I just purchased a 2005 BL570 and I have to say that I am impressed with the power. I was able to pick it up for $28,000 with 67 hrs on the clock. I was able to get a 24" bucket with it and I was sold a 16" bucket for $250. It is a very strong unit and I like that it will load a tri-axle, runs hydraulics up front and in the rear. I went to a local bobcat dealer and got a set of teeth for the bucket, but that is all I added so far. I have a Kubota
l3130 and this machine has alot more power. It also has the curved boom on the backhoe with a 12 ft dig depth. I don't go that deep but it is nice to be able to put the spoils a little bit further away and also get a little more digging in before it needs to be moved.
I am not worried about parts and service, most items are very common and not too hard to find. I was interested in getting a mini-ex and a skid but the cost always kept me from purchasing. I was looking at the Bobcat A300, but it was in the $40,000 and I wanted to get the ZHS435 and that was in the $50,000 range. For a lot less money I was able to get the power that these two machines have and alot of the benefits. It isn't perfect but for the cost I am glad that I picked it up. I will be selling my kubota in a couple of weeks, I have some lawns to put in and then I will put it up for sale, I can't afford two payments over the winter so one has to go. I mostly focus on hardscapes and I need a machine that could lift heavy pallets, move earth and dig. The BL 570 does it all and I am not a large company, so I can only operate one machine at a time. There are some things that I really like about the Kubota that I will miss but I have to go with the power.
Just FYI, I found my machine on Ingersol's web site under used equipment. I financed with them and I was able to get a really good rate on interest. They sold it to me as if the machine was new because of the hours and such so it helped out.
The only downside to this machine is that it is a lot more top heavy then the Kubota is. I have ballast in the tires of the Kubota so it feels very stable even on slopes where the IR does not. I play with the backhoe to change the center of gravity and it does much better, that and the 3 pt hitch is going to be missed once I sell the tractor. Overall I would IR over the kubota for FEL/ Backhoe work. The IR also can take an auger, hammer, compactor on the backhoe and I have already used a bobcat soil conditioner on the front of it and it worked well but I think I need more practice, I am more used to using a box blade and rake on the back of the tractor. It did a wonderful job getting the rocks out of the soil and it is an improvement over the box blade and rake but like I said I am not used to it. I also have the forks for the tractor and the IR did a great job lifting about 4000 lbs and the Kubota would be maxed out under 2000 lbs. If you are interested I think you will see some of the prices come down, mine was listed around 45,000 , but they just don't sell at those prices and in my situation they wanted to sell it to get it out of inventory. I was told they went for around 60,000 when new so I am very happy with a sticker that is almost half.
Walter
