Georgia Iron
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2012
- Messages
- 912
- Location
- USA - Georgia
- Occupation
- Concrete building slab and grading contractor
. the bobcat is well a bobcat. They are super reliable durable high quality simple machines that you can depend on with your life. Since we probably won't put too many hours on a second machine I would not be surprised if we keep it for 20 years with no problems. At the end of the day the bobcat hand foot controls are the superior way to control your machine. Although I feel I can keep up to the average bobcat driving speed with joysticks, if I'm in a hurry I can run circles around a joystick machine if I'm in the bobcat. Another reason we purchased hand foot is because I am apparently the only farmer in the county capable of learning how to drive a joystick machine. And me being the only person who knows how to drive the skid steer is problematic at best. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if they have some bugs to work out of the doosan engine that may temporarily effect their reliability.
Reading your comments makes me wonder. I know a grading contractor near me that has 4 tracked bobcat machines. 3 of them have turned into part machines. His comments to me were they had computer issues and that the security and drive systems were a pain once they got some hours on them. The cost for the new control panel parts was too high and the machines were eating the boards. He was looking for a work around so that he did not need to spend $1000.00's for harnesses and computer control crap.
I have not been in any foot control machine on the market, that can run circles around a high horsepower case joy stick machine. After diving my case, a foot control bobcat feels like a old slow goat. The case also has a great deal of quick fine control. Sorry don't mean to call you out, I have used both. I get so upset when I have to get a rental it can add hours to the job. Lately I have been on 4 jobs that the owners had there own skids. I was allowed use of them and I was contracted to build them a building pad. Leveling a building spot can be more than an average user can do. I always bring my own machine because we are 1! It is a special feeling to get called in to complete machine work when they could have done it them selves. I run high rates and don't cut my prices. But I can grade to within about 3\4s of an inch and I can save lots of concrete and also make sure it is thick enough which is important. I do not use lasers or gps. String lines and eye.
this may sound crazy but if one tire has a different pressure I know. It screws up my grading. I can almost run at max speed building a pad. I slow done when men are near but other than that it is balls out.
But my case now has 1400 hrs and the control boards have failed. It is easy enough to by pass the safeties on the older machines, but the danger use level goes way up and you loose the parking brake when you by pass the boards. Difference is mine is still making money and not collecting dust, but I wish I had time to put it down to fix.it.
Case machines are loud and I wear earplugs, but mostly due to the backup alarm.
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