bobcat t190 review

[jbird3898]

Latley i have been lokking at a bobcat t190 to replace my old 743b. i have mostly have been lokking on ebay to buyouta state togive me a break on taxes and such. Dont know much about the t190 if anyone has any help or experiances with the machine let me know. I have been looking at them wiht over 1500 hrs. Good? Bad decsion? I would not be using it everyday. Its just to have so i can stop renting bigger machines when i need them.
thanks for the help.

[WillieWonka1850]

Latley i have been lokking at a bobcat t190 to replace my old 743b. i have mostly have been lokking on ebay to buyouta state togive me a break on taxes and such. Dont know much about the t190 if anyone has any help or experiances with the machine let me know. I have been looking at them wiht over 1500 hrs. Good? Bad decsion? I would not be using it everyday. Its just to have so i can stop renting bigger machines when i need them.
thanks for the help.

Ask Ron ;)
He used to have a T190. Used to. :nono:

[Gravel Rat]

You know what Ronald's answer will be about Bobcat skid steers.

Why do you want a "Bobcat Brand".

I think I would be looking for a Takeuchi or a Case or Cat.

[WillieWonka1850]

You know what Ronald's answer will be about Bobcat skid steers.

Why do you want a "Bobcat Brand".

I think I would be looking for a Takeuchi or a Case or Cat.
I agree with GR.

In that size range I'd look for a Takkie, Case, or Cat.

For a larger machine, Bobcats are really good.

[BIGBEN2004]

Have you ever run a T190? They are not impressive at all. Even the dealers will tell you they are not Bobcats best machine. Their larger track machines are good but the T190 is weak on power and Hyd. strength. If you have not tried one I suggest you run one a day or two and see what you think.

[Gravel Rat]

The older wheeled skids like the 743 753 and 763 were good old machines.

I know where you can buy a 247 with a ripped track real cheap :laugh:

[ksss]

They are overweight, and underpowered and poorly designed, much like the T180 its radial lift brother and the T140 (so I hear, have not run that one personally). They are loud, go over relief while looking at a pile of pitrun. I have rented three different T190's all new or near new. They all performed the same way..........poorly.

However to be fair if your just using it for light duty type jobs (spreading mulch, picking up leaves, maybe spread small loads of topsoil) it may be fine from a performance standpoint. Durability I will leave for others who have owned them to talk about.

[Tigerotor77W]

picking up leaves

:laugh:

That's book-worthy.

[stuvecorp]

Ask Ron ;)
He used to have a T190. Used to. :nono:

I like that.:laugh:

[SellingIron]

The T190 would be a great improvement over the 743. Do you have a bobcat dealer close by?? That helps. The T190 is only 68" wide and is a great machine for its size.. Becareful of what others say on the site. Take it for what its worth. (not much) Demo one first and then see how you like it. You could try a take. TL130 nice machine. Hard to get warranty work done on them. Dealers don't stick around to long. (Come and Go) Cats not bad. Expensive parts. (Ask Ron) Stay away from the old 257b's. They have turbos and like to blow engines.. Case.. I would say ask someone who has one to see if they like it, but I know there aren't' to many out there...I think there are two people on this forum that got a great deal on one and felt bad for there dealer...Good luck ...:laugh:

[Digdeep]

The T190 would be a great improvement over the 743. Do you have a bobcat dealer close by?? That helps. The T190 is only 68" wide and is a great machine for its size.. Becareful of what others say on the site. Take it for what its worth. (not much) Demo one first and then see how you like it. You could try a take. TL130 nice machine. Hard to get warranty work done on them. Dealers don't stick around to long. (Come and Go) Cats not bad. Expensive parts. (Ask Ron) Stay away from the old 257b's. They have turbos and like to blow engines.. Case.. I would say ask someone who has one to see if they like it, but I know there aren't' to many out there...I think there are two people on this forum that got a great deal on one and felt bad for there dealer...Good luck ...:laugh:

The issue with the CAT 2.2L engines wasn't the turbo it was the head gasket and its been fixed for well over a year.

The T190 is definitely not my favorite but like SellingIron said, demo the ones you're interested in.

[bobcat_ron]

Try a Cat 242B2 with the VTS on it, 72" wide, bit wider than a 743, that will be my next Cat machine, or a 236B2.

Stay the hell away from any used Bobcat with tracks.
Cat's are cheap on fuel, quiet and you will love their radiators compared to a Bobcat.

[ksss]

The T190 would be a great improvement over the 743. Do you have a bobcat dealer close by?? That helps. The T190 is only 68" wide and is a great machine for its size.. Becareful of what others say on the site. Take it for what its worth. (not much) Demo one first and then see how you like it. You could try a take. TL130 nice machine. Hard to get warranty work done on them. Dealers don't stick around to long. (Come and Go) Cats not bad. Expensive parts. (Ask Ron) Stay away from the old 257b's. They have turbos and like to blow engines.. Case.. I would say ask someone who has one to see if they like it, but I know there aren't' to many out there...I think there are two people on this forum that got a great deal on one and felt bad for there dealer...Good luck ...:laugh:

A great machine for its size? Your kidding right, you should try running one instead of only looking out your window at them lined up in your yard. I could show you by the spec. sheet why they don't perform, safe to say it is pathetic.

Bobcat dealer close by? Yea thats gonna be important.

TK dealers come and go? How about Bobcat salesman? Do they come and go? I think they do.

As far as CASE goes, demo one against any like machine from BC or anyone else. See what you think.

Buy what you will, the question was what are the thoughts on the T190. Those are my thoughts and there are many who share the same thoughts on this model. I have fewer issues with some of the larger BC machines. My comments are not an assualt on BC as company, just a few really shitty machines, one of which is the T-190.

[stuvecorp]

Try a Cat 242B2 with the VTS on it, 72" wide, bit wider than a 743, that will be my next Cat machine, or a 236B2.

Stay the hell away from any used Bobcat with tracks.
Cat's are cheap on fuel, quiet and you will love their radiators compared to a Bobcat.

That is getting you closer to the dark side.:)

[jbird3898]

Thanks for the help guys i have ran a tak tl130 many times. I LOVE IT just dont think i can afford one right now. I have been looking at track loaders cause of the terrian i have been working on. Just alot of hills and such and i have fund that a track loader is alot more stable and safer for my use.

[thebobcatguy]

Latley i have been lokking at a bobcat t190 to replace my old 743b. i have mostly have been lokking on ebay to buyouta state togive me a break on taxes and such. Dont know much about the t190 if anyone has any help or experiances with the machine let me know. I have been looking at them wiht over 1500 hrs. Good? Bad decsion? I would not be using it everyday. Its just to have so i can stop renting bigger machines when i need them.
thanks for the help.
If you buy a T190 make sure that it is at least the 61 net hp model which would put it at 2005 and newer. Prior to 2005 the engines were rated at only 56 net hp and like most have said on this site, were very lacking in power. To me the strength of the dealer is a very important consideration and Bobcat has the best dealer network by far. A 1500 hr machine, (regardless of manufacturer) with the proper maintenance, still has lots of life left in it. If the maintenance wasn't done, it could turn out to be a money pit and you better have a dealer close by. Good luck.

[Tigerotor77W]

To me the strength of the dealer is a very important consideration and Bobcat has the best dealer network by far.

What guarantee does he have that his dealer is as strong as yours?

And by what measure is Bobcat's dealer network "strongest" -- and how do you justify "by far?"

[ksss]

What guarantee does he have that his dealer is as strong as yours?

And by what measure is Bobcat's dealer network "strongest" -- and how do you justify "by far?"


Good points, same can be said for all OEMs including CAT. I get excellent service, but its not the same everywhere. All it takes is a difficult service manager to make life hell. I think getting along with the service manger is more important in many ways than your relationship with the salesman. Once the deal is struck, the salesman's ability to help you out is only as strong as his ability to influence the service manager. Make nice with the service manager and life is good.

[Tigerotor77W]

Good points, same can be said for all OEMs including CAT. I get excellent service, but its not the same everywhere.

Right. I was careful to leave out brands for that very reason. :drinkup:

[Digdeep]

Good points, same can be said for all OEMs including CAT. I get excellent service, but its not the same everywhere. All it takes is a difficult service manager to make life hell. I think getting along with the service manger is more important in many ways than your relationship with the salesman. Once the deal is struck, the salesman's ability to help you out is only as strong as his ability to influence the service manager. Make nice with the service manager and life is good.

Good points. Most people judge a dealer network's strength based on the Geographic location/distance of the dealer to the customer and dealer personnel. Of course, parts stocking levels, technician skill level, machine inventories, etc. all play a big part as well.

[thebobcatguy]

What guarantee does he have that his dealer is as strong as yours?

And by what measure is Bobcat's dealer network "strongest" -- and how do you justify "by far?"

There is no guarantee of anything. The Bobcat dealer in my area treats me like gold but there is no guarantee that the guy down the street will be treated the same as me. I have built a relationship with my dealer and it has paid off for me. My point was to look at more than paint color before choosing a machine, after all, there are good and bad models with all manufacturers and to pick one based on brand alone is pretty stupid.

I justify Bobcat as having the strongest dealer network because they have been in the game the longest and they have the most skid steer/ctl dealers out there. Caterpillar, John Deere, and Case also have strong dealers but most that I have seen would rather be selling and servicing the large iron. I'm sure like most things that there are exceptions to the rule and you may have a great dealer.

[ksss]

The Bobcat dealer in my area treats me like gold but there is no guarantee that the guy down the street will be treated the same as me. I have built a relationship with my dealer and it has paid off for me. My point was to look at more than paint color before choosing a machine, after all, there are good and bad models with all manufacturers and to pick one based on brand alone is pretty stupid.



This is my situation was well. I have been working with my CASE dealer for 15 years now. I have built a solid relationship with them. Although I will admit the color of the machine is much more important to me. For me its CASE but if it was Deere or CAT or Bobcat, the dealer would have to be very poor for me to switch to a different OEM from the one I chose to run. I run the machines I do for a reason, I don't pick the OEM based on their service but rather the performance and reliablity of their product, thats what will make me more money. If the service was so terrible as to become an impediment to my business than I guess I would have to rethink that. However atleast around here no one is that bad, although all of them have their moments. That may be stupid, but to me you spend everyday in a machine and if the machine sucks and you dread running it everyday, its of little comfort that the machine has a great service or sales department.