Bobcat e42 vs e50

Zachary Cullen · Nov 7, 2021

I am upgrading my 331 bobcat. Looking very hard at the e42. Also considering the e50. My only issue with the 50 is that it is too heavy for a pickup and a 7 ton trailer. I can haul it with the dump truck so moving it isn't an issue but being able to tow with the pickup makes small jobs easier and way easier to get into the small tight camp roads around me.

Also the 50 is wider so some things are going to be a pain. The thing that makes me lean on the 50 is it will supposedly pick quite a bit more weight. If I buy the 50 I need to keep the machine I have now and do a little bit of work to it so I have a smaller machine. If I get the 42 then I sell the one I have now and put that money towards whatever I need.

Anyone have experience with both machines?

OTG AuGres · Nov 8, 2021

My first mini-ex was a new 2017 e42. Mine was loaded, with most every option, including the extendible arm. Overall, good machine, very capable. For the work I do (land management, land clearing, stump removal, etc) I felt I was always working it to the max. I put the extra counterweight on it and it still felt a little unstable working over the side. I’ve got an Eterra 30” flail mower and I was really limited to how much reach I could use over the side. The extendible arm was useful, but it was another maintenance item to worry about long term, plus it eats into your lifting capacity. I had ongoing leak and maintenance issues with the angle blade. I felt that both of those options were something I really didn’t need and would add to my maintenance costs over the years.

I demo’ed a 2020 E50 and fell in love with the machine. The demo unit was a long arm (which my dealer said almost all his customers want), but to me it felt unwieldy, especially in woods and tight trails. It also cuts into lifting capacity, which I wanted to maximize. I ended up ordering a new e50 with the standard arm, cab, extra hydraulic circuit on the arm, standard fixed blade. I love the machine. I really like the zero tail swing. If you’re working in tight areas, it’s nice not having that counterweight to worry about. The tracks and undercarriage are much heavier and more robust than the e42. It’s very stable working over the side, no comparison to the e42. The fixed front blade is massive compared to the angle blade on the e42. There are a handful of times that the angle blade would have been useful, but I don’t do any significant grading with mine so it’s not a big deal. Certainly one less maintenance thing to worry about. Overall the machine just feels substantially more powerful than the e42…much more so to me than on paper. I like the engine…at 49 hp, I rarely run it at full throttle. With the e42, when doing digging or stumping I was almost always at full throttle. Fuel consumption is very good in my opinion. Just last week I was doing work at one my properties and I used just under 10 gallons of fuel in a 10+ hour day. Never shut the machine off.

The e50 is not as easy to move around as the e42. I’ve got a heavy 1 ton GMC (single rears) and a 15,000 tilt trailer. My e50 with a bucket just about max’s out my trailer capacity, therefore if I need extra buckets or attachments, I need to make other provisions. If I trailered it a lot, I’d up my game in that area. I could see myself having a smaller machine in addition to the e50 (e35 or so) for certain chores, but I would not give mine up for another e42. Like I said above, nothing against the e42…it’s a very capable machine. Just for my use, I much prefer the e50.

Zachary Cullen · Nov 12, 2021

OTG AuGres said:
My first mini-ex was a new 2017 e42. Mine was loaded, with most every option, including the extendible arm. Overall, good machine, very capable. For the work I do (land management, land clearing, stump removal, etc) I felt I was always working it to the max. I put the extra counterweight on it and it still felt a little unstable working over the side. I’ve got an Eterra 30” flail mower and I was really limited to how much reach I could use over the side. The extendible arm was useful, but it was another maintenance item to worry about long term, plus it eats into your lifting capacity. I had ongoing leak and maintenance issues with the angle blade. I felt that both of those options were something I really didn’t need and would add to my maintenance costs over the years.

I demo’ed a 2020 E50 and fell in love with the machine. The demo unit was a long arm (which my dealer said almost all his customers want), but to me it felt unwieldy, especially in woods and tight trails. It also cuts into lifting capacity, which I wanted to maximize. I ended up ordering a new e50 with the standard arm, cab, extra hydraulic circuit on the arm, standard fixed blade. I love the machine. I really like the zero tail swing. If you’re working in tight areas, it’s nice not having that counterweight to worry about. The tracks and undercarriage are much heavier and more robust than the e42. It’s very stable working over the side, no comparison to the e42. The fixed front blade is massive compared to the angle blade on the e42. There are a handful of times that the angle blade would have been useful, but I don’t do any significant grading with mine so it’s not a big deal. Certainly one less maintenance thing to worry about. Overall the machine just feels substantially more powerful than the e42…much more so to me than on paper. I like the engine…at 49 hp, I rarely run it at full throttle. With the e42, when doing digging or stumping I was almost always at full throttle. Fuel consumption is very good in my opinion. Just last week I was doing work at one my properties and I used just under 10 gallons of fuel in a 10+ hour day. Never shut the machine off.

The e50 is not as easy to move around as the e42. I’ve got a heavy 1 ton GMC (single rears) and a 15,000 tilt trailer. My e50 with a bucket just about max’s out my trailer capacity, therefore if I need extra buckets or attachments, I need to make other provisions. If I trailered it a lot, I’d up my game in that area. I could see myself having a smaller machine in addition to the e50 (e35 or so) for certain chores, but I would not give mine up for another e42. Like I said above, nothing against the e42…it’s a very capable machine. Just for my use, I much prefer the e50.

That's a great review, thank you very much. I think I've made up my mind on the 42 though just because of the size issue and tight spaces, I'm doing alot of work along the st Lawrence river and small lakes and there is no room to work, let alone get my dump truck and ten ton trailer into. Ultimately I'd like to go with the 42 and a decent used ten ton machine, best if both worlds but a small issue known as money get in the way right now lol. I greatly appreciate the review, I may look harder at the 50 now, it's going to be a bit before the dealer gets both of them in anyways. Nothing like buying a brand new machine just as winter gets here.

NepeanGC · Nov 12, 2021

I've got an e42, long arm, with extra counterweight and a pair of e85s, all with tiltrotators. Had a loaner e50 long arm with regular buckets and thumb for 2 months.
Honestly, e42 is still my favourite machine. Light, fits in tight spaces if need be, and quite smooth.

Running my e42 beside the e50 I couldnt tell much of a difference other than the undercarriage is a bit bigger and wider on the e50. Lifting capacity didn't seem all that different.

I personally like the jump between the e42 and e85 as I find they both excel in different areas. Im sure it would be similar, but not quite as drastic with an e50.

Either way I don't think you can go too wrong. Both machines are good. The new cabs are rattly though, which is mildly infuriating.

OTG AuGres · Nov 12, 2021

Like I posted above, I think both the e42 and e50 are fine and capable machines. Compared to Napean’s e42, mine as noted had the extendible arm. That option in itself adds weight to the whole arm assembly and depending on whether the arm is extended or retracted affects the balance of the machine and lifting capacity. In hindsight, I may have been more satisfied with a standard arm e42. The extendible arm is handy, but at what cost? I put over 400 hours on my e42 and did a ton of work with it. Compared to my e42, my e50 is just substantially more machine. I notice the difference especially when stumping. Stumps that I would have had to work at with the e42, pop out much easier with the e50. That was part of my criteria when I made the switch…getting more digging power and lifting capacity. It should be noted that the e42 has an impressive bucket breakout force on paper…at least equal to the e50, but that doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. I’ve got a heavy 36” bucket that my e50 handles with ease. I ran a 24” on the e42. Never tried a 36” on it.

With my standard arm e50, I have essentially the same reach as a long arm e42 or the extendible arm e42. Maybe not exact, but within inches. Regarding weight, I don’t think there is an appreciable difference between my e50 as it is, and an extendible arm (and maybe a long arm too) e42 with the additional counterweight. Also, if memory serves me correct, the extendible arm option includes a heavier than normal counterweight.

I agree with Napean on the rattly cab. My door on the e50 was terrible when it was new. With a little vibration it would pop out of the fully latched position into the secondary (?) latch position and then rattle like hell. Maybe the weatherstripping has become more pliable, but that problem has disappeared. Still intermittent leaking around the sliding window. They could do better. My e50 is the “new and improved” R2 model…seems like those issues would have been worked out.

For what I do, I really like the zero tail swing. Granted the e42 is narrower, but more than once I’ve barely squeezed between a couple of trees then needed to swing the house a little and the counterweight gets in the way. It’s a trade off and heavily dependent on what kind of work you do.

Good luck with your decision and your purchase. Let us know what you end up with.

John Canfield · Nov 13, 2021

I have an E42 standard arm with the optional counterweight and I've always been pleasantly surprised at its lift capacity. There's a guy on YouTube (Kapper) with the same E42 and counterweight that has a lot of videos on the machine. His channel might be Kapper Outdoors but you should be able to easily find it.

suladas · Nov 14, 2021

Unless you have a ton of attachments the E50 would be fine on a 7 ton trailer. I also wouldn't let trailer capacity be the deciding factor, if the bigger machine is going to be that much better, 14,000lb trailer behind a 1 ton pickup is perfectly fine.

Bobcat e42 vs e50

Zachary Cullen

Member

OTG AuGres

Well-Known Member

Zachary Cullen

Member

NepeanGC

Well-Known Member

OTG AuGres

Well-Known Member

John Canfield

Senior Member

suladas

Senior Member