so i test drove a 242d today. the final analysis is i wish i woulda kept the jcb 205 for 2-3 more years, and then reevaluated my options. the cab on the jcb is sweet. the cat cab is better than bobcat, but not quite as sweet as the jcb; although the seat was better.
i would call the 242 half way between a 595 and a 650. it is physically a bigger machine than our bobcat; not much, but an extra inch or 2 in length would make it too long for us. i measure from the front of the front tire to the back of the machine. we used to run a 642 bobcat back in the day which was probably the ideal size for our setup, but we have gradually been getting an inch or 2 longer here and there somewhere you reach a length that is too long.
the cat has a sweet seat, pretty sweet cab, good visibility to the front and sides. i didn't notice where the joysticks bounced side to side like they do on the bobcat.
i didn't like the narrowness to the cab for legs and feet, intrusive foot throttle, poor rear visibility. i would prefer the joysticks closer to me than adjustment would allow. the joysticks were pretty low effort, but throw i thought was a bit too much. i prefer the joysticks in the kubota and the jcb as far as throw and effort.
the cat eh software is better than jcb, but not as good as the latest bobcat software in my opinion.
i didn't like the lack of bucket cylinder cushioning. i thought the ride control setup was acceptable, although i would still prefer a button on the joystick for that.
i tell you if kubota makes their cab quiet when they offer joysticks, they might have quite a machine.
i found the cat to be an acceptable machine overall.
check out the design of this armrest, seat, joystick configuration in the jcb. this is the way it should be, it was perfect.
http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...steer_interior_09_01_10_96924_hero_no_cup.jpg
