paulsharvey
Elite Member
I can't share any specific complains, just that guys who had Bobcats, often for several cycles, opted to go Tako/Kub/Cat over the last few years, and i know two guys who specifically said "anything other than a bobcat".
Compact Track Loader, whos the best?
- Thread starter TheRealWorld
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airbiscuit
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- New Holland T2310 (40hp), Kubota L3010 GST, New Holland TC21DA *** Previously - Farmall H, 1941 John Deere B, Shibaura SD1500, John Deere 850, Bobcat 642, New Holland 1925
I don't know, but I'm wondering if you pay a premium for CAT?
OP
TheRealWorld
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Anyone out there, who might have an opinion is welcome to weigh in, Bobcat has some incentives at this time and I have been considering one.
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TheRealWorld
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I wonder also, I have not called a dealer yet as I am not sure what I want.
4570Man
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Probably 20 percent more than Kubota.
airbiscuit
Super Member
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- NW Wisconsin
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- New Holland T2310 (40hp), Kubota L3010 GST, New Holland TC21DA *** Previously - Farmall H, 1941 John Deere B, Shibaura SD1500, John Deere 850, Bobcat 642, New Holland 1925
Around here Kubota seems to be chasing the market pretty aggressively.
In my opinion, Bobcat quality has gone down significantly since the takeover by Dusan. We've owned two Bobcat mini excavators at work, and this will be our last. Going to Kubota or Takeuchi for the next mini. Went Kubota for the CTL, Bobcat wasn't even a consideration.
I'd suggest renting various machines and see which ones YOU like best. If you will be spending thousands of hours in the milk crate then pick one you like best.
I view CTL's as milk crate death traps. Skidsteers are milk crate death traps on a pogo stick. They have their uses but I prefer good operator visibility, operator comfort, good controls, good NVH, ease of egress and operator safety. The fundamental design of CTL's and SS's doesn't fit the bill.
My impressions on various late model 90~100HP CTL brands I've used:
Kubota - fuel efficient, spartan, better visibility, poor NVH, no ride control, under powered, better egress, lacks frame tie down and tow points, hard to clean track.
Bobcat - marginal fuel efficiency, better ride control, marginal visibility, decent power, poor egress, poor NVH, good operator controls, long term track and electrical control issues?
Deere - very poor fuel efficiency, high DEF use, ok ride control, good power, very poor visibility, poor operator controls, poor NVH, poor egress. Good service support.
With regards to other equipment I've always liked operating CAT and Case machines. CAT has good parts availability but are expensive. Forget Case for long term parts support.
I recently rented a Doosan 15tonne excavator and was really impressed. Very Fast hydraulics, very quiet cab, excellent operator controls, very good fuel economy. I'd serious look into trying a Doosan CTL if I was in the market for a CTL.
I tend to rent my equipment by the job and avoid the long term maintenance issues. If you need to float the machine to various job sites pay attention to the bogies, some machines are like wrestling a bear to clean and tie down.
I view CTL's as milk crate death traps. Skidsteers are milk crate death traps on a pogo stick. They have their uses but I prefer good operator visibility, operator comfort, good controls, good NVH, ease of egress and operator safety. The fundamental design of CTL's and SS's doesn't fit the bill.
My impressions on various late model 90~100HP CTL brands I've used:
Kubota - fuel efficient, spartan, better visibility, poor NVH, no ride control, under powered, better egress, lacks frame tie down and tow points, hard to clean track.
Bobcat - marginal fuel efficiency, better ride control, marginal visibility, decent power, poor egress, poor NVH, good operator controls, long term track and electrical control issues?
Deere - very poor fuel efficiency, high DEF use, ok ride control, good power, very poor visibility, poor operator controls, poor NVH, poor egress. Good service support.
With regards to other equipment I've always liked operating CAT and Case machines. CAT has good parts availability but are expensive. Forget Case for long term parts support.
I recently rented a Doosan 15tonne excavator and was really impressed. Very Fast hydraulics, very quiet cab, excellent operator controls, very good fuel economy. I'd serious look into trying a Doosan CTL if I was in the market for a CTL.
I tend to rent my equipment by the job and avoid the long term maintenance issues. If you need to float the machine to various job sites pay attention to the bogies, some machines are like wrestling a bear to clean and tie down.
paulsharvey
Elite Member
Another thought, depending on how much you are planning of each task, what some people call a skip loader (no idea where this name came from), or an industrial grade tractor (JD-210LE, or similar JCB, Case, New Holland). For grading; they are better than a standard CTL. For moving material, if there is distance involved they are faster than a CTL; 1 CY bucket, 5400 lbs lift capacity
paulsharvey
Elite Member
All I'm saying, $75,000+ is a lot of money in my world, so, make sure you aren't just following the crowd to a CTL, if it's not the best machine for you.
