steer.
We have what I believe is basically the same motor, about a fifty horse Perkins. I do believe his tractor with two wheel drive has more pull, more effecient application of traction, for just pulling. But he will get stuck faster than I will because of his front end sinking and taking the weight off the drive wheels.
For doing construction work a skid steer can't be beat. We're in heavy black clay. I don't have the weight to take advantage of a tooth bucket in this clay. So I put on my forks and do the same repetitive movements a person would with a fork in a garden, but probably faster and with much larger bites. It only takes seconds to change to the smooth bucket and I'm cleaning, not unlike a person following their forking with a feed shovel to remove the earth they've loosened up.
I've found that in the heavy clay the forking is much more efficient than the root rake--scarifier I made. The scarifier makes ten inch deep grooves in the clay but doesn't break it up like forking does.
We developed a routine where I'd fork up a berm and then clean it dumping the material in a pile no more than twenty feet away. He'd take the Massey and using the FEL move that pile to a ditch fifty to a hundred feet away. Our buckets have the same capacity but he was much more efficient at moving material any distance than I was.
And I'm with Robert also on the tracked tractor being the cat's meow. But I want the JCB1110T. It's about eleven thousand pounds of worker with the JCB door. Gotta have the door!!!
PineRidge
Super Member
Sounds like a very versatile machine, how about a finish mower for the grass? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I would bet it is right at home in the dirt, but grass cutting would most likely be out of the question. Most of the guys here use their tractors for grass cutting chores to justify the initial expense.
My limited experience with a Bob-Cat was that they reminded me of the ride on a shortened 4WD SUV, that is a bucking bronc ride and weren't to kind to my old lower back.
Nevertheless you have a very interesting machine there. I'm glad that it suits your needs.
I would bet it is right at home in the dirt, but grass cutting would most likely be out of the question. Most of the guys here use their tractors for grass cutting chores to justify the initial expense.
My limited experience with a Bob-Cat was that they reminded me of the ride on a shortened 4WD SUV, that is a bucking bronc ride and weren't to kind to my old lower back.
Nevertheless you have a very interesting machine there. I'm glad that it suits your needs.
FL_Cracker
Platinum Member
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Grass cutting in not it's long suit. We keep horses on the pasture so all I do is weed cut it 1-2 times per year and turn slow. I may get a finish mower to pull behind my RTV for this summer.
After the main development work is done I'm looking at the Bobcat "ToolCat" as the replacement to the Skidsteer loader for light and general work with out all the turf damage....
After the main development work is done I'm looking at the Bobcat "ToolCat" as the replacement to the Skidsteer loader for light and general work with out all the turf damage....
Its a rental unit. I am an assistant superintendant for the company building the project, we rent equipment for small jobs and such.
I used to use a New Holland LS 170 with grouser tracks when i worked for another company.. pain in the arse! For some reason the paddles on the side of thye tracks popped off the tire and it was so much work getting those tracks on and off. There was no easy way to take slack out of the tracks so the tires would just spin inside the tracks but otherwise pretty good. I cleared out some awesomly heavy brush behind the project with little sapplings, vines and so forth, and the tracks worked good.
I used to use a New Holland LS 170 with grouser tracks when i worked for another company.. pain in the arse! For some reason the paddles on the side of thye tracks popped off the tire and it was so much work getting those tracks on and off. There was no easy way to take slack out of the tracks so the tires would just spin inside the tracks but otherwise pretty good. I cleared out some awesomly heavy brush behind the project with little sapplings, vines and so forth, and the tracks worked good.