NCPIPELINE
Senior Member
So we are looking at getting two new track machines at the moment, what we have demoing are CAT 259B3 and a Bobcat T590. Thoughts? Insight? 
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Another Comparrision
- Thread starter NCPIPELINE
- Start date
Construct'O
Senior Member
Since your doing the demo lets hear your thoughts and comparsion????
NCPIPELINE
Senior Member
So far the machines seem pretty evenly matched, the only real difference so far has been the suspension torsion axles on the CAT, and the tilt cylinders on the bobcat seem to have no lift. Will report more of what we find.
frederickjohn
New Member
I think the Caterpillar 252B, Caterpillar 299C and Caterpillar 304CR are the top three machines I've worked with and I've made up my mind that Caterpillar machines are the best machines when it comes to any kind of jobsite. Here's a proven industry report backing up my thoughts: http://bit.ly/13pBnzX
I think the CASE 465, CASE TR320 and Takeuchi TB153FR are the top three machines I have worked with and have made up my mind that CASE and Takeuchi build the best machines when it comes to any type of jobsite. Here is some OEM propaganda to support my opinion http://www1.casece.com/en_us/Pages/home.aspx
Come on Man!
While you may think that the three CAT machines you list are the top machines you have worked with (that's cool, fair opinion), however that does not mean that CAT machines are the best machines for any jobsite. Really that is ridiculous. I realize your offering your opinion and trying to justify it somehow, but grounding opinions with some sort of factual, common sense foundation gives opinions much more weight. Blanket BS statements really have no value, and tend to detract from the credibility of the person posting it.
Although not foolproof, I think a combination of market share combined with publicly available residual values gathered from auction data and used sales help to statistically support any assertions about which brand is the best. Most of the rest is subjective opinion, even though this means a lot to the individual customer that either owns or works on the machine.
Tags
Senior Member
I've had a Cat 287b for the last 10 years and it has been a good machine, besides the fact that I've had to replace more hydraulic lines on that one machine than any other machine I've ever owned. The way Cat engineered, routed, and located the hydro lines on this unit is unacceptable as far as I'm concerned. Most if the lines have blown because of poor routing a d then are next to impossible to replace. I do not know what the new machines are like. I do know that I do not like the electric over hydraulic controls and the slight lag time it creates. As good as my machine is when it is running I would not purchase another Cat product. My dealer isn't the greatest either.
Not advocating for any brand here, but 10 years is eons in the manufacturing world. I would not limit myself from looking at any brand with that much time in between purchases. Your issue with the dealer is altogether another issue.
My point is no one OEM builds the best of everything. Putting a certain name or painting a machine a certain color does not make it magically the best. I think every OEM does some things better than others and to go even further an OEM will do a better job on some models with in a certain category than other machines in that same category. If someone is going to throw out statements like one OEM is the best in every application and presumably in every class of machine, I would like to hear/read in detail why that is. Hopefully sometime when I have a considerable amount of time to read it, because I would expect that to take a long time to get through it.
This link goes to an article on how to restore contaminated hydraulic oil.......
I definitely tend to swing to the Cat machines but this is a pretty heavy handed comment to make. Im interested to see this article or hear how you plan to defend that statement.
watglen
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
- Messages
- 1,324
- Location
- Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
- Occupation
- Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
Considering NCPIPELINE has those three units in his signature, frederickjohn seems like a bot to me.
NCPIPELINE
Senior Member
I had to agree when he said that I was like wait what, I have all three of those pieces and none of them would I say ARE TOP TIER machines. My boss has a brand new personal 299 XHP at his residence in SC, and let me tell you for a track loader it is one BADA$$ piece of equipment. On the other hand I had the pleasure of running an E80 the other day and in my opinion is the best compact ex I have ever operated. But we could go on and on for hours about this and that. As my opinions and equipment we/have run our pretty much limited to Bobcat & Cat for the most part my opinions lie there. We have decided to go with the new CAT 259B3's, one of the major selling points for me as a wrench bender was the fact that my local dealer has an online parts store with interactive schematics of every machine and drop ships everything to my yard. No running around for this or that. Bobcat had been plenty good to me, and is not far from the shop, but price did not match up. Bobcat salesman wanted to play the negotiation game, not something that we were interested in, We told both CAT & Bobcat to come with there VERY best numbers the VERY first time for 2 brand new 2013 machines with ISO controls. CAT came in around 5K cheaper than Bobcat, then Bobcat wanted to beat CATS number, so we told them that if we do that for them we would call CAT back and give them an opportunity to rebid as well for our business. It turned out that even after all the Bobcat guys tried to do calling every 5 minutes saying this and that, they still could not get too where CAT was. Nor could they match the 0 down, 0% interest.
All this being said I still like Bobcat and think they definitely make a good piece of equipment and in my eyes after running both and looking at the serviceability of both I could not really come with an major difference in the two, except for the tilt (bobcat*) & ride (cat*) everything else seemed very comparable.
O I will also add this, the new combo bucket that Bobcat did bring with there demo was VERY NICE. all 3 edges were bolt on, no more cutting and welding, also the outside vertical edges of the bucket had replaceable edges to keep from getting into the structural metal of the bucket. Very Nice!
All in all I still have Bobcat, New Holland, Case, CAT, and even a few darn Toro Dingo's (PITA - getting old)
There you have it.
All this being said I still like Bobcat and think they definitely make a good piece of equipment and in my eyes after running both and looking at the serviceability of both I could not really come with an major difference in the two, except for the tilt (bobcat*) & ride (cat*) everything else seemed very comparable.
O I will also add this, the new combo bucket that Bobcat did bring with there demo was VERY NICE. all 3 edges were bolt on, no more cutting and welding, also the outside vertical edges of the bucket had replaceable edges to keep from getting into the structural metal of the bucket. Very Nice!
All in all I still have Bobcat, New Holland, Case, CAT, and even a few darn Toro Dingo's (PITA - getting old)
There you have it.
watglen
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
- Messages
- 1,324
- Location
- Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
- Occupation
- Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
NCPIPELINE Not a single dodge in the herd????? You gotta be getting sick of those 6.0L by now.
:drinkup
:drinkup
Construct'O
Senior Member
Thanks for your personal thoughts and reasoning on the (two machines) comparsions.This helps others more in there decision making if there just wanting to compare the two brands,at least for your situration compared to others.Good luck with your new machines.
JCBiron
Well-Known Member
You guys didn't really expect this thread to make it without a JCB plug, did you???? Nah...I just thought I would give my .02 from a dealer perspective.....
It is funny how you can have two different people demo/inspect/evaluate the EXACT same machine and what one guy says is the "best he's ever been on" is the same feature another guy says "sucks". Ultimately, most manufacturers make pretty good stuff anymore.....and most have something they are REALLY good at.
This, of course, excludes JCB. They are the best at everything there ever was and ever will be and are going to get 96.2% market share in the whole-wide-world and no one will ever be able to beat them. EVER.
It is funny how you can have two different people demo/inspect/evaluate the EXACT same machine and what one guy says is the "best he's ever been on" is the same feature another guy says "sucks". Ultimately, most manufacturers make pretty good stuff anymore.....and most have something they are REALLY good at.
This, of course, excludes JCB. They are the best at everything there ever was and ever will be and are going to get 96.2% market share in the whole-wide-world and no one will ever be able to beat them. EVER.
JCBiron
Well-Known Member
Sorry guys, a Bot must have hacked my account on that last part
:iagree
Sorry guys, a Bot must have hacked my account on that last part
At least you have a sense of humor!
NCPIPELINE
Senior Member
O here we go, now the thread just hit the $hitter... :soapbox LOL. I will never like the single arm design. Sorry. What is funny about your post though is I said the exact same thing to Bobcat dealer when he picked up his demo. About everyone's machines are about equal with usually everyone doing something very well. My new planso for the equipment at the moment are something like this. I am going to keep run them until around 1250-1500 hrs, then trade them both in on 2 new machines. I figure by doing this I will pretty much trade 2 in get 1 for free, and only be making a payment on one machine. :usa
NCPIPELINE
Senior Member
Nope but I do have a nice cummins in a F650. I have actually just parted ways with the 450 after a long battle, I still won and got it right. That leaves me just 1 F550 with a 6.0 that will be the next truck to be replaced.
ointhead I hate to say this but I prefer to let my guys only drive the Fuso, Isuzu, type of trucks. They cant go screaming down the road with a skid steer and trying to roll 80+ all the damn time. The new fuso is a lil strange and definitely not built for comfort, but the MPG isn't bad, seats 7, and has a full dump body. O and they cant go about 70 LOL :stirthepot