Price Check What's it worth? Used Toolcat

[radman1]

Only at a Bobcat dealership. Enough to realize that they are great tools and that like all tools they work well for some things and shouldn't be used for others. Look at the Toolcat marketing materials. This tool is primarily aimed at and optomized for grounds maintenance not rough field work. That is not to say they don't handle rougher work but it doesn't seem to have been the focus of its design parameters. They are more closely related to utility vehicles than tractors or bulldozers. I'd love to have one but not as a replacement for a CUT.

I have had several CUTs and few skid loaders and still have JD 4520 and TC 5610. I will take the TC over branches and rocks but not the tractor. The belly of a CUT has no protection. Other than a few lines in the front fender wells, the TC is much more protected on the underside. A skid loader is more proteced than the TC. I take my TC 5610 with 3 pt to disk in pivot tracks, fill in ditches, shear trees, grapple trees, mow grass ect. Just trenched 2000' to lay a power line for one of my pivots 1 month ago. Unfortunately, my trencher does a 6" wide trench which is way wider than I need and went 4' deep. Took me 10-12 hours. I need to be careful lifting off center with the boom. I did twist it once while lifting with corner of tooth bucket on a culvert buried in the ground. My error. Lifted with the other corner to straighten it out. However, I have installed larger lift and tilt cylinders and can probably lift 3000 lbs.
The TC 5610 is much closer to a CUT than a utility vehicle. The ride is vastly smoother than a CUT. The JD CUT has better traction (r1 tires), will lift higher, more clearance and more pto power. I will agree, the front attachments for the TC are much more expensive than 3 pt attachments but the front attachments go on real easy and easy to observe compared to 3 pt. I paid almost as much for my well equipped, cabbed JD 4520 as I did for my nearly full loaded TC 5610. Depending on the task, I will choose the TC over the JD 4520.

 

[IslandTractor]

Nice summary of the differences Radman. The only thing I wonder about is your feeling that the toolcat would be better than a CUT in rough ground. I don't think of my CUT as particularly vulnerable underneath except for a few electrical connections on the side of the operator station that could easily be armored if necessary. Otherwise the low bits are the front differential, oil pan and rear differential all of which are pretty beefy. Maybe in rocks they would be vulnerable but stumps and ground would only impede progress rather than do damage.

Going back to the OP's question though I still think that a used cab CUT of similar vintage and power would be more economical especially if you include implements in the calculation. I'm surprised your JD CUT cost as much as a loaded Toolcat. Didn't know you could get up into the mid 40's for a CUT.

If the major tasks are snowblowing, ranch utility duties and mowing I could see that the Toolcat would be by far more comfortable and efficient but when brush clearing, ground engagement or rough and heavy FEL work comes into play the CUT moves to the front in my book. Obviously there is a lot of overlap in capabilities too and I do love the Toolcat's ability to bring a friend along.

 

[Spudgunner]

One significant difference between a (S)CUT and a TC is that you can't tow a TC. While this may not bother many, it bothers me because of the nature of the snow removal work I've done in the past (Mountain roads). If my TC dies in the narrow mountain roads that I clear and is untowable...that is a major, major cause of stress. My TC has never completely died in the middle of a narrow, mountain road (it did come close once); but it did croak once in a client's driveway.

There may be an Ok way to disconnect the wheels/hubs from the drivelines that would facilitate "free wheeling" for towing; however, I've not found it and neither has my dealer.

Again, this may not be a big deal for the great majority of TC owners.