Investing dollars into pieces of equipment that can mainly do one task may be necessary for some instances. On a large job site, you wouldn’t want to be using a shovel when you should be using a backhoe or an excavator. However, multitasking heavy equipment may be more efficient and produce a greater rate of return on investment for smaller scale tasks. Bobcat machinery covers the spectrum from skid-steer loaders to smaller excavators. If you’re a contractor looking to add to your job capabilities there are some things to consider before beginning your search for Bobcat equipment for sale.
The first two questions have as much to do with safety as with productivity. How much weight do you lift on a regular basis or plan on lifting? A particular specification that should be on your radar is the rated operating capacity of the skid-steer loader. This amount should not be less than the weight of material the machine will be regularly used to carry. While thinking about this, it’s also pertinent to know what you plan on doing with that material – are you just moving it from point A to point B or will you need the ability to lift the material to greater heights? Overexerting the wrong piece of machinery to fit the job will produce unsafe conditions and less efficient operations.
Making sure you get the most out of your Bobcat equipment will mean doing more than just moving material. What else would be or could be done with your skid-steer loader? Many different kinds of tools can be attached to amp up performance capabilities. From a large sweeper brush for cleaning up to planers and rollers for asphalt work, grading, and trenching, you have to be sure you have the right power stemming from the skid-steer to get the most out of the tool. A major component to this machine is the hydraulic system, and the hydraulic horsepower produced by it. Optimal tool performance depends on if the hydraulic flow is substantial enough to power it. Engine horsepower comes into play as an all-encompassing drive for multitasking, when combined with hydraulic horsepower.
While looking at your tool options you also might as well ask yourself what type of surface your Bobcat machinery will operate on. Stability is important and the rubber tires that move the skid-steer loader move well on paved surfaces. Softer surfaces, like wet mud, may make it a little more difficult for tires or risk damage like on grass. Luckily, there’s a tool for that (you can even add tracks to your skid-steer loader).
Tools and movability will be greatly affected by the size of the workspace. So, exactly how large or small are the majority of the job sites? Smaller work areas will obviously limit the size of the machine itself, which will, in turn, limit the tools or power able to be dedicated to tools. This doesn’t have to be a downside, as the skid-steer loader can still provide versatility to the work you would like to complete. The larger the jobsite, the larger and more diversified you can make a Bobcat skid-steer. To offset the costs of acquiring and maintaining the last question to ask yourself is if it will indeed be a multitasking piece of equipment (varied tools and attachments) or something dedicated to a certain task (only requiring few or limited tools).
While there may seem to be a lot of things to think about before buying Bobcat equipment, it boils down to what you want out of the machine. Bobcat rental is an option for testing out how a desired model or tool will work or create better value for the job as a whole. A simple search can yield locations of dealers that let out equipment. Finding sales of used Bobcats may also be an option, but it would be a priority to make sure the equipment is still fully functional and safe to use.