Should I buy a new G-Series Toolcat 5600? Please help!

[MIToolcat]

Hello all!

I just became a member of this forum recently, but I've read most of the posts regarding the Toolcat 5600/5610 over the last several months. I truly believe that the TC is the best solution for my needs, but I've become more and more concerned about the TC's traction ability in snow and on moderate grades. I'm on several other forums, and I know that many of the posts you see are from owner's who are having problems with their units, and not the majority of owner's who don't have any complaints. I'm trying to keep this in perspective.

Last fall I moved into a new house on 10 acres in Southeast Michigan. The majority of the lot is wooded, and I have a 1,000' gravel driveway. I own a JD 2520 compact utility tractor which I keep at my cabin in Northern Michigan. Having much experience with the 2520, I know that it won't satisfy my list of requirements as well as the TC would. Here's a list of what I'm looking for the TC to do:

• Drive to the mailbox at the end of the drive to retrieve the mail
• Take full size garbage/recycleable containers to the end of the driveway
• Blow leaves using a hydraulic debris blower like the Buffalo Turbine
• Haul firewood from around the property to my wood shed
• Clear my driveway in the winter using a snowblower
• Clear snow around the garage/circle drive with a snowblade

What concerns me about the 1st two items and the last two items is the TC's ability to get through the snow. I've seen posts which seem to indicate that chains are required to do work in the snow, but I've also seen multiple youtube videos which has the TC blowing snow on relatively steep inclines without chains and without getting stuck. If I go ahead with the purchase I would be ordering the 27" R4 tires since my garage door height is barely 83". The garage door height is also one of the reasons I'd prefer not to have to use chains. If I'm lucky the TC will fit in the garage with the R4 tires without having to air-down the tires.

As far as blowing leaves go, this would be done in dry weather but for much of the work the TC would be running on my lawn. There is an area that has a relatively steep incline and I'm wondering what type of problem I'd have there.

The firewood hauling is probably the least of my concerns. The trails that run through my lot are hard-packed and I would be gathering firewood in the summer/fall. The TC would be running on the trails or the gravel driveway.

I'm looking at ordering the TC in the next week. I've already been informed by my dealer that if I order one now it'll be built in AUGUST!! There sure must be a demand for these things... I've checked every box on the order from with the exception of the 29" turf tires.

I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have. Obviously, many of the posts that are included here are for older machines. Do the newer units have a better traction control system? I just don't want to spend 55k and find out that the TC wont work as I need it to.

Please let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks!

Frank

 

[ovrszd]

Frank, are you seriously considering buying a $55K piece of equipment to do the things on your list????

If so,,, I am speechless. Go for it.

 

[murphy1244]

Save 35k and buy a Ventrac 4500. Do your list and more.

 

[MIToolcat]

Frank, are you seriously considering buying a $55K piece of equipment to do the things on your list????

If so,,, I am speechless. Go for it.

I am Richard. That's why I asked the question!

 

[Rustyiron]

^^^ Kinda what I was thinking. I think that they are real handy machines, although never done anything with one except look at it at an auction. To me it's a swiss army knife. It does a bunch of things but none of them really well, but if my budget would allow it I'd love to tool around my property with one for sure!!! Sounds like you need a nice building for it and all the $$ attachments first. Is this the TC with the loader boom, or the more "UTV" model? We expect pic's here and:welcome:

 

[ovrszd]

I am Richard. That's why I asked the question!

Then go for it. Who cares what kind of traction it gets.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

The G went into production in December. Has the Doosan motor and the traction control. After researching the traction control and owning a B series, I bought a 2014 F series that was built in October in one of the last batches. It still had the Kubota and was a few $$$k cheaper than the G series. The Doosan has a few more lb.ft. of torque but should be essentially the same as an F. If you don't want to wait, find an F. They are nice to have and can do some work easily (like you mentioned) but when I need really heavy work done, I use my skid or excavator.

 

[MIToolcat]

Save 35k and buy a Ventrac 4500. Do your list and more.

I've never checked into the Ventrac before. Can you get a cab for it? It sure gets cold on my 2520 and I swore the next piece of equipment I bought would have a cab!

^^^ Kinda what I was thinking. I think that they are real handy machines, although never done anything with one except look at it at an auction. To me it's a swiss army knife. It does a bunch of things but none of them really well, but if my budget would allow it I'd love to tool around my property with one for sure!!! Sounds like you need a nice building for it and all the $$ attachments first. Is this the TC with the loader boom, or the more "UTV" model? We expect pic's here and:welcome:

Yes, I see a lot of the swiss army knife reference on the TC and I'm okay with that. There's plenty of room in my garage for it, and I've got 2 of the attachments picked out. I don't want to start buying them until I'm satisfied that machine will do what I want it to! The one I'm interested in is the UTV type with a bed in back (as opposed to the 3-pt hitch on the 5610). Thanks for the welcome by the way!

The G went into production in December. Has the Doosan motor and the traction control. After researching the traction control and owning a B series, I bought a 2014 F series that was built in October in one of the last batches. It still had the Kubota and was a few $$$k cheaper than the G series. The Doosan has a few more lb.ft. of torque but should be essentially the same as an F. If you don't want to wait, find an F. They are nice to have and can do some work easily (like you mentioned) but when I need really heavy work done, I use my skid or excavator.

Thanks for the recommendation on the F-Series. I've looked extensively for one in the Michigan area and there are none to be found. Since you have a new F-series, what can you tell me about the 4wd system on the machine. From reading some of the posts here I'm worried about traction in snow and sand/mud. I know probably can't speak to the snow issue, but what about sand/mud? How does it handle going up an incline? Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SSdoxie]

The 5610 comes standard with Electronic Traction Control to keep at least 3 wheels turning. It is an option on the 5600. I see it is not listed on the Build & Quote section of their website, but ask dealer he can price it for you.

 

[kevinwak]

I had a friend who worked for a company subcontracted to the city of Edmonton plowing snow on sidewalks and running trails. He would complete his route, which was something like 60 kilometres of sidewalk/trail in an 8 hour work day. I am not sure what model he used, it was about 5 years ago.

 

[Tlysflys]

Frank,
I have a Ventrac 4200 (with a cab, rough cut mower and snow blower), a Toolcat F series (snow blower and angle broom, stump grinder, mower, and tree shear), a Kubota RTV 1100, and a Kubota M5040 (Cab, plow, FEL, mower, grapple).
For transporting stuff and going to the mailbox the RTV is clearly the most convenient - easy to drive, never get's stuck (has a manual differential lock), and goes 25 MPH.
For heavy snow, the tractor with the plow is fastest. The only issue is when we get a lot of snow, the snow banks become too high to pile snow to the side. But it never gets stuck and at times I had to use it to pull out the Ventrac and the Tollcat when they were stuck (Toolcat three times this winter, and Ventrac once)
The Toolcat with the snow blower is awesome. The only issue is that if you get one wheel off the road, it spins and the machine is stuck. Since you are getting a G-series, the HTC is a must and it may solve the issue as I have never had problems when all four wheels were on the road (admittedly I have no steep hills). But going to the mailbox in the Toolcat seems like an overkill and it only goes 18 MPH
The Ventrac is a very handy machine, very maneuverable and the snow blower is 5 feet so I can clear the narrow pass ways and close to the house. Again, the hydraulic drive is great but a problem when one wheel loses traction. Going to the mailbox is not ideal (not easy to switch into high gear and even then slow) and no loading bed.
The RTV is very useful, but no snow blower (there may be a way of powering one) but plows are readily available.
The bottom line is that if you are getting only one machine, then get the Toolcat but insist of getting the HTC and possibly a winch if you get stuck to pull pout the Toolcat (or use your Kubota, but the Toolcat is very heavy and it was a job to pull it out of the ditch even with my M5040)
Hope this helps.
TL



best -

 

[DEWFPO]

I have an '09 "D" series Toolcat. I plow and snow blow steep inclines (12% grades both paved and gravel) along with highly crowned and off camber driveways. I'm not sure which traction system mine has but it works very well. Once you get used to to you particular properties's peculiarities you drive it accordingly and you stay out of trouble. It is not a tracked tank but it will do many things very well. Mine does have better snow traction in 2 wheel steer but obviously better maneuverability in 4WS, so I switch between the two as conditions and needs dictate. The 72 inch snow blower makes quick time of a lot of snow and eats through anything I throw at it. The 84 inch snow blade cleans the drives in one fell swoop. I have 29 inch tires on mine and when the steep drives are very icy a few hundred pounds of weight (sand bags) in the back to balance out the weight of the 800 lb SB help noticeably. I have chains for it but have never needed to install them. Recently, Bobcat came out with the 3650. You may want to consider looking at it to see if it meets your needs as well.

DEWFPO

 

[MIToolcat]

Thanks to everyone who's replied. TL & DEWFPO, thanks for providing your firsthand experience with your TC's. That's exactly what I was hoping for.

I'd prefer just to have one machine to handle all of my needs. That's why I settled on the TC. Thanks for confirming that for me TL.

DEWFPO - I've looked at and driven a 3650. It's a great little vehicle, and on paper, it should do everything on my list. I'm just worried that it won't hold up over the years. The Bobcat 3650 is a sister vehicle to the Polaris Brutus HD PTO. I own a Polaris Ranger 800, and the 3650/Brutus are built on the same frame as my Ranger. The coils on the suspension are beefier on the 3650/Brutus, but the rest of the suspension is the same. This is all to say that I'm not satisfied that my Ranger, which I use as a toy, could handle 10 years as a work vehicle.

I think I'll try to find some reviews on the 3650 before I pull the trigger on the TC. Since production of the 3650/Brutus only began in 2013, there's not much information out there with owner's feedback. The OTD price I have on a 3650 with a snowblower & blade is 28k. It's very tempting...

Thanks again for your responses!

 

[trlbrkr]

I spent part of the day comparing my D to a demo G I have for the weekend. We still have a couple feet of snow and I was able to compare traction capabilities. After years of running my D with chains on the front tires I bought 4 studded snows and rims this year for a major confidence boost.
Yesterday I would get G stuck then turn on traction control and generally, but not always be able to keep climbing. Then I would try my D in same spot and be able to go same or further with it. The thinner snow tires do not float on snow like skid steer tires and it make's me wonder why Bobcat has not realized this and offer Toolcat with a thinner tire option?
The G has a slightly better ride,power attach, traction control ,extra controls on joystick and new motor is a little bit quieter than D. The ride quality interested me because the shocks look the same? So I checked it out online and they are same parts number 668831? Either they have been updated or mine have degraded in quality of ride?
Have not made up my mind on new machine but can say if you do buy a toolcat and have any trouble with traction during the winter do not hesitate to buy a set of studded snows with trailer rims.
My wife made 3 movies on iphone but when uploaded to site it said they were invalid?

 

[MIToolcat]

I spent part of the day comparing my D to a demo G I have for the weekend. We still have a couple feet of snow and I was able to compare traction capabilities. After years of running my D with chains on the front tires I bought 4 studded snows and rims this year for a major confidence boost.
Yesterday I would get G stuck then turn on traction control and generally, but not always be able to keep climbing. Then I would try my D in same spot and be able to go same or further with it. The thinner snow tires do not float on snow like skid steer tires and it make's me wonder why Bobcat has not realized this and offer Toolcat with a thinner tire option?
The G has a slightly better ride,power attach, traction control ,extra controls on joystick and new motor is a little bit quieter than D. The ride quality interested me because the shocks look the same? So I checked it out online and they are same parts number 668831? Either they have been updated or mine have degraded in quality of ride?
Have not made up my mind on new machine but can say if you do buy a toolcat and have any trouble with traction during the winter do not hesitate to buy a set of studded snows with trailer rims.
My wife made 3 movies on iphone but when uploaded to site it said they were invalid?

Thank you very much for the response. I wish one of the dealers around me had a G-Series that I could demo. Based on your report, it sounds like I'd be happy with a G as long as it had traction control and I go into the purchase knowing that I may have to add studded snow tires. Good luck with your decision on upgrading to a G TC.

Frank

 

[Xfaxman]

Frank, I can't help with traction in the snow, never driven in any, but it will haul the trash!

 

[Slummer]

No one has commented on your inquiry as to how well it handles sand/mud. With the weight of the Toolcat it certainly won't be as good as a side-by-side and if you got it bottomed out, you're looking for a tow but if you use common sense and stay where you have traction but are making some ruts -- will it handle it, churn it's way through or give up??? Comments please.

 

[Tlysflys]

No one has commented on your inquiry as to how well it handles sand/mud. With the weight of the Toolcat it certainly won't be as good as a side-by-side and if you got it bottomed out, you're looking for a tow but if you use common sense and stay where you have traction but are making some ruts -- will it handle it, churn it's way through or give up??? Comments please.

The only time I get stuck is if one wheel loses traction and spins while the other are stationary. The HTC should help though. (I am seriously considering upgrading to a G for that reason - just waiting for people to report their experience with HTC.) But I would give serious consideration to the 29 inch tiers to increase ground clearance.
TL

 

[Chicken Man]

I don't have much experience in the snow, but my 5600 has been a lifesaver here around the farm. Mine is a late A or early B model, I got it late 2004. I have a little over 3000 hrs on it. I mow with it, have a set of forks, and a bucket. It does what I need it for. The only drawback for me is the lift height, I wish it was more. I would love to have a new one, but I can't swing $50,000+ right now.

 

[Xfaxman]

Hello all!

I just became a member of this forum recently, but I've read most of the posts regarding the Toolcat 5600/5610 over the last several months. I truly believe that the TC is the best solution for my needs, but I've become more and more concerned about the TC's traction ability in snow and on moderate grades. --------------------

As far as blowing leaves go, this would be done in dry weather but for much of the work the TC would be running on my lawn. There is an area that has a relatively steep incline and I'm wondering what type of problem I'd have there.

No problem! The hanging chain shows true vertical.

-------------------------
I'm looking at ordering the TC in the next week. I've already been informed by my dealer that if I order one now it'll be built in AUGUST!! There sure must be a demand for these things... I've checked every box on the order from with the exception of the 29" turf tires.
------------------
Please let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks!

Frank

Did you order it?