Considering a Bobcat excavator

barnbuilder · Aug 10, 2020

Contemplating purchasing a Bobcat E55 or E63. The 63 is not available with a hydraulic coupler. Do you guys recommend anything. Or is the Bobcat coupler decent. Looking at purchasing a 18", 24" and 48" grading bucket.

Thanks

farmboy555 · Aug 10, 2020

I have 2 Yanmar’s with pin grabber quick couplers, I’d look at them if you have a dealer close

John Canfield · Aug 10, 2020

My Bobcat E42 has the hydraulic pin grabber (or Hydraulic X Change as they call it) and it works great. Sometimes I need to change from the tooth bucket to the ripper and back to the bucket, saves a bunch of time and hassle. I think the design of the system is a bit weird since you have to basically guess where to position the pins on the attachment unless you move the boom to one side.
After some practice it gets more intuitive.

barnbuilder · Aug 10, 2020

The Bobcat and kubota dealer is maybe 30 minutes from me. Everyone else is an hour. Haven't found Yanmar dealer yet.

OTG AuGres · Aug 11, 2020

I like my e42. The Bobcat x-change works well. Wouldn’t have a mini without some sort of auto coupler. I change buckets/implements frequently. It’s nice not having to get out of the cab. I’m in the process of upgrading to an e50. Nothing against the e42. Just want a little more capacity.

CatToy · Aug 25, 2020

I may be late to the game but I had a E50 with rear weight, which gave specs similar to E55. Really liked the E50 as it was powerful for its size, good visibility, came with boom hydraulics for attachments, able to work in tight spaces and I never had any concerns about reliability or getting parts. If you can get a good deal, go for it if it is the size you need.

I sold it about a year later to up-size slightly to a Yanmar 80 which is just more capable all around, especially since I use my excavator to clear land more than anything else. I have a Bobcat and Yanmar dealer just a few miles from me so that was not a concern. Both had their versions of quick exchange coupler that works fine, I believe the Yanmar is just a little easier to use.

The bigger Yanmar with more buckets was about the price as the E50 with less buckets included.

Flat Thunder Channel · Aug 25, 2020

I rented and used an E42 from Sunbelt before. The quick attach unit was installed on this unit. I thought it was handy, but not overly necessary. I found that if the pins are properly maintained it isn't too overly difficult to swap buckets. I am comparing it to a standard bucket attachment from a Kubota U35.

OTG AuGres · Aug 25, 2020

Flat Thunder Channel said:
I rented and used an E42 from Sunbelt before. The quick attach unit was installed on this unit. I thought it was handy, but not overly necessary. I found that if the pins are properly maintained it isn't too overly difficult to swap buckets. I am comparing it to a standard bucket attachment from a Kubota U35.

I can agree that the quick change feature isn’t absolutely necessary, but I guess I must be getting old and lazy because it’s a big deal for me. After having powered quick change on my e42 and my T595 CTL, I wouldn’t buy a machine without it unless a deal came up that was just too good to pass. I end up changing attachments frequently and it is a real convenience.

barnbuilder · Aug 25, 2020

I haven't purchased anything. Looked at Wacker Neuson. I like the E63 but doesn't make sense no hydraulic exchange. Would love an 80 series but I think its too much.

CatToy · Aug 25, 2020

barnbuilder said:
I haven't purchased anything. Looked at Wacker Neuson. I like the E63 but doesn't make sense no hydraulic exchange. Would love an 80 series but I think its too much.

Well, best advice I can give is test as many as you can, before I purchased the Bobcat E50, I tested all the local dealers compact excavators at my property (Cat, Kubota, Tak, JD, did not test Yanmar at that time) of similar size. Cost was not a major factor for me but visibility, power, features were and I ended up with the Bobcat as it seemed to be the best all around at the size, I know that is a personal preference thing and I would have no problem owning any of the others but my experience was just better with the E50. I would have kept the E50 but I put a small cutter/mower (~500lbs) on it and at full extension it was was too tipsy around my pond. I tested the E85 but the Vio80 outperformed it with the mower....

KSSS · Aug 25, 2020

barnbuilder said:
I haven't purchased anything. Looked at Wacker Neuson. I like the E63 but doesn't make sense no hydraulic exchange. Would love an 80 series but I think its too much.

The WN ET65 is a nice machine, great power, I really like the bucket articulation they are able to pull off with that linkage design.

Mark13 · Aug 25, 2020

barnbuilder said:
I haven't purchased anything. Looked at Wacker Neuson. I like the E63 but doesn't make sense no hydraulic exchange. Would love an 80 series but I think its too much.

Do you have a Takeuchi dealer near you?

barnbuilder · Aug 25, 2020

Tak is about an hour away. Haven't had time to go by and look.

Not too many machines in the 7ton class.

Mark13 · Aug 25, 2020

barnbuilder said:
Tak is about an hour away. Haven't had time to go by and look.

Not too many machines in the 7ton class.

I've been happy with my TB260 (60 class), I believe it's sometime this fall they're coming out with a TB370 which will be a new generation and a 7 ton class machine.

KSSS · Aug 25, 2020

They are also releasing a new version of the TB153 which will be a 257 i believe. I cant wait.

barnbuilder · Sep 5, 2020

Do you guys know/recommend an aftermarket coupler? Wain Roy? And would it work with OEM buckets? I talked to a different sales person last week. He thought the E63 had a hydraulic coupler. He was supposed to call me back but never did.

KSSS · Sep 5, 2020

I am pretty sure the ET65 has a hyd coupler. I believe it to be a Werk Brau, which is a great coupler. My advice is avoid the Wain Roy coupler at all costs.

John Griffin · Sep 7, 2020

I also have a yanmar with the hydraulic coupler. I've been very pleased with it. After driving pins on older machines, I will not buy another without a coupler unless I'm going to put an aftermarket coupler. I'm extremely happy with my yanmar and will be buying another one when the time comes. We're two hours away from the yanmar dealer in two different directions. We have a local bobcat dealer that couldn't be bothered to give me a quote.

NepeanGC · Sep 16, 2020

I personally find Bobcats X-Change system to be crap. Lots of slop in every one I've ever run. Pretty easy to use, but not tight, and the seals blow out on them somewhat regularly. They also don't allow for mounting a bucket reversed.

Personally, I'd buy whatever machine you want and pick up an aftermarket pin grabber or Symmetrical standard coupler from someone like Steelwrist/Rototilt. Pricing is pretty competitive, and they're simple, good couplers.

John Canfield · Sep 16, 2020

There's no slop in any of the pins on my E42 including the X-Change pins but there's only about 150 hours on the clock. I also don't abuse the machine like rentals get. I was disappointed I couldn't reverse the bucket but I knew that before I bought. I've missed that capability a couple of times..

My major complaint (and basically the only complaint) is the design of the X-Change - you basically make an educated guess of exactly where to position the stick and amount of curl. Bobcat recommends you swing the boom to one side so you can see the pins but that takes too much time. The pins are also a PITA to grease since the zerks are only exposed with a particular curl.

Considering a Bobcat excavator

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