Added a bobcat to the herd

[fatjay]

I'm building a garage, and the excavator guy seeing my ferguson to-30 with FEL said i could save $2500 if he could just pile hte dirt up and leave it. I said absolutely, I'll be happy to deal with it.

Then I realized a few years ago I moved 250 yards of dirt with that ferguson and it **** near killed me. The clutching, shifting, braking, no power steering, and the radiator blowing directly on my right foot pretty much cooked it. So I thought I should take a look at what other options I if I spent that $2500 on a machine. I searched and searched for a tractor with power steering and FEL and hydro, but none of them came even close to $2500. Then I found a bobcat for $3500. I offered the guy 3k and he took it, so now I'm the proud owner of a Bobcat M-600. All fresh fluids, cylinders repacked, perfect running and opperating. Has a slight oil leak somewhere that is indicated by some white smoke burning off the top of hte engine, but otherwise all movement is strong, all hydraulics are strong, I think I ended up with a good machine to do my dirt moving.

But boy does that foot/hand thing take some getting used to.

 

[shovelmike]

It looks like you did really well on the deal, prior to buying my tractor with loader I priced used Bobcats, and would have to give twice that for one in questionable condition.

 

[Jchonline]

ROPS/FOPS protection? Looks like a death machine without it!

 

[EddieWalker]

250 yards with that is going to wear you out, but there is a certain satisfaction of doing it yourself. How far are you moving the dirt and what are you doing with it ounce it's moved?

I've never spent more then a couple days on a skid steer and it's always wore me out. Pace yourself. Run it for 4 hours and then stop and rest up, then do it again a couple days later. Don't try to do it all at ounce, you will never make it and then it will be that much harder to finish it off.

 

[lilranch2001]

Yea, I second the ROP point.

If you are on any hills be careful, and even if you are on flat land, being a new operator with a skid steer can get squirrelly fast

 

[fatjay]

The previous owner needed to get into a low building for a job so he cut the ROPS off. I'm not keen on the missing ROPS, but I'm not sure I'm good enough to build one that would actually save me in a roll over scenario. My use case is all flat land, picking up dirt and moving it 50' to some low areas and grading it. I'm trying to get as much practice moving dirt around getting used to the controls. I feel like the hands and feet should be switched, where feet controls movement and hands control bucket.

There's a bit of play in the handles. I'm going to take them all apart and try and get that cleaned up. Also the foot pedal angles could use some adjusting. I'm going to pull it in the garage and take it apart and clean it up before putting it to use.

 

[kevin37b]

Never , ever mount or dismount without putting the bucket flat on the ground ! The pinch point is killer . When those first came out , a hog farmer north of us was killed , looking out the side and dropping the boom . Death machine .

 

[Big Barn]

Yea, I second the ROP point.

If you are on any hills be careful, and even if you are on flat land, being a new operator with a skid steer can get squirrelly fast

Even if the OP has no slopes the ROPS for skid steers provides protection from load spillage when the bucket is in raised position loading trucks.

 

[Big Barn]

I grew up on a Case Uniloader with hand controls. I would be lost on skidsteers with hand/foot controls. .

It’s probably an age thing. I am proficient with JD controls on excavators but an embarrassment using Cat.

 

[blacktruck]

What year and model is that? A long time ago I had one with a gas engine. I think I sent more time working on it then I ever did using it. It was an EPA disaster anywhere it went but if I found another I would probably buy it.

 

[fatjay]

It's a bobcat M600, i think 1976.

I have a backhoe and another loader, i know never to go under anything that's supported solely by haudralics. I also have no need to raise bucket full height, i'm not loading trucks. Maybe doing some snow stuff.

 

[blacktruck]

Wow, who would have thought a simple tool for moving dirt would have changed into what we see today. This is probably the same thing others thought when comparing the Model T to the cars that came forty years later. I don't recall what year mine was but I suspect just a little later than that. Probably mid eighties or so. It was a small one so it still had a gas engine. Thanks for the reply.

 

[fried1765]

ROPS/FOPS protection? Looks like a death machine without it!

Depends on where you live.
I could likely safely operate a skid steer without a ROPS forever.
Basically flat land, with no meaningful ditches.
I have removed the ROPS from my Kubota L48.

I am from a different era though.
Before seat belts.
Before bicycle helmets.
Before safety shoes, etc.
79 years.......and I am still here, with all my appendages as originally attached!

 

[blacktruck]

Depends on where you live.
I could likely safely operate a skid steer without a ROPS forever.
Basically flat land, with no meaningful ditches.
I have taken the ROPS off my Kubota L48.

I am from a different era though.
No seat belts.
No bicycle helmets.
No safety shoes, etc.
......and I am still here, wearing all my appendages!

I'll bet you even drank from a water hose in the yard and rode in the back of pick up trucks. What a tragic childhood you must have had. I am surprised you survived.

 

[Jchonline]

Everyone can “likely” do a bunch of things and not get injured. However if you ask those that actually were I am pretty sure they tell a different story. To each his own.

There is no harm in telling someone it might be a good idea to add some safety to a task. They can take it or leave it.

 

[lilranch2001]

To some people simple advise is a complete insult!

 

[Big Barn]

There is no harm in telling someone it might be a good idea to add some safety to a task. They can take it or leave it.

Agreed. In SOME cases it would be a disservice not to say something.

 

[4570Man]

Depends on where you live.
I could likely safely operate a skid steer without a ROPS forever.
Basically flat land, with no meaningful ditches.
I have removed the ROPS from my Kubota L48.

I am from a different era though.
Before seat belts.
Before bicycle helmets.
Before safety shoes, etc.
79 years.......and I am still here, with all my appendages as originally attached!

My 310 and M59 both had a FOPS and they’re both staying that way. One because they make hot summer time work way more comfortable. Two because I push quit a few dead trees and the FOPS is a huge safety benefit for doing that. I’m not that worried about rolling one but that possibility does exist.

 

[ddbackhoe]

It's a bobcat M600, i think 1976.

I have a backhoe and another loader, i know never to go under anything that's supported solely by haudralics. I also have no need to raise bucket full height, i'm not loading trucks. Maybe doing some snow stuff.

I would definitely add a ROPs/fops to the M600 to keep your parts out of the lift arms/pivot points. Some heavy wall 2-3 tube and a piece of plate dont cost as much as losing a finger or other body part.
Might find a scrap one too.
http://www.skidsteerforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54&frmView=ShowPost&PostID=17015

 

[Jim Nelson]

To get back on subject, the 1st skid steer I ever ran was a Bobcat,grading the inside floor areas of fairly small buildings at a sewer plant.I HATED that thing and avoided them for years then a buddy bought a new Cat and running it was as intuitive and natural feeling as any machine I've ever been on. I don't know if they ever changed their controls, and at this point don't care but that old bassackwards system was terrible.