CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader

   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #1  

Diesel24

New member
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Jul 13, 2005
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18
I am looking to buy a rubber track loader. I have heard that the Bobcat tracks dont have a long life. The CAT MTL rides like a Cadillac. ASV rides even better and is cheaper than CAT. Does anyone have any input? Which performs better? Which tracks last longer?
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #2  
Provide more details - what do you plan to do with it, where are you located, what other equiment do you already have, what kind of soil / terrain are you dealing with.

Track loaders are great machines for their purpose - Wheeled skid-steers are too.

Without knowing your application we can't give you an accurate response.

Filling in your profile will help as well.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #3  
I believe Cat has a co-operative agreement with ASV. I believe that the tracks on Cats are ASV. Maybe someone else can shed more light on this.

RonL
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I am going to be doing a variety of jobs... Under brush removal, erosion management, landscape, grading, back filling, bush hogging, digging, a little of everything. Mainly in AL and GA. Mud, clay, rocks, sand.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #5  
CAT uses ASV track systems. ASV uses CAT motors...

My time has been short on track machines, a day rental on a CAT 247? and a couple days on an ASV RC30. I used the CAT in wet conditions, and the ASV in dry conditions with clay and some rock. Both machines performed excellent.

The CAT was about the same power and size as a Bobcat S185. The CAT was way smoother to operate and use than my buddies Bobcat S185. The S185 is a great machine, but the CAT was soooo smooth to use.

I personally would like to get an ASV-RC30. Those machines have worked great for me. Just can't afford it right now though.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #6  
Prior to Thursday, I had very little experience with rubber-tracked machines other than occasionally running one for a few minutes. People tell me that rubber tracked machines get a lot of work done, but will be much more expensive to operate than a wheeled machine.

Before I forget, it is my understanding that Cat has been gradually increasing its ownership of ASV. Cat now owns 24%, I understand. That is why you see the sharing of components.

I ran a Cat 277 for the first time on Thursday. This was the first time that I spent much time running a rubber tracked machine. I fell in love with it. It was really smooth to operate. Both the ride as well as the controls were smooth. Plus, the machine felt much smaller than it really is. I was using the 277 for a while and then realized...Hey, I feel really comfortable on this thing but I'm not accustomed to its larger physical dimensions or its hand controls! That made an impression on me.

Regarding track wear, I haven't heard a lot about one brand versus another. The Cat 277 that I ran had a little over 700 hours on it. It was a unit from a Cat Rental Store. The tracks obviously didn't have much love, but they were far from worn out.

By the way, I talked to a contractor on Thursday who now owns his third Cat rubber-tracked machine. He said that he wouldn't go back to wheels. I watched him run the machine, he was a good, smooth operator. He gets good life out of his tracks, I'm sure.

I have read articles in two construction equipment magazines on rubber tracked machines in the last six months. Both articles said that the cost per hour for a wheeled skid steer will be about $1/hr. Rubber tracked machines will be about $3-4/hr. Big difference, but...

There are some elements which are very difficult to determine, like:
* How does a wheeled machine compare to a tracked machine in the same jobsite conditions? The tracked machines will typically get a lot more done and get stuck a lot less.
* How many working days will a wheeled machine complete versus a tracked machine due to wet weather? There are some days that you have to leave a wheeled machine parked.

People I have talked to say that if you are doing dirt work, buy the tracked machine. You may also want to look into the Loegering Versa-Track which allows you to convert a wheel machine to a rubber tracked machine. Pretty slick system.

Sorry that I can't tell you much about the Bobcat track life. I ran a Bobcat T200 and didn't like it. Too rough riding and I couldn't get comfortable with it. Cat and ASV really have an advantage with the suspended track.

Here are some more rubber-tracked options:
Takeuchi, Gehl, & Mustang are all the same rubber tracked machine except for paint and the dealer. Deere, Case, and New Holland have brand-new tracked machines that should be hitting showrooms about any time.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #7  
Thomas also has a large track unit out. Very nice and impressive. We just got on in the other day and was very impressed. Check it out....

Thomas T320
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #8  
Sorry to say this bluntly, but you're going to have to test them to see how performance goes. You won't find exact stability ratings, for example, and would have to test the machines on slopes that simulate your own to see how each reacts.

Do remember that Cat/ASV and Bobcat are not the only CTL manufacturers out there anymore. Case, NH, Deere, and JCB are all others in the market, and each of them have excellent selling points as well. Given the conditions you mentioned, I'd take a Bobcat or a Case over the others -- INCLUDING Cat and ASV. Simple matter of preference. As far as track life goes, if you're going to be roughing them up, no tracks will last an extremely long time. Rocky underfoot is a precursor to fast-wearing tracks, whether they're rubber with Kevlar or rubber on steel.

To the suggestion about the T320: innovative concept, and should definitely be interesting to see how it holds up.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #9  
My rep says they have a demo unit down in FL working in the sugar sand, which he said is pretty abrassive, with over 5,000 hours and still on the same set of tracks. I think they really thought outside the box and designed a track unit that will last for a good long while.
 
   / CAT vs Bobcat rubber track loader #10  
Bobcat has better specs but even better than that is Takeuchi.I just got the lates Equipment Today and thy're comparing track loaders
 

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