Tire type for a Bobcat Toolcat

[Rolando]

Does anyone have an opinion about whether I should get Turf tires or R4's for a Toolcat? My land is flat, dry sand with very little underbrush. The trees are about 8 inches or less.

I will initially be pulling out small trees and clearing, then placing fill and grading to build a house. I will also be moving building materials around during the construction. R4's should be good for these uses.

But after the construction is finished, I will have grass to cut and to a lesser extent some additional selective clearing and tree removal.

R4's would give me better traction in the tree removal and fill work, but I also don't want to stress the grass while mowing. I don't know if the tire type will make that much difference with the Toolcat. Should I loose some traction for the initial work and play safe with the eventual mowing and get Turfs?

 

[BrianSouthernMD]

My Bobcat Toolcat has R4 tires on it, and they work in various terrain. From gravel pit to even using the Bobcat finish mower on the lawn, they do fine for me. I'd start with the R4s, and after you've done most of your dirt moving, you can always buy the turfs later if you have any concerns at all. But either tire choice would likely handle your tasks.

 

[yooperdave]

I have R4's. They work well on the turf. We will see how they do in the snow in a couple of months.

Yooper Dave

 

[odleefs]

I also opted for the R4 Industrials...less money, better looking, better wearing, more hardy and better traction; all the while, my lawn seems unaffected. An all around winner in my book!

 

[odleefs]

Any 235/75/15 tires fit the Toolcat! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Rip]

A slightly unrelated question for all you ToolCat owners....

I am seriously considering one of these and heard a few weeks ago that a new version (C ??) had just come out with several improvements such as lift arm geometry, etc. However the dealer had no new literature and the BobCat webb site seems same-old/same-old.

Anyone have the real scoop?

Thanks Rip

 

[Rolando]

Hi Rip,

The C Series started production on September 6, 2005. If you can verify that the unit you are buying was built after that date, then you're getting a C. All the factory stock of B Series units were shipped the first week of September. I'm sure others will chime in, but here are some questions about the C Series improvements that I've posed to the Bobcat Information Center together with their responses:

One of those improvements is a redesigned tilt linkage that will provide assisted leveling of the bucket and other attachments. Can you give me more information about how this feature will work and make it easier to level the bucket as you're raising the arm?

"The new geometry for the tilt linkage reduces the tilt angle througout the lifting curve so the load is fairly level to truck bed height (60"), but then tilts back more as the arm gets past mid-lift point. Thus, the operator does not need to roll out the attachment very much to keep the load level if desired. This is what we mean by assisted leveling. This is a benefit because a heavy pallet can be difficult to control if the operator does not have a lot of experience and has not acquired the "touch" necessary to keep a pallet level without making the machine bounce from the weight. Older versions of the Toolcat tilted back a great deal -up to 85 degrees at max lift vs. only 30 degrees for the C-series. A greater tilt angle is good for keeping dirt in the bucket when lifting, but it's difficult to keep a pallet load level."

I also understand that the lift capabilities and rollback force of the loader have been improved. Could you tell me what the new ratings are?

"The new rollback force is 2,500 lbs on the C-Series vs. 670 lbs for the older version. The lift capability improvement is simply the ability to lift a 2,000lb pallet to flat bed truck height (60") vs. 47" for the older Toolcats. The rated operating capacity is still 1500lbs, however."

Steve, another TBN'er ("odleefs"), posted more information on the improvements on this <font color="blue">Thread</font>.

If you want to read more about the Toolcat, here are some threads that have discussed the it:

<font color="blue">From a B3030HSDC to a Toolcat?</font>

<font color="blue">Bobcat Toolcat 5600 or Power Trac 1850 for 168 ac?</font>

We've also been talking to Muhammad about starting a forum for the Toolcat, since it doesn't really fit well into any other forum. Here's a <font color="blue">Thread</font> under the "Other Forums-News/Feedback" that I started to give others a chance to comment.

Rolando

 

[BrianSouthernMD]

Rip,
Right now limited dealer inventory of B-series Toolcats is available, OR you can order the C-series, which began production on September 7, 2005. You'll get a greater discount on the B-Series. There's a $4-5,000 price difference.

I bought a B-series Bobcat Toolcat 5600T all-wheel steer, axle-oscillating 4WD work machine in August and am very pleased. At least three active TBN members have purchased C-series units since then. We've posted details about the C-series improvements near end of this thread I began in the General Buying/Pricing/Comparisons forum: Bobcat Toolcat 5600T or Power Trac 1850 for 168 ac?

Depending on what your applications are, you might find the B-series will do everything you want, and even do some jobs better than a C! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif The C is must if you are using pallet forks to lift 2,000-lb. pallets off of five-foot high flatbed trucks, or need assisted leveling for certain bucket work. But the B-series has a greater degree range of attachment movement that makes some jobs like trench digging, stump removal or brush cutting easier.

Your dealer should have a sales rep to give you details available from Bobcat. But the C-series is very new and not much C inventory is sitting on dealer lots yet, since customer pre-orders are taking the initial units off the line. I strongly suggest you demo a Toolcat on your property for a few days, WITH multiple attachments. That sold me! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I'm sure you have lots of questions at this point, including on attachments. Please post and we'll be glad to share our experiences. I have 70 seat hours on my Toolcat now. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[odleefs]

Rip,
Rolando and Brian covered your question quite well, so I will not regurgitate. As Brian mentioned, the so-called "improvements" will not be considered so by all...depends on your activities and experience. I have been fortunate to have a lengthy demo on a B unit and this week take delivery on a C so I will compare and post ASAP.
Steve

 

[Rip]

Thanks guys.... I had only stumbled across a couple of the discussions on the ToolCat as I did not realize they were scattered around the site under so many topics.

In my case pallet forks will be one of my most used attachments, so a significant improvement in this regard would be welcome. I saw an article with a picture in Compact Equipment a while back where the boom was up and a grapple rake was rolled WAY back. Could not imagine ever having a need to roll anything that far back. Would be nice to see a couple of close-ups of the new lift arm geometry to see what they are doing now.

The BobCat web site does not seem to have been updated to reflect the new model at all. May be a week or so 'till I can get back down to local dealer to see if they have anything new on it either. Last two times I was there they did not have a ToolCat at all in stock.

I am always up to saving a buck when ever I can, but in this case the improvements sound like something I would regret not having. Too bad they bundle A/C with heat 'cause I really could use the latter for snow removal, but could live without A/C easily.

I, too, would welcome a ToolCat specific heading. I currently have a PowerTrac 1845 which is great for really steep terrain, but comes up a bit short in many loader related tasks with its fairly short reach and lift capacity. For example 1/2 pallet of concrete block is all it can handle and I have had to add a couple of adjustable one-way flow control valves to smooth out the overly touchy lift and roll-back controls when using forks on this machine.

If I do get a ToolCat, I may still keep the PowerTrac just for its steep terrain capability. That 40 degree slope rating is put to the test pretty regularly on my property. Does anyone know what the ToolCat is slope rated for?? Just curious.