bobcat

[OrangeGuy]

State of Minnesota is building a new freeway through the south end of my farm. In addition, they are upgrading the county road on the east side of the farm. So lots of construction equipment around for the last two years. The main contractor operates almost all Cat equipment (D3 to D10's) except for skidsteer and compact track loaders. These machines are all Bobcat. I asked a foreman one day when they were working at the end of my driveway why they didn't have Cat skidloaders and track loaders. He said they used operate Cat but too expensive, maintenance costs especially undercarridge on track machines too high, and finally low resale value on the Cats. They went back to Bobcats because they cost less, maintenance costs much lower, and terriffic resale. A T250 operating that day was a 2006 model with 3800 hours-no problems. An 873 working with an asphalt crew had over 8000 hours.

My farm renters have a 773 Bobcat. They love it.

OrangeGuy

 

[Digdeep]

State of Minnesota is building a new freeway through the south end of my farm. In addition, they are upgrading the county road on the east side of the farm. So lots of construction equipment around for the last two years. The main contractor operates almost all Cat equipment (D3 to D10's) except for skidsteer and compact track loaders. These machines are all Bobcat. I asked a foreman one day when they were working at the end of my driveway why they didn't have Cat skidloaders and track loaders. He said they used operate Cat but too expensive, maintenance costs especially undercarridge on track machines too high, and finally low resale value on the Cats. They went back to Bobcats because they cost less, maintenance costs much lower, and terriffic resale. A T250 operating that day was a 2006 model with 3800 hours-no problems. An 873 working with an asphalt crew had over 8000 hours.

My farm renters have a 773 Bobcat. They love it.

OrangeGuy

I'm not discounting much of what you said but I can tell you from personal experience having sold over 200 Bobcat track loaders that the T250 owner you speak of has to be the luckiest Bobcat track loader owner in the world. Not to mention that assuming he bought it at the beginning of 2006 he would have had to run it for over 5 hours a day, 365 days a year up to now to get those kinds of hours. Amazing feat considering how much roadwork gets done up here in the upper midwest during the middle of our frozen winters. Maybe the road construction crews work all winter in MN instead many of them going on unemployment for the winter so they can fish and hunt like they do in WI. I'm truly happy for that owner though. he might want to keep it hidden because Bobcat may try to take it from him so that they can Bronze it.

 

[OrangeGuy]

I just checked the local Bobcat dealers list of used T250/300s. They had three with over 3000 hours including one with 5113 hours. I guess they were "lucky" as well. I suspect if Bobcat was going to bronze every Bobcat that achieved high hours it would be a pretty expensive proposition. As far as hours on the T250 working by me, it has been putting in 12 hour days ever since the frost came out.

Nothing against Cat machines. That's why I asked the question. I'm a bit of a machinery junkie so was impressed with the work these Bobcats were doing and the contractor's satisfaction with their performance and value. Just one situation in a big world.

OrangeGuy