Bobcat

FA L L 2 0 0 6
www.bobcat.com
Bobcat Excavators:
Valuable Construction,
Landscape and Rental
Machines
Options Increase
Equipment Productivity
and Comfort p.3
Owners Like
Features of New
K-Series Loaders p.6
Vol. 30, No. 4
Fall 2006
3-5
Our 30th Year!
6-8
9
10-12
14-18
19-21
22-23
24-25
26
27
28-29
30-31
Popular Options Increase
Comfort, Productivity and
Value of Bobcat Loaders
K-Series Owners Report
Bobcat Advantage
Construction
Buildings/Grounds
Landscape
Be Your Own Boss
Rental
Agriculture
Tracking Stolen Machines
New at Bobcat
WorkSaver is distributed by your local Bobcat
dealer as a complimentary publication throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. It
is published four times per year by Bobcat Company, P.O. Box 6000, West Fargo, ND 58078-6000.
Bobcat Company is one of the worldwide companies of Ingersoll-Rand. Bobcat® is a registered
trademark of Clark Equipment Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand.
Produced for Bobcat Company by Posel Communications, Inc. Editorial correspondence
should be directed to WorkSaver, Bobcat Company, P.O. Box 6000, West Fargo, ND 58078-6000.
Tel. 701/241-8705.
STAFF
Marketing Communication
Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Leroy Anderson
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Posel
Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knittig Design
Staff Photographer. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ernest Feland
© 2006 Bobcat Company. All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A.
ADDRESS CHANGES
Send the back cover area that includes your
name and address, along with your new address
to: WorkSaver Magazine, P.O. Box 6000, West
Fargo, ND 58078-6000
ABOUT THE COVER
A 435 Zero House Swing excavator is ideal for
many applications and jobsites. Many options
are available for Bobcat® loaders. K-Series
machines are a big hit with owners. Photos by
Ernest Feland.
Bobcat’s Pause
Keep Up-To-Date on www.bobcat.com
he world of Bobcat is constantly
changing—new products, attachments, applications—and the best way
to keep up is by regularly visiting our
website.
T
New Products
Innovation has set Bobcat apart
from others in the compact equipment
business for almost 50 years. Get all
the details about new products, such
as the 2300 utility vehicle, including
specs, applications and video.
attachment—can save time and make
money. View videos showing products
in action and read customer testimonials that focus on your market.
Market Focus
Training Resources
See how Bobcat products fit in a
dozen different market applications.
Learn how the right equipment combination—a Bobcat power unit and
Learn more about the entire lineup
of Bobcat training materials, as well as
sample each course online. Popular Options
Increase Comfort,
Productivity and Value
of Bobcat Loaders
he long list of standard features
built into Bobcat ® skid-steer,
compact track loaders and
all-wheel steer loaders—such as the
operator-friendly and ergonomic cab
for less confinement and fatigue; automatic shutdown protection feature
that monitors vital machine functions
to protect the value of the machine;
finger-tip auxiliary hydraulic controls
that make your attachment operation
comfortable, controllable and allow
attachment adjustments while driving; max and variable flow auxiliary
hydraulics for attachments that require
different flows, such as grapples and
combination buckets, trenchers and
planers; quick couplers with pressure
release for quick and smooth hydraulic
attachment changes; and industry-standard Bob-Tach™ attachment mounting
system that allows you to quickly and
T
easily change attachments in less than a
minute—make these machines a standout value. However, there are a wide
variety of optional Bobcat features to
make your loader an even better investment. They enable you to tailor your
machine to match the way you work.
“Bobcat offers more loader options
than any other manufacturer,” says
Kristen Gill, a marketing manager
with Bobcat Company. “In fact, some
of these, such as deluxe instrumentation, are exclusive to Bobcat loaders.”
Demand for these time- and worksaving options continues to increase.
“For many Bobcat owners and operators, their loader is their office. They
may spend eight hours or more a
day in the cab and they want to be
as comfortable and as productive as
possible. The various Bobcat options
enable them to achieve that goal. We
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
3
Advanced Control System
Selectable Joystick
Controls
even make it easier for the operator by
offering option packages that include
the most common combinations of
options.” Gill says. By offering option
packages like Bobcat’s Gold, Silver and
Bronze packages, it simplifies the purchase decision for the customer and
makes the buying process much easier
and less stressful. After purchasing
an option package, a customer usually doesn’t ever want to go without
those options again because they’ve
experienced the improvement in productivity and operator comfort the
options provide to their business.
She notes two more benefits of
outfitting Bobcat loaders with these
options. They can help retain good
operators and they can increase the
machine’s trade-in or resale value. For
example, the enclosed cab, heat and air
conditioning option is popular with
many customers because they know
that comfortable operators are more
productive operators. More productive operators are able to complete
more jobs in a week, which means
more dollars to the bottom line.
Here’s a look at some of the popular
Bobcat loader options.
Advanced Control System
No other compact equipment manufacturer offers this type of switchable
control system activated from the flip
of a switch on the dash inside the cab.
The rocker switch allows you to easily change between control patterns
so that you can maximize the performance of any operator.
“It’s a great choice if you’re a
contractor or rental manager with
operators who are used to different
control patterns,” Gill says. “With the
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WORKSAVER FALL 2006
Deluxe Instrumentation
ability to easily select between control patterns, the Advanced Control
System (ACS) ensures that all operators are able to use the pattern in which
they are most productive.”
Selectable Joystick
Controls
For low-effort control of all machine
work group functions with your hands,
choose Selectable Joystick Controls
(SJC). This system allows the operator
to select the preferred control pattern—ISO or “H”—to satisfy different
operators by pressing a dash-mounted
rocker switch. No other compact
loader manufacturer offers this kind of
control flexibility at the flip of a switch
on the dash inside the cab.
In addition to a standard-equipped
foot throttle (to increase engine speed
when needed), the SJC features
horsepower management which automatically matches the torque of the
hydrostatic drive to your work load
to minimize engine stalling in heavy
digging and pushing conditions. For
example, if an operator is loading a
bucket of dirt from a large pile and
engine rpm begins to decrease, horsepower management keeps the engine
running. This allows the operator time
to adjust the drive lever to keep moving
foward, which saves time and keeps the
operator more productive.
Another benefit of the SJC system
is the exclusive Speed Management
feature (see page 9). The major benefit
of Speed Management is that it allows
the operator to match travel speed to
the operation requirements for optimizing attachment performance and
even more precise control of machine
movements in tight areas. At the same
Enclosed Cab with Heat
and Air Conditioning
Ride Control
time, the amount of lifting ability and
auxiliary hydraulic flow to the attachment can remain constant.
An example of when speed management is useful is when using an
attachment like a trencher or soil
conditioner, where they need full
hydraulic flow to maintain optimum
attachment peformance but do not
require full travel speed. Speed management allows the operator to set a
lower travel speed while maintaining
full engine rpm for maximum attachment performance.
Deluxe Instrumentation
Panel
One of the many features of the
Deluxe Instrumentation Panel is the
keyless start security system, which
allows the owner to set a unique password before the engine can be started.
This feature is especially popular for
rental yards and customers who need
to leave a machine on a jobsite overnight because it minimizes the chance
of your machine being stolen. Plus,
you don’t have to worry about lost
keys. “In addition, insurance carriers
may offer up to a 15 percent discount
for this feature,” says Gill.
The deluxe instrument panel is designed to accept multiple passwords,
which allows the owner to know which
operator was using the machine at the
time a service warning occured. Deluxe
Instrumentation also provides Function
Lockouts so that an owner can lock
out certain machine functions to prevent misuse or damage. For example,
you may choose to lock out high flow
hydraulics so your operators do not
accidentally activate this function with
a non-high flow attachment.
Power Bob-Tach System
All Bobcat loaders have a system
that monitors and diagnoses engine
and hydraulic functions. In addition,
the Deluxe Instrumentation provides
digital readouts of engine and hydraulic performance as well as displays help
information and instructions for operating various attachments, all of which
can be viewed in your choice of seven
languages, including Spanish, French
and English. The multi-laguage feature
is valuable for contractors with multilingual employees because it helps
those employees communicate with
the machine and be more productive.
Enclosed Cab with Heat
and Air Conditioning
With this option you can operate
your Bobcat loader comfortably year
round in all kinds of weather. The
easy-to-reach temperature and fan
speed controls, and four 360 degree
vents allow you to adjust temperature
and direct hot and cold air as you
wish.
“By keeping operators comfortable,
this cab can give you a competitive
edge,” says Gill. “It helps reduce
fatigue, which can increase your
productivity and quality of work.
Operators are more likely to stay
loyal and be more productive for you
if they know you are interested in
providing them a comfortable work
environment.”
snow removal work where travel
speed is the primary concern. On average, colleges and universities have
about 300 acres to maintain. If they’ve
just completed a job at one end of the
campus, two-speed is a real time-saver
when driving back to the other side of
campus for the next job.
Two-Speed Travel
Power Bob-Tach
Ideal for saving time for long-haul
jobs and working on large acreages,
it boosts top travel speed from 6.9
mph in standard-range to 12 mph in
high-range. Two-speed travel comes
standard on the Bobcat A300 all-wheel
steer machine and is available on
Bobcat skid-steer loader models S220,
S250 and S300. Two-speed is designed
for anyone working on large acreage,
such as farms, ranches, universities
and cemetaries, for residential and
commercial construction projects and
With the Power Bob-Tach ™ attachment mounting system you can
hook-up and disengage non-hydraulic
attachments without leaving the cab.
Just push a button. If you change attachments frequently, this option can
save a lot of valuable time over the
course of a day, a week or a season.
For all the details on how these
and other options and accessories for
Bobcat loaders can improve your productivity and profitability, visit your
local Bobcat dealer. Make the Most of Bobcat Utility
Vehicles by Adding Options
etting the high mark in utility
vehicle versatility, the revolutionary four-wheel drive Bobcat®
2300 features the quick and easy
RapidLink ™ attachment system
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Ride Control
This dealer-installed kit features a
hydraulic accumulator in the loader lift
circuit that acts like a shock absorber
on vehicles. The result is a cushioned
ride that makes the ride smoother, and
reduces instances of spillage from a
bucket or pallet forks.
saving time and labor on jobs ranging
from moving dirt and rocks to cleaning
driveways and sidewalks.
Attachments
with easy-to-operate joystick control
• Utility bucket for handling such difor maximum performance from
verse materials as shelled corn, dry
the comfort of the operator area.
sand and landscaping bark.
Currently, the growing selection of
• Mower to cut grass on acreages, clear
attachments includes five choices for
weeds from large lots and spruce up
along fence lines.
• Pallet fork to carry palletized materials such as bags of livestock
supplement, wood pellets or crop
seed.
• Snow blade to make quick, easy
work of moving snow.
• Whisker push broom to replace
hand brooms for sweeping up paved
surfaces around barns, homes and
businesses. WORKSAVER FALL 2006
5
“The K-Series
machine is
much quieter”
—Dan Sinclair
Owners Give
Thumbs Up to New
K-Series Loaders
rom quieter operation and
smoother ride, to improved
durability and more lift height,
the new Bobcat® K-Series loaders offer
more value for your money than ever.
K-Series improvements appear on
all Bobcat loaders from the model S130
and larger.
The most obvious is the sound of
the cooling fan and the components
running it. In most operating conditions, it’s up to 30 percent quieter. This
reflects the new K-Series SmartFAN™,
which is now variable speed and hydraulically driven. It turns only as fast
as it needs to cool the loader.
The K-Series T180, T190, T250 and
T300 compact track loaders offer a
smoother ride thanks to an extra roller
in the undercarriage that also extends
the life of the track system.
A new dedicated charge pump on
the S150, S160, S175, S185, T180 and
T190—similar to that already used
on larger models—boosts hydraulic
power by 8 percent. This K-Force™
hydraulic system produces more
breakout force, lifting ability and
attachment torque to save time and
increase production.
The virtually maintenance-free
chaincase has been upgraded on the
large-frame K-Series loaders with
F
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WORKSAVER FALL 2006
the biggest, strongest drive chain
in the industry for even longer life.
Applications that see the most benefit
from this K-Series upgrade are those
adding weight to the drive system,
such as over-tire steel tracks and solid
or poly-filled tires.
Lift height of the K-Series largeframe vertical lift path loaders such as
the S250 and S300 skid-steer loaders,
the T300 compact track loader and the
A300 all-wheel steer loader has been
increased by 2 in. for easier loading
work, especially truck loading where
operators have additional clearance
over dump truck sides.
Reports from owners of the new
K-Series loaders shows that these
improvements are paying off in the
form of better machine performance
and operator comfort.
Comparing features
Dan Sinclair can vouch for the
advantages of the new K-Series
improvements. He operates Bobcat
compact track loaders for Rick Seward
Trucking, Ankeny, Iowa, where he
uses them for grading, backfilling
and loading trucks on residential and
commercial construction projects and
for clearing snow.
These loaders include older T190
and T300 compact track loaders as well
as a new K-Series T300 unit, purchased
from Capital City Equipment, Des
Moines, Iowa. Some days he spends
up to 12 hours in the cabs of these
machines.
“One of the first things I noticed
was the big difference in sound levels,” he says. “The K-Series machine
is much quieter. You’re not listening to
a fan buzzing at full rpm all day long.
Also, it’s easier to communicate with
truck drivers on our radios and to hear
my cell phone when it rings.”
The extra roller in the undercarriage
also adds to operator comfort. “Our
new T300 rides a lot smoother going
over rougher surfaces and curbs,”
Sinclair says. “You don’t notice the
bumps nearly as much.”
He also likes the increased lift
height. “We don’t have any difficulty
dumping into a tandem-axle dump
truck with our older T300. However,
the extra 2 in. of lift height with the
K-Series T300 makes loading even
easier.”
Impressive performance
William Segar, who owns All About
Dirt Excavating, Rogersville, Mo., had
operated a T190 compact track loader
and an A300 all-wheel steer loader
before buying his new K-Series T300
compact track loader.
“Even guys who run
bigger equipment
are impressed by
what it will do”
—William Segar
“During the demo I noticed right
off that it was quite a bit quieter,” says
Segar, who purchased the machine
from the G. W. Van Keppel Company,
Springfield, Mo. “It’s one of the rea-
sons I decided to buy it. A quieter
machine is not only more comfortable
to operate, but it makes it easier to hear
when talking on my cell phone.”
Since then Segar has found
more reasons to support his buying
decision.
“It rides considerably better than
the other track loader, especially in
rocky conditions and when crossing
asphalt roads.”
He’s not the only one who appreciates the performance of his K-Series
T300. “When I bring it on a jobsite,
even guys who run bigger equipment
are impressed by what it will do,”
Segar says. “That says a lot to me.”
tions with people on the ground.”
Productive hydraulic
power
Eight years after buying a Bobcat
751 skid-steer loader to start his
landscaping and excavating service
in Calgary, Alberta, Donavon Innes
replaced it this year with a Bobcat
K-Series S205 high-flow model from
Bobcat of Calgary.
“The machine’s
horsepower and
hydraulics work
great together”
A quieter work place
Danny Williams bought his KSeries T300 with high-flow hydraulics
to power a stump grinder for his
Mooresville, Ind., tree service business,
Williams Tree Company, LLC.
“The five rollers
instead of four
provide a better,
smoother ride”
—Danny Williams
Williams compares the ride of the
T300 with two other brands of compact track loaders that he has operated.
“The five rollers instead of four on my
machine provide a better, smoother
ride,” he says.
The improved lift height of the
T300, along with its vertical lift path
configuration, makes loading logs into
his 9-ft.-high trucks easy. “I can put
the nose of the machine right up next
to the truck wheels and load into the
middle of the box with no problem,”
Williams reports.
Noise level was a big concern when
he was comparing various brands
before buying his T300 from Bobcat of
Indy, Indianapolis, Ind.
“You don’t realize just how much
more quiet the T300 is until the fan
kicks in,” Williams says. “A quieter
machine is more comfortable to operate. It also helps make work more
efficient by improving communica-
—Donavon Innes
It meets both his need for more
performance and the requirement for
a machine small enough to work easily
and productively in between closelyspaced homes.
The speed and power of the S205
K-Force hydraulics pay off with increased efficiency, he reports. “The
machine’s horsepower and hydraulics
work great together,” Innes says. “I
can dig into a pile of dirt and load the
bucket in no time and the machine
doesn’t bog down when I’m pushing
dirt. It feels strong all the time.”
The increased attachment torque
provided by the new K-Series dedicated charge pump also pays off when
using his Bobcat auger and 36-in. bit
to drill tree planting holes in rocky
ground. “The bit turns very easily
and comfortably,” Innes says. “I plant
about 2,000 trees a year. So this is definitely a good feature.
“I’m really satisfied with my KSeries S205,” Innes says. “Before
buying it, I shopped around. That
made me even more comfortable
about buying a Bobcat loader.”
Better machines
Long-time Bobcat loader owner,
Rob Newell, Ossian, Ind., really liked
the two T190 G-Series compact track
loaders he used to own. His company,
Newell Construction Co., operated
them in repairing streets, curbs and
sidewalks. He likes his two new KSeries T190 machines even better.
“Bobcat loaders
keep getting better
and better”
—Rob Newell
“The comfort level is a lot nicer than
the previous models because the ride is
so much smoother on uneven surfaces,
whether concrete, asphalt, topsoil or
clay,” Newell says. “I didn’t believe
the extra roller in the undercarriage
would improve the ride very much,
but it made a big difference.”
This and other features on his
loaders, such as the enclosed heated
Rob Newell
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
7
and air conditioned cab and Power
Bob-Tach™ system for changing attachments without leaving the cab,
help boost productivity by reducing
operator fatigue.
So does the SmartFAN. “The cooling fan doesn’t run as loudly, which
makes it easy to converse with guys
outside the machine when I’m operating it,” he says. “I’m not hoarse at the
end of the day.”
The K-Force hydraulics are another
productivity booster. “They’re a big
plus when digging into a dirt pile or
cutting a grade,” Newell says.
He uses his two K-Series loaders,
purchased from Bobcat of Fort Wayne,
with various Bobcat attachments—
backhoe, combination bucket, utility
bucket, hydraulic breaker and sweeper.
Typically, he trades his loaders for
newer ones every three or four years.
“When new models and features
come out, I like to try them,” Newell
says. “Bobcat loaders keep getting better and better. The K-Series is just the
latest example.”
to designing and installing residential
and commercial landscapes, the Iowa
City, Iowa, company operates a nursery. The power of the S300 is used
around the nursery for lift-and-carry
work and drilling tree planting holes
and on landscape projects for handling
large limestone rocks when building
retaining walls. The smaller S185 fits
into backyards to tackle a variety of
landscaping work.
Equipped with a heated cab and
the hydraulic Power Bob-Tach system,
the two machines, purchased from
Bobcat of Iowa City, are used with an
auger, utility bucket, landscape rake
and tiller. For the really tight spaces,
crews rely on their Bobcat MT55 mini
track loader.
Satisfying the operators
Paul Dykstra, one of the partners in
the business, is impressed by the performance of his K-Series loaders. “It’s
amazing how much power they have
compared to our older machines of a
Iowa City Landscaping’s two KSeries Bobcat skid-steer loaders—an
S185 and an S300—replaced older machines of a different brand. In addition
“Everyone who
operates the
loaders is fired up
about them”
—Paul Dykstra
New K-Series features — Top left and right: Variable speed cooling fan rotates as
needed to match the machine’s operating temperatures. Bottom left: Austempered
ductile iron rollers on the larger compact track loaders. Bottom right: The best
chaincase design has been upgraded.
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WORKSAVER FALL 2006
similar size,” he says. “We’re satisfied
with the way they are working for us.
Everyone who operates the loaders is
fired up about them.”
Enhanced operation
The Bobcat equipment fleet at Gene
Fritzel Construction, Lawrence, Kans.,
includes three K-Series compact track
loaders—a T190 and a pair of T300s.
The firm also owns a G-Series T180
and two Bobcat compact excavators—a 337 and a 435.
“The K-Series
loaders are stellar
machines...Bobcat
engineers know
what they’re doing”
—Kiley Patterson
The company’s crews use the
equipment on apartment development
projects for a variety of construction
and landscaping jobs.
“The K-Series loaders are stellar
machines,” says Kiley Patterson, the
company’s superintendent. “They are
more refined.”
The refinements include much less
cooling fan noise. “They’re a lot quieter than our previous loaders,” he says.
“You don’t have to yell when you’re
operating the machine and talking to
guys on the ground. That’s a big thing
for us. With less noise, you feel much
better at the end of the day.”
The K-Force hydraulics are another
improvement he likes. “They operate
with a more fluid motion,” Patterson
says. “Bobcat engineers know what
they’re doing.”
The company buys its Bobcat
equipment from KC Bobcat, Olathe,
Kan. Patterson compares the Bobcat
loaders to several other brands that
the company has used or tried. “The
Bobcat machines, by far, out-perform
the competition.”
Learn more about how you can
profit from the many improved
features of the new K-Series Bobcat
loaders. Visit your local Bobcat dealer
today. THE BOBCAT ADVANTAGE
Boost Productivity with the
Ultimate in Travel Speed Control
How it works
ometimes success on the road
to higher profits depends less
on how fast you travel than on
how well you control your speed.
For example, trying to crowd too
much brush into the Brushcat® rotary
cutter or too much snow into a Bobcat®
snowblower by traveling too fast can
reduce the attachment’s efficiency and
increase the chance of stalling.
However, if you can operate your
Bobcat hydraulic attachment independent of the loader’s travel speed,
you can reduce the chance of stalling without sacrificing attachment
productivity. That’s the idea behind
the Speed Management feature of
the Bobcat Selectable Joystick Control
system.
“Designed for use with many Bobcat
attachments, Speed Management allows you to set the loader’s maximum
travel speed to achieve the sweet
spot—the speed where both the attachment and the loader perform
most efficiently,” says Mike Fitzgerald,
Bobcat loader product specialist.
No other manufacturer of compact
loaders offers Speed Management.
It’s available on Bobcat skid-steer and
compact track loaders equipped with
Selectable Joystick Controls (SJC) and
the A300 all-wheel steer loader.
S
Simply “dial in” your required travel
speed in small increments from 0 to 7
miles per hour. After selecting Speed
Management mode, you can set a number that represents a percentage of top
travel speed of nearly 7 mph. Say, for
instance, you dial in 50. “No matter
how far you move the joystick, the
loader won’t travel faster than around
3.5 mph, which is about 50 percent of
full speed,” Fitzgerald explains. “This
allows you to maintain maximum
driveline torque to power the wheels
or tracks and full hydraulic power to
operate your attachment at whatever
travel speed you select. This feature is
particularly useful when optimal attachment performance is required at a
slow travel speed, such as planing, tilling, trenching or using the wheel saw.”
More precise movements
Moving the joystick a given distance in Speed Management mode
results in a slower, smoother change
in speed, direction and steering of the
loader than moving it the same distance in standard mode. This makes
precise control of your machine’s
movements much easier. Rather than
having to continually hold the joystick
in the same exact position to maintain
a constant travel speed, you can now
achieve this same level of performance
at a full range of joystick motion.
“This can increase your productivity
where fine loader and attachment
movements are required, such as hooking up attachments, working in tight
areas, loading and unloading trucks or
placing pallets,” Fitzgerald says. “The
smoother you can operate the machine
the more productive you will be.
More benefits
Fitzgerald also points out that
whether you’re a new operator or
an experienced hand, you’ll also
enjoy other benefits with Speed
Management:
• It’s simple to operate.
• It decreases your fatigue at the end
of the day by reducing the amount
of joystick movement needed to
match the loader ’s speed to the
attachment.
• It can improve fuel consumption by
allowing you to finish a job faster.
See your Bobcat dealer for complete
details on all the benefits of the exclusive Speed Management feature. Speed Management helps improve attachment productivity.
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
9
CONSTRUCTION
Company Prospers
with Versatile Bobcat
Equipment
Doc McGee
or nearly 35 years, Bobcat ®
compact equipment has helped
McGee Brothers expand its
construction business from its beginning in the brick and mortar industry
to grading, excavating and site preparation applications.
Today, the Monroe, N.C., company,
which has about 1,400 employees,
owns more than 75 pieces of Bobcat
compact equipment, including skidsteer and compact track loaders, compact excavators and attachments.
“We’ve had a lot of growth in the
last 35-plus years,” says Doc McGee,
son of McGee Brothers founder Sam
McGee. “We started out laying brick,
and as that grew some of our customers wanted us to dig their footings.
Then, the same customers came
back to us and said, ‘It looks like you
do a good job digging footings and
foundations, we need you to do some
concrete work,’ so we’ve gotten into
that business, too.”
Doc McGee got an early taste of
compact equipment on a Bobcat
M-610 loader. Through the years
since that first loader, the company
operated the 700 Series machines,
and then temporarily switched to
another brand of skid-steer loader
before returning to the Bobcat brand.
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WORKSAVER FALL 2006
McGee says they experimented with
another loader brand simply because
the supplier offered a long wheelbase
machine with a vertical lift path and
Bobcat did not have anything similar
at the time. Shortly thereafter, Bobcat
introduced its own long wheelbase
machine, and McGee was back to
operating Bobcat loaders again.
Today, McGee Brothers runs the
newest line of Bobcat loaders—the
K-Series. The company purchased
some of the first K-Series machines
in the area from Bobcat of Monroe
and could not be happier with their
performance.
“We have noticed a lot less vibration in the K-Series than we did with
the previous machines,” McGee says.
“When we took delivery, we noticed
immediately when we carried brick
that they vibrated less and kept the
brick pallets intact.”
Bobcat attachments, such as fourin-one combination buckets and
hydraulic pallet forks, have enabled
McGee and his many crews to maximize the versatility of the loaders.
“We’ve switched in the last two
years to Bobcat hydraulic pallet forks
for our masonry operators,” McGee
says. “The operator never gets out of
his seat. If he picks up bricks and the
forks need to be eight inches apart, he
pushes a button and moves them together. The Bobcat hydraulic pallet
forks are one of the best tools that we
have because they save the operator the
time used getting off the machine.”
Downsizing equipment
McGee’s crews previously used
rubber-tire backhoe loaders to dig
footings but recently switched to
Bobcat compact excavators for their
size advantages and attachment
offerings.
“The lots are getting tighter and
tighter, so we’re going with compact
excavators,” McGee says. “We started
with 331s, phased those out for 334s,
and now we’re running a 430 and
435s in quite a few applications.” The
Bobcat 430 and 435 excavators feature
Zero House Swing (ZHS), making
them an ideal solution for projects in
tight quarters, and for digging and
placing spoil without repositioning
the machine.
“The Zero House Swing is an important feature in our business,“ says
McGee. “You don’t have to worry
about the tail of the machine. You
won’t swing the machine and beat up
the excavator’s house or the building
you’re working next to.”
McGee says he likes the Bobcat
430 and 435 units better because they
aren’t as heavy as a traditional backhoe loader, and the excavators work
a lot faster. He says he can pull them
with the same trailer as his loaders,
which saves him money in transportation costs.
McGee purchases Bobcat compact
excavators with trenching buckets
and the long arm option for the extra
foot of dig depth. “A lot of people say,
‘What’s another 12 or 14 inches going
to do for you?’ but if you’ve never run
a machine you won’t understand it.”
He says sometimes you simply need
another 12 inches of reach to finish
an area.
Getting around the jobsite with
the Bobcat FastTrack™ drive system
is a real timesaver, says McGee. “The
FastTrack option makes it so you can
get around a jobsite quicker and easier. I have one myself with my name
on it. It is my personal machine.”
Bobcat equipment has certainly
enabled McGee Brothers to become a
premier contractor in North Carolina.
The machines’ versatility, durability
and compact size give Doc McGee
and his operators the tools they need
to succeed. “You buy a piece of equipment to take the work out of the job.
It makes the job easier.” Doing Business in
the Backyard
here is plenty of work in backyards—if you have the right
equipment.
Consider the case of Wayne
Jesionowski, Harvard, Ill. Three years
ago, after retiring from a long career
as a construction equipment mechanic, he went into business for himself,
establishing Wayne’s Underground,
Inc. He purchased a Bobcat® MT50
mini track loader and a dump truck.
He and his son, Wayne, Jr., provide
light excavating and hauling services
for homeowners and home construction contractors.
Their money-making mini track
loader enables them to quickly and
efficiently handle a wide variety of
jobs, whether using an auger to dig
holes for deck piers and fence posts or
using a bucket to excavate for patios,
T
sidewalks and above-ground swimming pools and to carry and load dirt,
sand and pea gravel.
“It’s the one machine for everything we need,” says Jesionowski. He
based his selection of the mini track
loader on four criteria. He wanted
a machine that would fit easily into
backyards, offered the power and durability of a diesel engine, provided
the lift height to load into his dump
truck and minimized damage to existing lawns. The Bobcat unit was the
only choice that fit the bill, he says.
“When I saw that machine, it
wowed me,” he says. “I like every
thing about it—from its size and
power to its ease of operation and
two-speed travel.”
Homeowners like the turf-friendly
rubber tracks. “They can’t believe
Wayne Jesionowski and his son use their Bobcat mini track loader to complete
jobs quickly and efficiently.
It Pays to
Buy Bobcat
ayne Jesionowski and
his son, Wayne, Jr., have
checked out the quality and
prices of after-market attachments for their Bobcat® MT50
mini-track loader. “We agree
that Bobcat attachments are
worth the little extra price because they’re made specifically
for the loader,” he says. “Plus,
our dealer has them in stock
or can get them in a very short
time.” W
that we’re able to excavate dirt or
bring in five yards of gravel without
leaving ruts or other damage to the
lawn,” Jesionowski says.
Contractors like the mini track
loader’s productivity. For example,
soils in the area range from soft, black
dirt to hard-digging rocky,
sandy material. “On some sites
it can take several hours to dig
one hole for a deck pier,” he
says. “Rather than waste time,
they’ll hire me to dig as few as
two holes because they know
that the mini track loader can
dig them quickly. Other times,
I may dig 30 or more holes on
a project.”
Jesionowski also likes
the service provided by his
dealer, Bobcat of Rockford.
“They’re very knowledgeable about their products and
they are willing to bend over
backwards to help me. That’s
very important.”
This kind of support plus
the performance and reliability of the mini track machine
adds up to a very pleased
Bobcat owner. “No doubt
about it,” says Jesionowski.
“I’m 110 percent satisfied
with it.” WORKSAVER FALL 2006
11
CONSTRUCTION
Bobcat System Improves
Remodeler’s Efficiency
ustom homebuilder and
remodeler Steve Fabrizio
of Duxbury, Mass., uses his
Bobcat ® equipment nearly every
day on residential jobsites. After
purchasing his first Bobcat 843 skidsteer loader 12 years ago, Fabrizio
appreciates the versatility and power
his Bobcat machines provide on construction sites.
“Twelve years ago when I bought
my first machine, my dad said
‘What are you ever going to do with
a Bobcat loader?’ ” says Fabrizio.
“Now, I don’t know what I would
ever do without one.” Steve’s dad,
Albert Fabrizio, is second in the family-owned, third generation business,
which was started by the grandfather, George Fabrizio.
During a recent home remodeling
and construction project that Steve
and his crews worked at more than
two years, they used an S250 skidsteer loader and 334 compact
excavator almost daily. With the 334
compact excavator, he tore down an
old cottage that sat on part of the
property that overlooks the Atlantic
Ocean. Once the old home was destroyed, Fabrizio dug the foundation
for a new home with the 334. Next to
the new construction project was a
significant remodeling job where
more Fabrizio employees are working. When everything is done,
Fabrizio says the value of the two
homes with a pool and landscaping
will be several million dollars.
“Because of the tight spaces, we
have to go around that building and
this building, and just can’t do it with
anything bigger,” he says. Fabrizio
says his larger excavating equipment
works fine for areas where it has
space to dig, but when the conditions
are tight, he uses his Bobcat compact
excavator.
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12
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
Hydraulic clamp
surpasses expectations
Using a hydraulic clamp with a
bucket attachment, he lifted sections
of walls, broke them into smaller pieces, and placed them in a Dumpster.
“When they’re in the Dumpster I
crunch them even more. I can get
more space in the Dumpster using
the clamp, too. That saved me some
money in Dumpster fees,” he says.
In addition to the demolition and
excavating applications, Fabrizio
uses the 334 and hydraulic clamp
for landscaping applications such
as placing stone walls with precision. He says one of the reasons he
purchased the Bobcat machine was
because it had the hydraulic clamp
which he uses to pick up decorative
rock and place it carefully in its resting spot. “We pick up a lot of rocks
and move a lot of things. I wouldn’t
buy a machine without a clamp,”
he says.
After trying competitive compact
excavators, Fabrizio was sold on the
Bobcat 334. He says he noticed better digging performances and faster
cycle times from his 334. Fabrizio
also preferred the joystick mounted
hydraulic clamp controls the Bobcat
machine offered versus competitive
models where he was required to
use his feet to control the clamp’s
movement.
Steve Fabrizio
843 goes the distance
The first Bobcat skid-steer loader
that Fabrizio purchased was an 843
that he operated for 11 years in his
residential construction business.
The 843 proved its value one winter
when a snowstorm hit the area. He
says during a 36-hour storm, his
loader ran through two bucket attachments as he plowed the snow.
Before buying his most recent S250
machine from Bobcat of Boston, he
looked at other brands to ensure he
was making a good decision. He
decided that Bobcat was a better
machine because of its durability to
run 365 days-a-year, and with overthe-tire steel tracks, his crews can
continue working when the ground
conditions are wet and muddy.
With its enclosed cab with heat
and air conditioning, he appreciates
the comfort while he’s operating the
loader, especially when it’s raining
and he doesn’t get wet. He uses the
S250 with a bucket for excavating
and doing clean-up on the jobsite,
and the pallet forks for unloading
trucks.
All of the Fabrizio employees and
landscaping sub-contractors prefer
the Bobcat models instead of the
other brands. He says everybody
seems to like the Bobcat equipment
a lot better than other machines
they’ve tried over the years.
The Fabrizio success is
likely to continue as Steve’s
five-year-old son, Stephen,
already loves his dad’s
Bobcat loader and excavator. Steve says he hopes his
son will continue the company’s lineage as the 4th
generation in the construction industry. BUILDINGS/GROUNDS
Bobcat Attachments:
The Fast and Easy
Way to Clear Snow
hen it comes to removing snow, no compact equipment manufacturer makes it easier than Bobcat. Choose from the industry’s widest
selection of snow removal attachments to handle just about any type
of job that requires clearing snow and ice quickly and efficiently. Mounted
on a Bobcat® loader, Toolcat™ utility work machine, 2300 utility vehicle, or
VersaHandler® telescopic tool carrier, Bobcat attachments are built tough to
handle everything from fluffy flakes to brutal blizzards.
Depending on the type and size of your Bobcat power unit, the choices of
attachments include:
W
Angle broom
Perfect for light snowfalls, it
sweeps flush to a curb or wall. Adjust
the sweeping angle hydraulically using finger-tip controls or manually,
depending on model. Other features
include a high-torque motor and
a quick-change design for fast replacement of polypropylene or steel
bristles. Choose from three widths.
Light material bucket
This large capacity bucket is designed for loading and handling snow
efficiently. It features a high back to
help with pushing snow and straight
sides to penetrate snow piles.
For more information: www.bobcat.com/snow
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WORKSAVER FALL 2006
Scraper
This rugged attachment slides
along the surface to make easy work
of clearing hard-packed snow and
ice from sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other high-traffic areas.
The self-sharpening cutting edge
enhances performance.
Snow blade
Here’s the ideal way to quickly
clear light or moderate snowfalls
from driveways and sidewalks. The
versatile moldboard angles hydraulically 30 degrees left or right. Features
include a spring trip mechanism to
protect components, adjustable depth
shoes, high visibility corner masts
and durable, high-carbon steel or optional rubber cutting edge. Available
end wing kit for 7-ft. and 8-ft. models
converts it to a high-production snow
pusher.
Use New Utility Vehicle For
Cost-Effective Snow Removal
ith its removable RapidLink™
lift arm, the unique and versatile Bobcat® four-wheel drive
2300 utility vehicle is more than a
great off-road passenger and cargo
hauler. Equipped with a variety of
Bobcat attachments, it saves time
and labor year round on buildings
and grounds maintenance jobs as
well as farm and ranch work. That
includes the winter, when it gives
you yet another option for cost-effective snow removal work.
Use the 2300 with the whisker push broom to clear light
snowfalls up to 30
W
times faster than a hand broom.
To clear away deeper snow, use
the hydraulically-angled snow
blade.
Joystick controls and the exclusive RapidLink lift arm make it
easy to line up and mount attachments. Snow pusher
Collect and push snow big time
from parking lots and larger areas
with this multi-function attachment.
The floating blade, which follows the
ground contours as it oscillates right
and left, is designed to get all the
snow. The flotation feature extends
the snow pusher’s skid-shoe life by
limiting excessive down-pressure on
uneven surfaces. Or, you can override
these functions to keep the blade in
a fixed position when clearing hardpacked snow or ice. Choose 8 or 10
ft. widths and standard rubber or
dealer-installed polyurethane cutting edge.
Snow V-blade
Use this versatile attachment to
save time and labor five ways—as a
V-blade to clear a path through deep
snow; as a scoop blade to scoop, push
or pile snow; a straight blade to pile
large amounts of snow; and as an
angle blade to push snow to the right
or left. Available in five widths, the
blade comes standard with reversible high-carbon steel cutting edge
or optional rubber cutting edge. The
Bobcat attachment control kit lets you
adjust blade configurations on the go
with finger-tip controls.
Snowblower
Send the snow flying from sidewalks, driveways and parking lots.
Powerful direct-drive hydraulic
motors for the fan and auger eliminate high-wear components such
as gearboxes and shear pins and
blow snow as far as 40 ft., depending on model. Chain and sprocket
system for rotating the chute means
no loose, tangled and frozen cables.
Valve block minimizes reduction
of hydraulic pressure and number
of hydraulic hoses and elbows. The
Bobcat attachment control kit allows
finger-tip control of starting and stopping the auger and fan, rotating the
chute and adjusting the angle of the
chute deflector.
Spreader (Loaders)
Spread sand and salt fast over
sidewalks, driveways, alleys and
parking lots. To save even more
time, the hopper can be loaded from
the back of a dump truck. Use the
variable speed motor to adjust the
spreading pattern from 4 to 40 ft. and
a rotary dial mounted in the cab to
control speed of the spinner wheel.
Weather-tight enclosure protects the
spreader motor from the elements.
Spreader (Toolcat 5600)
Mount a snowblower on the front
and the spreader in back to remove
snow and spread sand/salt in one
pass.
Whisker push broom
Use this much faster and easier
alternative to hand brooms for
sweeping away light snow. This
simple, durable and efficient attachment cleans sidewalks, driveways,
loading docks and more as you drive
forward or backward. It’s great for
cleaning along curbs, walls and other
tight areas.
See your Bobcat dealer today to
learn all the details on how these
attachments can help you save time
and make money this winter. WORKSAVER FALL 2006
15
BUILDINGS/GROUNDS
Fast, Productive S250s
Out-Perform Pickup Trucks
hen it comes to clearing
snow, a pickup truck is
no match for a Bobcat ®
S250 skid-steer loader, says Paul
Gruttadauria, owner of Services for
All Seasons, a trucking and snow
removal company in Solon, Ohio.
The company uses plow-equipped
dump trucks and pickup trucks to
clear snow from industrial and commercial sites. However, the job of
W
removing snow from a large shopping mall and several apartment
complexes falls to four S250 loaders.
The rest of the year, the Bobcat loaders are used to load the company’s
fleet of dump trucks with soil and
mulch.
“Dollar for dollar, the Bobcat S250
is the best year-round investment we
can make,” says Gruttadauria. “Our
Bobcat loaders do more work in less
time than other equipment we’ve
used. I’m very satisfied with them.”
For example, at one time his crews
used four pickup trucks with plows
to remove snow from the parking
lot at a shopping plaza. Now, one
S250 and a snow pusher do the job
in less time. In another case, clearing
snow from a 32-building apartment
complex once required six hours and
four pickup trucks to complete. Now,
VersaHandler V518 Helps Snow
Removal Contractor
Exceed Expectations
fter 15 years in the snow removal business, Rick Johnson
and Matt Main know the
importance of meeting the demands
of their dozen or so commercial
clients.
The two owners of Mulch Mart
in Waukee, Iowa, rely on a team of
subcontractors and equipment to go
above and beyond their clients’ expectations. In addition to the skid-steer
loaders, pickup trucks and dump
trucks that head out to clear the parking lots and sidewalks, Johnson and
Main added a V518 VersaHandler®
telescopic tool carrier. That machine
serves two purposes—it helps plow
snow in the winter and load mulch
in the spring and summer.
Mulch Mart clears snow for some
of the most well-known commercial
businesses in the Des Moines area.
When it snows overnight, their customers don’t have to worry about
whether the plows showed up because they’ve usually come and gone
before their first employees arrive.
“Our customers want it perfect,”
A
16
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
Johnson says. “They want their sidewalks to be wet, and they want their
lots to be pushed so that they don’t
lose one parking spot.”
Johnson and Main rely on nearly
100 seasonal subcontractors who specialize in other work during warmer
months. “You might have a guy who
owns a concrete company who has
four or five Bobcat® skid-steer loaders
sitting there in the winter. So when
it snows, we call him and he likes it
because his machines are working,”
Main says. “He also makes his staff
happy because it gives them work to
do in the winter. It’s good for us and
good for them.”
Placing snow
The telescopic tool carrier goes out
on every snow removal job. Johnson
and Main added the V518 after diversifying in 2005 with the purchase
of a wholesale mulch business. With
the addition of the mulch store, they
knew they would be able to utilize
the telehandler year round.
Johnson and Main say they chose
Matt Main and Rick Johnson
a telehandler over a skid-steer loader
because they needed the power and
18-ft. reach to push snow on the large
commercial lots and unload heavy
pallets of mulch. “With skid-steer
loaders, you can only reach so high,”
Johnson says. The V518 enables operators to strategically place snow on
a jobsite and push back snow piles to
make room for new snow. In warm
weather months, it can easily pull out
heavy pallets of mulch from a semitrailer truck without needing a dock,
and fill dump trucks with bulk mulch
in less than half the time.
Snow removal challenges
A trend toward increased emphasis on landscaping has made snow
removal more challenging in recent
years. Before, there were many open
two of the S250s finish this work in
four hours.
Last winter, Gruttadauria tried the
new Bobcat snow pusher attachment.
With wings on each end, the 10-ft.wide blade allows snow to be pushed
straight ahead, reducing the amount
of snow that spills away at the ends
of the blade. As he discovered, the
oscillating blade improves snow removal on uneven surfaces. “Because
it can scrape the highest and lowest areas of asphalt, the attachment
cleans the surface much better (than
another brand of snow pusher),”
Gruttadauria says. Also, unlike a
plow, the Bobcat snow pusher can be
used to push snow up into a pile to
minimize snow storage space.
The two-speed transmission gives
his S250 loaders a productive edge,
too. Top speed is nearly 7 mph in
standard range and 12 mph in high
range. “The high range speed makes
a huge savings in time when clearing a big parking lot,” Gruttadauria
says.
He’s also equipped his S250
skid-steer loaders with the deluxe
instrument panel, which includes a
keyless start among other features. It
helps prevent unauthorized use of the
machine and allows him to track operating hours by operator and job.
During the winter, the S250 loaders are based at their individual
jobsites. “I pay the operators to drive
to the site using their own vehicles
instead of coming to the shop and
taking one of our trucks to the site,”
Gruttadauria says. “That way my
trucks can be out doing something
else.”
In addition to the reliable operation of his Bobcat loaders, he’s
also been impressed by the service
provided by his dealer, Bobcat of
Cleveland.
“You can buy anyone’s equipment.
But you don’t always get this kind of
service. That means a lot to me.” spaces on a commercial lot that snow
removal contractors could place
plowed snow. But that’s not so today.
Where there was once a flat piece of
ground where you could place a lot
of snow, there’s now a berm with
trees and bushes. “That’s where the
telehandler really shines because
you can dump the snow where it
really needs to go, which you cannot
do with most pieces of equipment,”
Johnson says. For example, instead
of pushing snow so it rests against
inline trees, Mulch Mart crews have
used the V518 to pick up snow and
dump it on the other side of the trees,
which prevents the weight of the
snow from damaging and bending
the trees’ small trunks.
Johnson and Main like the V518’s
maximum speed of 18.4 mph when
traveling from jobsite to jobsite, and
their crews appreciate the machine’s
enclosed cab with heat and air
conditioning. Another reason they
purchased the telehandler was because it packed a large amount of
power in a small package, enabling
crews to access areas they couldn’t
with another machine. For instance,
when needing to plow the top level of
a commercial parking ramp, Johnson
says crews can simply drive the V518
up the ramp without worrying about
ground clearance. “It can get into
a ramp and boom snow out off the
opening of the ramp,” he says.
to use a hand jack to bring the pallets
to the front of the semi-trailer truck
in order for a skid-steer loader to
then reach and unload them. Now,
with pallet forks attached to the
V518, crews can reach into the back
of a semi-trailer truck and easily
pull out pallets. “And the guys like
the crab-steer mode on the machine
because it allows them to get in just
close enough to the vehicle for precise
loading,” Main says.
Mulch Mart crews also save time
when loading bulk mulch into dump
trucks with the 31⁄4-cubic yard light
material bucket on the V518. Instead
of making 10 trips with a skid-steer
loader bucket, Johnson says crews
can fill a dump truck in less than
half the time with the high-volume
light material bucket because they
only need to make three trips to the
bulk pile.
Whether it’s winter or summer, the
V518 telescopic tool carrier is always
at work. That’s why Johnson and
Main both say there’s no denying that
the machine has been a sound investment that will help their businesses’
future growth.
“It’s a nice machine that probably
does more than what we expected
it to do,” Main says. “Once we got
it, we were like, ‘Wow, it does what
they told us it would do and then
some.’” Keeping Mulch Mart
efficient
Mulch Mart stocks more than a
dozen varieties of bagged mulch and
bulk mulch that are delivered from all
over the country. The store’s four fulltime employees use the
V518 to unload the palletized bags of mulch
when they arrive on
semi-trailer trucks. But
not having docks at
the mulch store made
unloading the pallets
labor-intensive and
time-consuming.
Prior to purchasing the
telehandler, Johnson
and Main say their
employees would have
The V518 is an outstanding snow-moving machine.
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
17
BUILDINGS/GROUNDS
Snow Removal Success Leads
to Landscaping Opportunities
or many Northern landscapers
the move into snow removal is
as natural as…falling snow. It’s
a great way for them to keep good
employees working the year round
and to maximize their investment
in equipment. And it can be quite
profitable.
Greg Dowe of Fall River, Nova
Scotia, took the opposite approach.
His company, Provincial Pavement
Markings, Inc., had been using
several Bobcat® skid-steer loaders
doing snow removal for the city of
Halifax. He noticed that there were
numerous landscapers working in
the area, but most didn’t have what
he had—a fleet of good equipment
and top-notch operators.
“I had three S130 loaders, along
with an S185, an S300 and a Toolcat™
5600 utility work machine,” says
Dowe. “They are the perfect fit for
landscaping.”
Dowe began his business eight
years ago doing pavement repair
and marking for the government. He
expanded into snow removal to keep
his employees busy in the winter.
“I received my first snow contracts
through some of the people I worked
with in the pavement business,” he
says. “That’s when I started buying
Bobcat equipment from Bobcat of
Halifax. I knew that to make it in
snow removal I needed the most reliable machines available. I checked
around and Bobcat was the name
F
Greg Dowe
18
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
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The Toolcat 5600 is fast and versatile in snow removal applications.
most often recommended.”
Dowe’s snow removal work in the
Halifax area included being part of a
test program.
“Previously a homeowner had
to take care of the sidewalk in front
of his house,” says Dowe. “The city
added an area tax to have the snow
removed by an outside company.
For a small fee homeowners get their
sidewalk cleared. They think it’s a
great idea.
“When I got the first contract to do
this type of work I had to purchase
the right equipment as required by
the city. I needed machines with
heated cabs that were at least 30 hp
and had a width of not more than 64
in. The units have to be capable of
plowing, moving snow in buckets,
blowing snow and spreading salt.
My Bobcat loaders and Toolcat 5600
are the ideal combination. I use them
with angle blades, buckets, snowblowers and salt spreaders.”
Dowe’s work includes removing
snow that has been dumped by the
road plows. “A couple of years ago
we had such a big snowstorm that
some sidewalks had snow piled as
high as 22 ft. It took a little longer,
but my Bobcat equipment got the
job done.”
He especially likes the 5600 utility
work machine for working in snow
removal applications.
“The Toolcat machine is fast and
versatile—an unbeatable combination when it comes to removing
snow,” says Dowe. “I like the cargo
box for hauling salt and supplies,
and the spreader for applying salt
to sidewalks. The utility work machine fits sidewalk work quite well.
It gives the illusion of being bigger
than it really is. I also use it to service
the loaders with fuel. Because of its
travel speed, the 5600 can complete
its snow work faster than the skidsteer loaders, allowing it to do double
duty at times.”
With the addition of landscaping
capabilities, Dowe is in position to
offer a complete menu of services
to his goverment and commercial
customers. “The versatility of Bobcat
equipment has helped make it possible.” LANDSCAPE
Greenhouse Grows with Bobcat
Equipment
ocated just north of Charlotte,
near the town of Huntersville,
N.C., is the world’s largest
heated greenhouse with 4.4 million
square feet situated on 110 acres of
land. Metrolina Greenhouses, Inc.,
produces millions of colorful annuals that will eventually find their
way to some of the nation’s largest
retail stores.
Metrolina Greenhouses has been
in business for 33 years, and for the
last 20 years, the Van Wingerden family, which owns the greenhouse, has
used Bobcat® equipment to add more
space to grow additional flowers.
“We do a lot of our own construction, and Bobcat equipment
has been one of the tools that has
helped us,” says Art Van Wingerden,
general manager and one of six Van
Wingerden family members employed at Metrolina Greenhouses.
In addition to Art, three brothers and
one sister work at the greenhouse:
Abe, Michael and Thomas Van
Wingerden and Helen Johnson, and
brother-in-law Joey Karaffa.
Van Wingerden says the company
uses its Bobcat compact loaders for
construction applications to level
the soil, dig ditches and fill them
back in. The machines are an instrumental part of the company’s new
construction endeavors as they work
in tandem with larger equipment to
move dirt and prepare the soil before
new concrete is poured.
L
Art Van Wingerden
Bobcat loaders are kept busy around Metrolina Greenhouses.
Today, the company owns eight
Bobcat compact loaders: four 753s
and two 853 skid-steer loaders; and
two T250 compact track loaders, including a new K-Series model.
“When you are on the job for eight
hours a day, you know the machine
is going to be there for you,” he says.
“You can do just about anything you
need to on the Bobcat compact loaders with attachments.
“They are
always there to
back us up.”
—Art Van Wingerden
“We have owned Bobcat loaders
for 20 years and we are very happy
with them,” Van Wingerden says.
“We bought our first compact track
loader five years ago and found it to
be ideal for leveling dirt. The compact track machines do a good job of
grading, leveling and carrying dirt
without disturbing the surface.”
Bobcat of Charlotte provides
Metrolina Greenhouses with excellent service, according to Van
Wingerden. “If we have a machine
that needs to be serviced, the dealer
is right there to give us a machine
to use until ours is ready. They are
always there to back us up.”
Family prefers utility
vehicles
The Van Wingerden family owns
four Bobcat 2200 utility vehicles that
are used daily at the sprawling greenhouse. Rather than driving pickup
trucks, they use the utility vehicles
to transport employees and supplies
quickly and efficiently.
“We used to drive trucks everywhere, but you don’t want to start
and stop a truck every time you need
to get somewhere. When you get
inside a pickup truck it’s hot. With
a utility vehicle, you don’t have to
worry about someone getting in a
truck and letting it cool down while
it sits. And you can’t drive pickup
trucks everywhere. We can get our
utility vehicles where we need them
to go, even over rough ground.
“We bought our first Bobcat 2200
last year to try it, and within a week
of buying one we bought a second
one. It helps us because we can throw
tools in the back of it and drive directly to the worksite.” WORKSAVER FALL 2006
19
LANDSCAPE
The T190 owned by Moe’s Contracting works in all ground conditions.
Expanded Bobcat
System Adds to
Versatility and Productivity
The 334 excavator helps Moe’s Contracting place boulders.
he addition of a mini track
loader gives a new dimension to an already productive
Bobcat System.
Typically, the Bobcat System
combines the speed and agility of a
loader—skid-steer, compact track or
all-wheel steer—and the 360-degree
house rotation, independent boom
swing and multi-function hydraulics
of an excavator. Add the industry’s
widest choice of attachments and
it’s easy to see how this potent
combination can out-work a tractorloader-backhoe when site access and
working space are limited.
For Moe’s Contracting, Lake
Shore, Minn., a Bobcat ® T190 KSeries compact track loader
and a Bobcat 334 excavator minimize wasted time
and motion on the job. The
rubber-tracked MT52 mini
track loader adds to their
productivity by eliminating
the need for hand tools and
labor in areas that are even
too small for the loader-excavator team.
T
20
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
“When we first bought it, I wasn’t
sure how much we’d use our MT52,”
says Dan Moe. “Now we use it almost
every day. It fits easily through small
gates and works on lawns without
tearing them up. We’ve driven it
across freshly-laid sod with a bucket
of mulch without making an indentation in the sod.”
Dan and his identical-twin sons,
Scott and Steve, use their Bobcat
equipment on residential and
commercial landscaping projects,
including construction of retaining
walls, driveways, sidewalks and
patios. They also use the machines
for brush clearing and snow removal
jobs.
Dan Moe and sons, Scott and Steve
A formidable team
The T190 replaced a 763 skid-steer
loader. It gives them the traction and
flotation to keep working efficiently
on wet, soft ground and on rough
terrain. The new K-Series features—
such as the SmartFAN,™ which results
in much quieter operation, an extra
roller on each side of the undercarriage, which produces a smoother
r i d e , a n d i n c re a s e d hydraulic
power—add to their productivity.
Their T190 also includes low-effort
joystick controls and an enclosed cab
with heat and air conditioning.
“We’re a lot less fatigued at the end
of a 10- or 12-hour day,” says Moe.
Bobcat attachments for the T190
include a grapple for picking up brush and debris,
a soil conditioner for preparing sites for seeding or
sodding and pallet forks
for unloading sod and
patio pavers. The Bobcat
Tilt-Tatch™ system, which
allows them to rotate the
bucket up or down 15 degrees, makes it easy to cut
ditches or slope ground away from
foundations.
The long-reach 334 excavator allows them to work quickly in tight
areas using a 24-in. trenching bucket
and hydraulic clamp. “That clamp
is perfect for picking up and placing
boulders when building retaining
walls,” says Moe.
Deploying all three machines as a
Bobcat System has proven to be one
smart way to tackle work.
The speed and convenience of
the MT52 mini track loader, plus the
power and flotation of the T190 compact track loader and the long-reach
of the 334 excavator make for one
versatile, productive Bobcat System.
“It’s much more efficient to use
them all together on a project,” says
Moe.
A good choice
As one example, Moe’s Contracting used its Bobcat System to help
renovate the grounds at a local resort. The project involved creating a
700-ft.-long meandering creek bed,
constructing a 200-ft.-long waterfall
feature and landscaping around the
cottages and other buildings. The
compact track loader and the excavator worked together to shape the
creek bed. In building the retaining
wall and water feature, the T190
hauled in boulders, which the 334
placed, and backfilled behind the
wall as it was built.
For the landscaping portion of
the job, the T190 prepared the site
for sod and hauled in landscaping
rock. At the same time, the MT52
made quick, easy work of hauling in
concrete planting bed edgers, placing landscaping rock and bringing
in mulch.
Moe, who started the business
five years ago, chose Bobcat based
on his experience in the construction
business. “It’s the most trusted name
in compact equipment,” he says.
“We’ve had two other Bobcat skidsteer loaders and have never lost any
time working with them. Bobcat was
always my first choice.” Landscaper
Beats the Rain
with Compact
Track Loader
n the landscaping business there
is nothing worse than losing a
workday because of wet and
muddy ground conditions. Lee Mann
has learned how to improve his
productivity in the traditionally wet
seasons with a compact track loader.
“We are probably 75 or 80 percent
more productive in the spring and
fall with our Bobcat® T190,” says the
owner of Lee Mann and Son Landscaping, Holbrook, Mass. Mann’s
company specializes in landscape
construction, including drainage,
transplanting trees and installing
lawns. He says that his compact
track loader has extended his working season later in the fall, right up
until the snow flies. And although
he’s equipped his Bobcat skid-steer
loaders with over-the-tire tracks in
the past, Mann says nothing beats
a dedicated compact track loader
when you’re working in the mud.
“It will crawl right through the
mud without making a mess, and it
has less of a chance of getting stuck,”
says Scott McDonald, an operator for
Lee Mann. In addition to the excellent
traction, Mann says he saves time
and money with his T190 because he
doesn’t need to place plywood on
jobsites where heavier equipment
leaves a bigger footprint. The T190
features just 5 psi of ground pressure
with 12.6-in. rubber tracks.
Mann’s crew employed the T190
on a residential construction jobsite
where the ground was sandy and required a machine with rubber tracks.
Mann says his T190’s compact size fit
underneath a house where he was
helping a colleague dig a new septic
system. “They couldn’t get any other
machine underneath the house,”
I
Lee Mann
Mann says. The T190’s compact
size and versatility made it a perfect
solution for the project. “We were
working in the sand and had good
traction,” he says.
When it comes to loading trucks,
Mann says he prefers the lift arm
style of his Bobcat T190 instead of
his radius lift path skid-steer loaders.
He says he can load his truck more
efficiently because of the vertical lift
path design of the T190, which can
reach further in his truck’s dump
bed, conveniently placing material
in the middle.
Comfort counts
Operator McDonald says that in
addition to the benefits of the rubber
track undercarriage, he appreciates
the enclosed cab with air conditioning.
He says the cab keeps him cool, comfortable and nearly dust-free as he
often puts in eight-hour days using the
soil conditioner attachment.
“Having the air conditioning helps
me work longer and keeps me more
comfortable,” says McDonald. “It
keeps the dust off me when it’s dry.
I feel better at the end of the day.”
Mann’s T190 is equipped with the
Bobcat Gold Package, which includes
the Power Bob-Tach™ attachment
mounting system and deluxe instrument panel. Operators can efficiently
change attachments for their compact loader with less time and effort
with the Power Bob-Tach system.
Mann says he saves time when he
switches from the pallet fork or landscape rake attachment to the bucket.
He says he also appreciates that his
employees don’t often need to exit
the cab to change the attachments
when it’s raining. WORKSAVER FALL 2006
21
B E YO U R O W N B O S S
Roger Cook
regularly appears
on “This Old House”
and “Ask This Old
House” television
programs. He
owns K&R Tree
and Landscape Co.,
Burlington, Mass.
Things I Have Learned Along the Way
By Roger Cook
Proposing Jobs in Phases
Divide Work to Benefit Clients and You
e sometimes wish clients
had the budgets to do
everything they want all
at once. That would sure make our
jobs easier. Unfortunately, almost no
one has the money to do the whole
job in one fell swoop, or even two
or three.
Usually when people build a
house, they focus first on the inside.
When it comes time to do the outside,
there is rarely enough money left to
do everything they originally wanted. Then you come in with plans and
estimates, and you’re faced with a
customer asking, “What can we cut?”
Or, you may come across clients who
have lived in a house for quite awhile,
but this is the first time they’ve gotten
a landscaping bid. Most people have
no idea what materials and labor cost,
so they may be expecting you to come
in with a $2,000 to $5,000 bid, and it
ends up being more like $10,000 to
$12,000. First-timers could experience
sticker shock.
Whatever you do, don’t walk
away from these jobs without first
considering options that can in the
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22
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
end be better for both you and clients.
It’s to your benefit to find a way to
get this work done. For example,
I’ve offered to complete a project to
a certain point and then let the customers plant their own perennials. Or
maybe I suggest seeding instead of
using sod. As long as customers are
realistic and respectful of your business, it usually works out. Perhaps
the best option I’ve found, though,
for those who cannot do it all at once,
is “phasing.”
I work with many clients who are
excited about the proposed finished
project, but we all realize that it might
www.BYOB-pro.com
Business Information
Source
For this and more columns by
Roger Cook, as well as other helpful
articles on running your own business,
visit www.BYOB-pro.com.
take years to get there. It’s become
very common for me to sit down
and map out what we’re going to do
in year one and then year two, and
in some cases this can stretch out to
three or four. Sure, you’ll sometimes
get someone just looking for a cheap
price. No matter what you do for
these people, no matter how many
adjustments you make to the project,
it’s going to be tough to end up doing work for the price they’re willing
to pay.
Most often, serious prospects will
be focused on the end project and
while mindful of price, not fixated
on it. These people are willing to explore phasing it out because they can
see the economical advantages. Get
to know them and talk about their
lifestyle and expectations, and then
develop a plan that’s palatable.
Some might question whether
customers would be okay in making long-term commitments, years
out. Actually, they’re usually excited
about the vision. Be sure and have
this discussion with customers before
you go through the bidding exercise.
Otherwise, you may create unnecessary work for yourself. Talk with
them about their budget and make
sure you understand constraints before you present a plan. Understand,
too, that you’ll need to be flexible
over time. This can work to your benefit. With some of my clients, I’ll add
a year or phase as we go along. We
often reach a point where something
not originally in the scope becomes
appealing.
Every contractor also needs to decide what type of work it makes sense
to do during these phases, in terms of
“bites.” If—when divided—the overall project becomes little jobs between
$500 and $1,000, it might not make
sense, especially if you would never
do a single job for this. But there are
some things to take into account, such
as what type of relationship can be
cultivated and where this business
can lead.
You also need to realize that some
customers may drop off in midstream
The Benefits
of “Phasing”
• It enables you to secure a job
that might not otherwise be
affordable for the customer.
• It helps you foster a long-term
client relationship and provide
services over time for changing
lifestyles.
• It gives you the ability to
forecast work—which is an advantage as you schedule jobs,
determine crew assignments
and make equipment acquisition decisions. or scale back. This is okay, and it all
has to do with economics. Things
happen, people move. Someone
might decide they want a swimming
pool instead of landscaping and
switch gears on you. But, 90 percent
of my clients keep going once we get
started.
When creating a phased proposal,
just be sure to carefully plan the
chronology of work because you
don’t want to have to destroy phase
one or two down the road so you
can get additional things done. You
may also want to suggest doing the
work during your slow times. Tell
customers, “July looks like it’s going
to be slow, so what about doing phase
two then?” Those who allow you to
do phased work in the first place are
typically patient and flexible.
This phased work approach
obviously benefits clients, but it’s
good for us (as contractors), too,
because it’s a way to figure out
exactly what we have coming up
in terms of work. This helps my
business planning, scheduling
and budgeting, particularly with
equipment acquisitions. I know
whether I need to buy a specialized
machine, get an attachment or rent
rather than invest in something I’ll
own. As we all know, forecasting
work is a critical part in making
equipment purchasing decisions.
This type of phasing makes forecasting easier, so I can go to my
local Bobcat dealer knowing what
work I have and what needs to be
done—because I’ve created the
plan along with the customer.
What type of customer and size
of project does this approach work
for? This is good for all customers
and jobs, not just the big ones. I
have several clients on three- and
four-year plans, and they’re all
different types of jobs.
My philosophy is to give customers what they’ll use over time.
I’m happiest when I see them enjoying what I’ve built and excited
about what we can do next. This
type of business method satisfies
that and benefits everyone, including me. Roger Cook often breaks a big
landscaping project into smaller
phases over several years.
Bobcat
Equipment
Helps Build
“Dream Home”
obcat® equipment has often
played a role in the ABC
television show “Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition.” But
when the program recently came
to North Dakota the Bobcat effort
was massive, with 24 machines
and seven attachments brought
in from dealers in North Dakota
and Minnesota. Equipment included skid-steer and compact
track loaders, an all-wheel steer
loader, a compact excavator, a
VersaHandler® telescopic tool carrier and 16 utility vehicles.
“When something of this
magnitude happens in our own
backyard, we think about how
we can be involved,” says Leroy
Anderson, Bobcat marketing communication manager. “And, what
we manufacture involves tools
that can make relatively quick
work of a big job. This was a big
job, and it required quick work. It
was a great fit, and we were happy
to contribute.”
The Bobcat equipment was
used to help build a new house in
Minot for Bill and Michelle Bliven
and their three children, Kristen,
Taylor and Aaron, who has cerebral palsy and is dependent upon
a wheelchair. The program is
scheduled to air in October.
View photos and read a journal:
www.heritagefargo.com/extreme B
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
23
R E N TA L
Jim Masison
Attachments Keep
Rental Machines
Productive
or more than three decades,
Equip-Rent in Foxboro, Mass.,
has rented Bobcat® compact
loaders and attachments to a variety
of customers—from homeowners to
landscape contractors.
“The rental industry has changed
a lot in 30 years,” says Jim Masison,
owner. “We have gone toward compact equipment and have found a
niche.”
While most of Equip-Rent’s customers rent a Bobcat skid-steer or
compact track loader by the day,
Masison says there are some machines that are in the field for as long
as several months. He attributes part
of the rental success, and duration, to
the durability of the Bobcat equipment with little or no downtime,
plus support from Bobcat of Boston
and the versatility of his Bobcat
attachments.
“Attachments are a big part of our
business”, Masison says, “even for
F
24
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
those contractors who don’t rent a
loader from us.
“We have quite a few attachments,
and when other stores don’t have
them, we get the rental,” he says. “For
instance, we have a planer attachment and there aren’t too many stores
around that have one. A customer
will usually rent it with a Bobcat
loader for a week. Attachments help
rent machines.”
He gets good rental income out
of attachments such as his Bobcat
stump grinder, pallet forks, augers
and landscape rakes. According to
Masison, the landscape rake is the
attachment of choice by landscapers
in the area for final grading. The rake
collects surface debris as it smoothes
and levels the soil. It will pick up
three-quarter-inch and larger rocks
with adjustable side skis to control
depth.
Masison’s fleet of equipment includes eight S175 skid-steer loaders.
He likes this size loader because they
can run a diverse line of landscaping
attachments.
“It’s a good all-around machine,”
Masison says. “It’s a profitable piece
of equipment for us. In fact, all of our
Bobcat equipment is.”
And profit is where Masison and
his company’s eight employees look
when they rent and eventually sell
their Bobcat loaders and attachments.
Masison says Equip-Rent typically
keeps their Bobcat loaders for two
years before they sell them. He says
there are always people looking for a
used loader, mostly because they like
them so much after renting the units
from his store.
“We will get our entire investment
back in less than two years,” Masison
says. “If you don’t keep them a long
time you can get good resale for
them. We probably get as much as
two-thirds of the original cost back,
which allows us to go buy some new
ones,” he says.
“A lot of people have bought our
Bobcat loaders and we’ll just rent
them the attachment,” Masison continues. “A fair amount of landscapers
rent attachments from our store, even
driving by other rental stores to get to
ours. I think they like to do business
here because we have good equipment and a knowledgeable staff.”
With the growing trend of compact track loaders finding their way
on rental yards, Masison started experimenting with them in his product
offering. He thinks the compact track
loader market is certainly growing
in his area. “We have two Bobcat
T200s, a T190 and a T180 compact
track loader.” With their rubber track
undercarriage, these machines can
be used on days when rubber tire
machines can’t work because of wet,
soft ground conditions. Rental Store
Caters to Demolition
Contractors
orking with demolition contractors might
discourage some rental
stores because of the grueling work
and long hours their customers
put on equipment. Steve Dowling
and Edward Skala of Blue Island
Equipment Rental have just the
opposite attitude.
The rental store owners have
two locations on the south side of
Chicago, one location in Homer
Glen, and a second in Alsip, which
works mostly with demolition and
concrete contractors.
“We do a lot of long-term rentals with demolition contractors in
the Chicago area,” says Dowling.
“They start a high-rise demolition
project, put the Bobcat® skid-steer
loaders on the top, and we don’t get
them back until they reach ground
level. They’ll do whatever it takes to
bring the building down.”
W
Dowling and Skala have a long
history in the rental business. Both
got started in the industry when
they were just 14 years old, and have
had their own store for more than
13 years. During that time the owners have always purchased Bobcat
equipment. Dowling says they started with Bobcat and have stuck with
them because they offer the strongest
product on the market today.
“The Bobcat loader arms hold
up the best of all that we’ve seen,”
Dowling says. “We’ve talked to demolition contractors over the years
who say other brands of loaders
have a lot of loader arm issues.
“The demolition contractors run
the Bobcat loaders with hydraulic
breaker attachments as long as 9
to 10 hours a day,” Dowling says.
“Sometimes the breakers stay on
the loader for up to eight months
straight.”
The rental store owners say they
are pleased with how well Bobcat
equipment has performed and
believe they are dependable and
reliable machines for their customers. Not only that, but Dowling
and Skala say their Bobcat dealer,
Atlas Bobcat, is very good about
providing parts. Dowling says his
store can quickly get everything
they need from the dealership’s
parts department, and in the rental
business that is a very important
element of being successful.
“Nobody wants to hear that it
will take a week or two to get a part
before they can use their machine
again,” Dowling says. “When it
breaks, they want it fixed now.”
In addition to carrying a wide
variety of skid-steer loaders, Blue
Island Equipment Rental also carries Bobcat compact excavators,
compact track loaders, mini track
loaders and many attachments. “We
don’t send a machine to a demolition
jobsite without an industrial grapple
bucket,” Dowling says. His demolition customers also use hydraulic
breakers, pallet fork attachments
and sweepers, which he says become more popular as towns request
that adjacent streets remain clean
during construction projects.
Zero house swing pays
off for plumbers
Edward Skala and Steve Dowling
Dowling says the majority of
his compact excavator business is
from area plumbers who use the
machines for underground construction projects such as digging
down to reach sewer lines. He says
his store purchased a 430 Zero
House Swing compact excavator
after learning about its benefits
versus a conventional compact excavator. “We don’t have problems
with customers hitting the back of
the machine against another object
with the 430,” Skala says. “They’re
great for our customers working in
a tight spot.” WORKSAVER FALL 2006
25
A G R I C U LT U R E
Other Equipment Can’t Keep Up
With Telescopic Tool Carriers
hen Jody Minick started his
own business three years
ago he knew he had to be
efficient in order to provide a valuable
service for his customers and to finish
as many jobs as quickly as possible.
His company, Minick Farm
Services, based in Saluda, S.C.,
specializes in cleaning out chicken
houses. The fast-growing firm works
throughout South Carolina using
a pair of V518 VersaHandler® telescopic tool carriers (TTC).
“A lot of work has come my
way because of the speed of the
VersaHandler units,” says Minick.
“On a typical job of cleaning four
houses, others take two or three days,
while I can do it in a day with one of
the V518s.”
That’s important because the
chicken growers want the litter removed as quickly as possible. They
have to wash the entire facility and
put in new shavings before the next
flock arrives.
W
“The owners really appreciate our
efficiency,” says Minick. “Not only
do they get their buildings ready
sooner, but we even give them time
to take a vacation. That wins us a lot
of points with the owners.”
A farm tractor is a common way
of cleaning out chicken houses, notes
Minick. The amount of work he accomplishes in four trips in and out
of a house usually takes a tractor 12
trips. He also figures it would take
three skid-steer loaders to keep up
with his VersaHandler TTC in this
type of job.
“The V518 offers several advantages,” says Minick. “Using a 3 1⁄4-yard
bucket allows me to carry more material each trip. The travel speed of
almost 20 mph enables me to move
in and out quickly. Then I have the
advantage of being able to dump
straight into a tractor trailer instead
of piling the material and loading
later. All-in-all the VersaHander unit
is ideal for this type of work.”
At the time Minick purchased his
first V518 from Bobcat of Columbia
he also evaluated another brand
of telescopic. He decided the
VersaHandler machine better fit his
needs. “The fact that I can operate the
V518 with a single joystick made my
decision easy. You need four levers
to operate the other machine. It was
way too cumbersome. The V518,
on the other hand, is a pleasure to
operate.”
A year ago Minick was doing 70
houses every 10 weeks. He added
the second V518 as his volume more
than doubled.
“This isn’t complicated work, but
when speed and efficiency are important, you can’t beat the VersaHandler
machines,” says Minick. “I’d be lost
without them.” Two V518 VersaHandler telescopic tool carriers help make Jody Minick’s job of cleaning
out chicken houses very efficient.
Jody Minick
26
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
24 Hours in the Life of T300:
Stolen, Recovered, Back
on Jobsite
t may not prevent theft of your
equipment, but the Bobcat® equipment security and management
system can greatly increase your
chance of locating a machine if it is
stolen.
This system, which features the
GlobalTRACS® receiver/transmitter
concealed on the machine, combines
satellite vehicle tracking capability
with wireless communications and
computer data management. It allows
you to pinpoint the machine’s location
24 hours a day. Because it also monitors the machine’s service readings,
operating status and total engine
hours, it’s a reliable way to schedule
maintenance of the machine and track
utilization, too.
“This system is an awesome
tool,” reports Scott Davison, senior
rental manager with Perimeter Bobcat,
Norcross, Ga. “It definitely pays.”
I
A speedy recovery
When a landscaping crew pulled
up to their job site in Fulton County,
Ga., one morning this past July, they
were surprised to discover that their
rented Bobcat T300 compact track
loader was missing. No doubt the two
men suspected of stealing the machine
were even more surprised when—less
than two hours later—three Douglas
County Sheriff’s deputies arrested the
pair and recovered the loader. That, in
turn, led to the discovery of two skidsteer loaders, a compact excavator and
several vehicles, owned by others, that
were also missing.
Unknown to the alleged thieves,
who are believed to have stolen the
machine the previous afternoon, the
T300 was equipped with the hidden
Bobcat GPS satellite receiver/transmitter. It’s one of many Bobcat skid-steer
loaders, compact track loaders and
excavators in Perimeter Bobcat’s rental
fleet that are equipped with the Bobcat
equipment security and management
system. After the customer reported
the machine missing, Davison simply
entered the loader’s serial number
on the system’s website. The system
responded immediately, showing
the location of the T300 on a map
displayed on Davison’s computer
screen.
He drove to this location, about
10 miles from the jobsite, where he
saw the machine from
the road. Davison then
reported the location to
the sheriff’s department,
which dispatched the
officers to the
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scene. “We had the machine back on
the customer’s jobsite later that day,”
he says.
He also has plenty of praise for the
Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.
“They went out of their way to help us
recover our T300.”
Your local Bobcat dealer can give
you all the details on how the Bobcat
system can pay off for you by improving security and maintenance of your
equipment. Surprise:
An Empty Hole
he Bobcat® equipment security
and management system also
helped recover a new loader in
the Chicago area in May. The S300,
with just 17 hours on the meter, was
stolen a few days after it had been
delivered to the owner, a rental
store.
The theft occurred about 3:30
a.m. on a Saturday morning when
the machine was moved from a
jobsite into a nearby forest preserve. There, the thieves used the
skid-steer loader to dig a hole and
construct a berm around it big
enough to conceal the machine,
which was then driven into the
hole and covered with tree limbs
and brush. They hid the machine
from view, but not from the Bobcat
tracking system.
Soon after the S300 was reported
missing on Monday morning, the
tracking system led police to the
hiding spot where they recovered
the unit—leaving the thieves
empty-handed and, no doubt, quite
surprised when they returned. T
New 84-in. Sweeper Offers
Better Performance
he new 84-in. Bobcat® sweeper
attachment is designed to provide optimal bristle-to-surface
contact, greater sweeping efficiency
and reduced maintenance.
The floating bristle head follows
surface contours independent of the
bucket, providing improved surface
contact on slopes for better sweeping
consistency. The floating head also
offers ideal down-pressure for longer
bristle life, thus reducing the number
of required bristle adjustments.
The sweeper has a direct-drive
motor that increases efficiency and
reduces the number of wear parts,
resulting in lower maintenance. In
addition, a reversible cutting edge
lasts twice as long and larger diameter
bristles provide longer bristle life than
smaller sweeper models.
The new solid-mounted hood limits potential damage to the sweeper
caused by aggressive slamming of the
hood while cleaning out the sweeper
T
Bobcat Merchandise: Ideal for Gift-Giving
he holiday season is the perfect reason to give friends and family members
special gifts from the large selection of Bobcat® licensed merchandise.
From Bobcat die cast scale models to clothing items, golf accessories,
youth backpacks and travel mugs, there is a wide variety of gifts for those
special people on your list.
Here are just a few of the hundreds of items available. Visit your local Bobcat
dealer to purchase gifts, or order from www.bobcatstore.com. T
Ball Caps
Hooded
Sweatshirts
Long Sleeve
T-Shirts
Kids’ T-Shirts
28
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
Women’s
3/4 Sleeve
Shirts
bucket. To accommodate bucket clean
out, the bristle head slides up and
forward into the cover, creating an
opening between the sweeper head
and bucket.
An optional wheel kit accessory
protects surfaces from scrapes and
scratches when the wheels engage
the surface by suspending the cutting
edge of the sweeper during forward
travel. Two mounted caster wheels
with gas shocks are included in the
kit. If removal of hard-packed mud is
required, the gas shocks can be compressed by rolling out the Bob-Tach™
system and lowering the cutting edge
to the surface.
Another option is a gutter brush
that cleans hard-to-reach areas.
The new sweeper attachment is
approved for use on Bobcat skid-steer
loaders (S220 through S300), compact
track loaders (T250 and T300) and the
A300 all-wheel steer loader. New Diesel Fuel Not Required
for Bobcat Equipment
ltra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)
fuel, which is now being sold
for use in diesel-powered
on-highway trucks and buses, is
not required for Bobcat® equipment
and other off-highway machines.
However, it can be used in Bobcat
equipment. This fuel, which contains
less than 15 parts per million (ppm) of
sulfur, is part of a U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency program to eventually reduce emissions from nearly
every type of diesel vehicle and equipment more than 90 percent.
Currently, in most areas, sulfur
content of diesel fuel for use in nonroad engines is not being regulated,
reports Steve Neva, Bobcat international standards and regulations
manager. One exception is California,
where all highway and non-highway
diesel fuel must now be ULSD. “You
can continue to use off-highway or
U
non-road diesel fuel in Bobcat equipment,” he says.
Starting June 1, 2007, regulations
require refiners to begin producing Low Sulfur Diesel fuel, which
contains 500 parts per million (ppm)
or less of sulfur, for use in non-road
diesel engines, Neva notes. Three
years later, refiners must offer ULSD
fuels for use in non-road Tier 4 diesel
engines.
The use of either ULSD or Low
Sulfur Diesel fuels should have
little, if any, effect on performance of
existing Bobcat equipment models.
Manufacturers of compact equipment, typically powered by engines
with less than 100 hp, are not required
to implement Tier 4 engines using advanced emission control systems and
ULSD fuel until 2012 or 2013.
More information is available at
www.clean-diesel.org/index.htm Tractor-Trailer
Scale Model
Sport
Sunglasses
Pinnacle
Golf Balls
A300 Die Cast
Scale Model
Kids’
Backpacks
S185 Die Cast
Scale Model
Coffee Mugs
Purchase from your dealer or at www.bobcat.com
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
29
Letters to
WorkSaver
Bobcat® equipment is equipment I
can trust.
—Jose Barbosa, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Bobcat machines I own are
dependable. I have never had any
downtime for repairs. I can count
on this equipment.
—David Lucas, Sardis, MS
Bobcat makes good products.
I enjoy operating them.
—Kurtis Reed, Kokomo, IN
My Bobcat equipment is efficient,
compact, easy to use and versatile.
—Steve Mickel, Marshfield, WI
I think Bobcat equipment is the best
on the market.
—Stephan Pelak, Trumbull, CT
Bobcat skid-steer loaders are very
reliable and versatile. That’s important to a small business.
—David Gilmer, Thomson, GA
Did You Know?
• California’s Frank Epperson
invented the Popsicle in 1905
when he was 11 years old.
• There are 45 miles of nerves in the
skin of a human being.
• There are more than 900,000
known species of insects in the
world.
• China’s Beijing Duck Restaurant
can seat 9,000 people at one time.
• The vocabulary of the average
person consists of 5,000 to 6,000
words.
• A honey bee must tap two
million flowers to make one
pound of honey.
• Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and
Ham after his editor dared him
to write a book using fewer than
50 different words.
• The highest waterfall in the
world, Angel Falls in Venezuela,
has a total drop of 3,121 feet.
• Mercury is the only metal that is
liquid at room temperature.
• An average human drinks
about 16,000 gallons of water
in a lifetime.
• A ‘jiffy’ is an actual unit of
time—1/100th of a second.
• The plant life in the oceans make
up about 85 percent of all the
greenery on the Earth.
Famous Quotes
Using Bobcat equipment means I
can do the job right and fast.
—Darrell Lutes, Bowman, ND
“We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give.”
—Sir Winston Churchill
“An idea is salvation by
imagination.”
—Frank Lloyd Wright
Just keep on doing what you have
been doing. You have excellent
products.
—Larry Perman, Bradenton, FL
“A wise man should consider that
health is the greatest of human
blessings, and learn how by his
own thought to derive benefit
from his illnesses.”
—Hippocrates
“Be slow in choosing a friend,
slower in changing.”
—Benjamin Franklin
Thanks for doing the story on me
and my company (see page 18). My
15-month-old son, Dylan, a second
generation Bobcat owner-operator,
enjoys playing with his Bobcat toy.
—Greg Dowe, Fall River, Nova Scotia
“Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.”
—David McCullough
“No act of kindness, no matter how
small, is ever wasted.”
—Aesop
“There are people who, instead of
listening to what is being said to
them, are already listening to what
they are going to say themselves.”
—Albert Guinon
30
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of
virtues, but the parent of all others.”
—Cicero
“The only thing that overcomes
hard luck is hard work.”
—Harry Golden
“People grow through experience
if they meet life honestly and
courageously. This is how character is built.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt
“Learning to ignore things is one of
the great paths to inner peace.”
—Robert J. Sawyer
BOBCAT’SPAUSE
Cold Weather Casseroles
Taco Bake
Meat & Potato Bake
1 pkg. (14 oz.) macaroni & cheese
dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (11⁄4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
3
⁄4 cup sour cream
11⁄2 cups shredded cheddar cheese,
divided
1 cup thick ‘n chunky salsa
4 medium potatoes, peeled,
thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1
⁄2 cup steak sauce, divided
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2
⁄3 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare din-
ner as directed on package. While
macaroni is cooking, brown meat;
drain. Add taco seasoning mix and
3
⁄4 cup water to the meat; simmer 5
minutes.
2 Stir sour cream into prepared dinner.
Spoon half of the dinner mixture
into 8-inch square baking dish; top
with layers of the meat mixture, 1
cup of the cheese and remaining
dinner mixture. Cover.
3 Bake 15 minutes. Top with salsa
and remaining 1⁄2 cup cheese. Bake,
uncovered, an additional 5 minutes
or until cheese is melted.
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pota-
toes evenly onto bottom of lightly
greased 9-inch square baking pan;
set aside.
2 Reserve 1⁄4 cup of the steak sauce.
Mix remaining 1⁄4 cup steak sauce
with the meat, bread crumbs and
onion. Place evenly over potatoes,
pressing firmly to form solid layer.
Brush with reserved steak sauce.
3 Bake 1 hour 10 min. or until meat
mixture is cooked through. Sprinkle
with cheese; continue baking 5 min.
or until cheese is melted. Let stand
10 min. before serving.
Steak and Vegetable
Pot Pie
1
2
2
11⁄2
1
⁄3
1
medium onion, chopped
Tbsp. margarine or butter
Tbsp. flour
cups beef broth
cup steak sauce
boneless beef steak (11⁄2 lb.),
cooked, cut into bite-sized
pieces (about 3 cups)
3 cups frozen peas and carrots,
thawed
Pastry for 1-crust 9-inch pie
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook and stir
onion in margarine in large saucepan on medium-high heat until
crisp-tender. Blend in flour; cook
and stir 1 minute. Add beef broth
and steak sauce; cook and stir until
mixture thickens and begins to boil.
Stir in steak and peas and carrots.
Spoon into 2-quart casserole dish.
2 Roll out pastry crust to size about 11⁄2
inches larger than size of casserole
dish. Place pastry over casserole;
turn under edge of pastry and press
to edge of casserole dish to seal.
Flute edge, if desired. Cut several
slits in center of crust to vent.
3 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden
Bobcat Products on Display
October 17-18
Rocky Mountain Fleet
Management Assn.
Westminster, CO
October 17-19
Sunbelt Ag Expo
Moultrie, GA
October 18
New York State Public Works
Syracuse, NY
November 2-4
Green Industry Expo
Columbus, OH
November 3-12
Royal Ag Winter Fair
Toronto, ON
November 8-11
Agri-Trade
Red Deer, AB
November 9-12
Equine Affaire - Mass.
W. Springfield, MA
November 15-18
International Assn. of Amusement
Parks & Attractions
Atlanta, GA
November 20-25
Agribition
Regina, SK
November 29-December 1
International Pool and Spa
Las Vegas, NV
brown. Serve warm.
Chili Dog Casserole
2 cans (15 oz. each) chili with
beans, divided
1 pkg. (16 oz.) Wieners
10 corn or flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mild
cheddar cheese
1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Spoon 1 can
of the chili into 13x9-inch baking
dish.
2 Roll 1 wiener in each tortilla; place,
seam side down, over chili in baking dish. Top with remaining chili;
sprinkle with cheese. Cover.
3 Bake 30 minutes or until heated
through.
WORKSAVER FALL 2006
31