Got a tire fixed and stayed for an hour......

[bobcat_ron]

I blew that little bugger of a tire on my Bobcat dumping hopper yesterday, and once I had it pulled off the rim, I saw that it was all shredded inside the tire (it ran on the rim with out me knowing) so I took it to the Bobcat dealer to get it replaced.
Needless to say they gave me the keys to a new E80 with thumb and rubber tracks, wow, very impressive.

High points are very impressive power, I travelled in low speed (full power) and moved the boom, swing, stick and bucket all at once and it never lost power or slowed down, no engine lugging and no jerky moves. The power management between the swing and boom while "jump turning" is awesome, just like the big machines.
HUGE cab, lots of head room, leg room, very comfortable pilot controls, short throw, but still a bit long. Extremely responsive, yet smooth reactions, even idle speed while keeping the bucket above the pavement, no jerking around.
Thumb control while travelling is good, no slow down/speed up while moving other functions.
Yanmar engine, need I say more?

Low points, travel speed in high range is slow, it's about as fast as our Hitachi ZX75 in low speed, the blade speed while travelling is piss poor, it needs a separate pump for that. Rubber tracks are not my thing on a 18,000+ pound machine, but they have single flanged rollers, they are prone to de-tracking on side hills.
Very tippy over the side, I raised the boom up 5 feet over the side of the tracks and dropped it and pulled up, it got tippy, it's a side mounted engine, so it will need more counterweight.
Very little right hand swing boom angle, lots of angle on the left, but put a wider bucket on it, and it will hit the cab.
Boom swing and thumb pedal on the floor, side by side, drove me nuts, but Doosan has the kit(s) for the pilots, but you lose the proportional control that you have with the floor pedals.

After the 20 minutes I was giving it the gears, I was impressed (for a Doosan) but but I still don't want to be the guinea pig.

[Gravel Rat]

I don't think I would want a 18,000lb machine on rubber tracks, maybe if it had road liners on steel tracks but full rubber bands forget it.

I think Komatsu pretty much has the 18,000lb market with the PC78 Utility.

[SpecOne]

Dang Ron. First your track on your kitty. Now your tires on the BC. You better check the soles of your shoes before you take another step. LOL!! :laugh::laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

Dang Ron. First your track on your kitty. Now your tires on the BC. You better check the soles of your shoes before you take another step. LOL!! :laugh::laugh:

Trust me, I'm going to watch my step tonight when I take a shower.

I didn't even want to see what the bil for the new tire came to.

[DirtMerchant]

I ran a larger Doosan we rented from the dealership in cloverdale. All I have to say is never Again.

[bobcat_ron]

I ran a larger Doosan we rented from the dealership in cloverdale. All I have to say is never Again.

That needs more explanation, that is a terrible location for a dealership.

[Junior M]

thumb control on the floor? :hammerhead:

Sounds like a nice machine though, why no pics?

[bobcat_ron]

thumb control on the floor? :hammerhead:

Sounds like a nice machine though, why no pics?

I forgot the camera at home.

[DirtMerchant]

That needs more explanation, that is a terrible location for a dealership.

The doosan I ran felt like it was made out of bamboo, and really really lacked power and was slow for it's size. It was potentially worse then a Sany, which are probably the biggest heaps of garbage on the market right now.

The dealership is a terrible location. But there lease/rent agreement is extremely cheap, they had a shop already existing and no need to build one. It is fairly central to langley/abbotsford and also richmond/surrey which is where most of there equipment ends up. Typically the people that have over run surrey, like cheap machines. So in a way it is a good location. The chance of the company having a really good foot hold here is slim all they've really got going for them are serboginfhsdfgasdgsdfgds green material handlers. So lower start up costs, means more time to get product out.

[bobcat_ron]

Here's the pic of the E80:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures2873.jpg

And the angle blade on an E35:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/rdj07/Pictures2874.jpg

[Gravel Rat]

The boom on the machine looks too big. The boom cylinder looks under sized the quick connect looks poorly designed and the thumb is too light for the machine.

I don't think too many of that model will be sold. The other problem it has is the rubber bands.

Oh well more cheap Bobcrap crap.

[bobcat_ron]

The boom on the machine looks too big. The boom cylinder looks under sized the quick connect looks poorly designed and the thumb is too light for the machine.

I don't think too many of that model will be sold. The other problem it has is the rubber bands.

Oh well more cheap Bobcrap crap.

It's still parked in the same way I left it, and that place was a ghost town, only 2 grease monkies, just a bad, bad feeling when I was there this afternoon.

[Gravel Rat]

That machine will probably sit there at that dealer for a year or more. The economy in B.C. isn't that great there is no demand for machine sales.

Is that Bobcat Country or a Surfwood yard ?

[bobcat_ron]

That machine will probably sit there at that dealer for a year or more. The economy in B.C. isn't that great there is no demand for machine sales.

Is that Bobcat Country or a Surfwood yard ?

It's at Bobcat Country, I was there to pick up my auger, and I even spotted Al Roy's busted 430 excavator, leaking oil as usual. :laugh:

[Gravel Rat]

I don't think Al is working for Fast Trac anymore.

[bobcat_ron]

Now I dropped off the auger and they let me try the new S630, nice machine, but not very impressive.
They still have a weak quick attach frame, the Power Bob-tach cylinder actually pulls it and twists it when the cylinder is at the ends, the hoses from the Bob-tach hung so low I caught them on the gravel, you can't see you quick attach frame with out leaning forward (so much for the cab forward design) the radiators are a joke, the cover has a lockable latch (good) but the entire cover needs to be hinged, this cover can be taken right out, and it was a bit of fun getting it back in with the engine is hot.

If the rear door is open, and you need to clean the rads out, you better be wearing flame resistant clothing, my gut was up against the hot engine and muffler and I had to stretch my arms out to get the rads up, you almost need to stand on a platform to do it right.

Nice cab, the A/C was on (not as cold as the Cat's) but vents everywhere, above and beside you and the cabs are wider with better switches for the options.
The lights are expensive, break them and you will be paying some big cash for them.

Incredible visibilty to the top of the loader while dumping into a truck, this was the best I have ever seen, wider and taller front window, but the windshield wiper motor is too big and it blocks the view,Cat's is still the best design.
The frame of the front window is just as weak as Cat's, but it's flatter up and down, and still rounded across.

Overall, really nice and quiet, the rowing oar handles are bent inwards, but they still caught me as I got out.
Getting in and out was much easier, higher front opening and lower threshold, I really liked it, but it's still no Cat, and I won't buy new again.

[Junior M]

Now I dropped off the auger and they let me try the new S630, nice machine, but not very impressive.
They still have a weak quick attach frame, the Power Bob-tach cylinder actually pulls it and twists it when the cylinder is at the ends, the hoses from the Bob-tach hung so low I caught them on the gravel, you can't see you quick attach frame with out leaning forward (so much for the cab forward design) the radiators are a joke, the cover has a lockable latch (good) but the entire cover needs to be hinged, this cover can be taken right out, and it was a bit of fun getting it back in with the engine is hot.

If the rear door is open, and you need to clean the rads out, you better be wearing flame resistant clothing, my gut was up against the hot engine and muffler and I had to stretch my arms out to get the rads up, you almost need to stand on a platform to do it right.

Nice cab, the A/C was on (not as cold as the Cat's) but vents everywhere, above and beside you and the cabs are wider with better switches for the options.
The lights are expensive, break them and you will be paying some big cash for them.

Incredible visibilty to the top of the loader while dumping into a truck, this was the best I have ever seen, wider and taller front window, but the windshield wiper motor is too big and it blocks the view,Cat's is still the best design.
The frame of the front window is just as weak as Cat's, but it's flatter up and down, and still rounded across.

Overall, really nice and quiet, the rowing oar handles are bent inwards, but they still caught me as I got out.
Getting in and out was much easier, higher front opening and lower threshold, I really liked it, but it's still no Cat, and I won't buy new again.
Hmm, makes me think I might be impressed with it..