Oh you can do better.

 

I've used the 337 and really liked it. Never tried the 400 series. bobcat is a solid machine despite what Ron may whisper to you.

 

I have ran the 337, its a great machine, the 335, 331, and 329 are all great machines. the 430 absolutely sucks!! I have never ran the 435 but if it is anything like the 430 you should run as fast as possible away from it. If your set on buying a zts machine I would go check out some other brands because bobcat isnt the one to buy one from.. For a zts I would recommend a Deere or maybe a CAT

 

I have run quite a few different brands, I would say that the Bobcat 435 is USA built and worked great for our work. It has a high bucket breakout force and very powerful. There are some more smooth models out there but I see no problems with it once you have good dealer support. There are some guys on this forum who support Cat alot so don't believe everything you read because not everyone is as objective as you may think or as they may say.

Good Luck

 

Some of what Ron whispers in your ear is right on Bobcat. I think Bobcat's hydraulic flow in this machine is good compared to the market and the bucket/stick forces are right there along with dig depth. The machine is right at the top with other machines but here's the big problem....

The Bobcat 435 requires more HP to accomplish what the other machines in its class do. That just means you will consume more fuel each and every operating hour to get the same performance as the other competitor's in the category. You better get a really good deal discount on the Bobcat to overcome this for the life of the machine if you run it at a high production rate. It also depreciates faster than other excavators. These all factor into your hourly operating cost.

Ohh, it also lifts less even though it weighs more than others.

The more HP issue makes me think inefficiency in the design.

 

The 435 specs poorly compared to most everyone elses machine in this class. Bucket breakout being worst. My figures show 7800 pounds, compared to a TK 145 at 10K and a CASE 50B at 11000K. The arm crowd force is better than the TK by a couple hundred pounds but weaker than the 50D by about 500. There is more to an excavator than a spec sheet though and a demo will tell you what you need to know. I would at least demo a couple other makes before giving you money to BC without making the machine earn it. I have always liked the BC excavator cabs. I find them comfortable. They are not as smooth though as most of the Japanese machines. I run a TK TB153FR not much to complain about. It runs like a much larger excavator.

 

I went back and looked at the specs and KSSS is right on the CASE, TAK and CAT but the Bobcat is right there with the Hitachi/Deere in its class and nearly everything else. TAK and CAT generally have the highest bucket forces (and are generally great bucket diggers) but have less stick force.

I can't get behind Bobcat machines in terms of feedback/touch in their controls-they just do not work for me. I think overall their machines lack in the total package compared to Komatsu, CASE, TAK, and heaven forbid CAT.

Some guys like them. We did not but that does not mean they do not work for you or your situation. Finally, a few last words...demo, demo, demo.

As an aside to KSSS...

where are you pulling your data from?

 

I went back and looked at the specs and KSSS is right on the CASE, TAK and CAT but the Bobcat is right there with the Hitachi/Deere in its class and nearly everything else. TAK and CAT generally have the highest bucket forces (and are generally great bucket diggers) but have less stick force.

I can't get behind Bobcat machines in terms of feedback/touch in their controls-they just do not work for me. I think overall their machines lack in the total package compared to Komatsu, CASE, TAK, and heaven forbid CAT.

Some guys like them. We did not but that does not mean they do not work for you or your situation. Finally, a few last words...demo, demo, demo.

As an aside to KSSS...

where are you pulling your data from?

It is true that some machines are better arm diggers and some bucket diggers. The TK is certainly a bucket digger. I do a lot of concrete removal and demo, not to mention digging in frost and I find that high bucket breakout forces serve me best. Although I have no issue with my machines crowd force. So for me I always look at bucket breakout forces, granted I think some of these numbers achieved with very short tip radius buckets and probably not the same bucket I am using, but never the less the higher the break out the more interested I am.

I got those numbers from the CASE website which has comparative specs for a lot their product line.

 

I had the opportunity to run a 337 and I didn't like the machine in regards to a couple things. First of all, the pilot valves. Holy crap, no feeling, lots of effort needed to move the sticks around around, felt like I was running a wobble stick backhoe with half as much leverage, Bobcat's pilot controls are terrible! The machine seemed awful sluggish as well, I could've taken a nap waiting for the bucket to curl. Crowd seemed quick, boom up was okay, but bucket curl was terrible and swing was slow. After only 3 minutes on the machine, I was waiting for the machine to catch up with me on every move. Now, the rest of the machine I could get along with. 337 had a lot of tractive power, fairly quick 2 speed (with button on blade lever, kudos there), high backed seat was okay, machine seemed fairly stable as well. I don't like how you have to push a button to engage auxiliary hydraulics, that is pointless IMO. I haven't run a 435 and I didn't spend a serious amount of time on this late model 337 with only a couple hundred hours, but if the 435 is anything like the 337 I ran, I'd say there are much better candidates. Hell, as bad as everyone bashes the previous series Cat 305CR's, they have the 337 beat by a long shot and are zero tail to boot.

 

i own a bobcat 334 excavator its a nice machine i never had any problem with it at all. I demoed a 435 i felt it was one of the nicest bobcat excavators i ever ran i actually liked it better then the 337

 

We have two 435's, a 2004 and a 2008 we just purchased. For what we ask of the machines they do very well for us. These machines are more like accessories for our company so we don't ask as much as many probasbly do. They are well built, recently when we bought the lastest 435 we tried a Cat 305CCR and metal wise I just didn't see it. The bobcat has a much heavier duty blade and dual cylinders, for one example. Also, the Cat thumb looked like a joke compared to the bobcat thumb. The Cat does have a much nicer cab with more glass and more foot room. I didn't notice a great difference between the controls on the Cat and the Bobcat, if anything the Cat controls seemed delayed and touchy compared to the 435's. We mostly do final grading, tight digging like for slab plumbing, and digging around utilities with our machines and they perform very well for us. We did have some issues with the drive motors on the orginal machine but after being replaced under warrenty in the first year we have been without any major problems. The 2004 has about 3000 hours and the newer machine is up to 200 I believe so far so good. Also, a big factor in this for us was price, we got the Bobcats for much less then we could get the Cat for because our Bobcat dealer is trying to grab business where ever they can. The local dealer and the salesman are also very responsive and will work with us on anything as far as loaners, service, etc. The Cat dealer does as well with our bigger equipment but they couldn't touch the deals we got on the Bobcats.

Anyway i can definatly recommend them for what we do but the main question is what do you plan on doing with the machine mostly? This might help figure out what you need the most out of a machine.

 

We have two 435's, a 2004 and a 2008 we just purchased. For what we ask of the machines they do very well for us. These machines are more like accessories for our company so we don't ask as much as many probasbly do. They are well built, recently when we bought the lastest 435 we tried a Cat 305CCR and metal wise I just didn't see it. The bobcat has a much heavier duty blade and dual cylinders, for one example. Also, the Cat thumb looked like a joke compared to the bobcat thumb. The Cat does have a much nicer cab with more glass and more foot room. I didn't notice a great difference between the controls on the Cat and the Bobcat, if anything the Cat controls seemed delayed and touchy compared to the 435's. We mostly do final grading, tight digging like for slab plumbing, and digging around utilities with our machines and they perform very well for us. We did have some issues with the drive motors on the orginal machine but after being replaced under warrenty in the first year we have been without any major problems. The 2004 has about 3000 hours and the newer machine is up to 200 I believe so far so good. Also, a big factor in this for us was price, we got the Bobcats for much less then we could get the Cat for because our Bobcat dealer is trying to grab business where ever they can. The local dealer and the salesman are also very responsive and will work with us on anything as far as loaners, service, etc. The Cat dealer does as well with our bigger equipment but they couldn't touch the deals we got on the Bobcats.

Anyway i can definatly recommend them for what we do but the main question is what do you plan on doing with the machine mostly? This might help figure out what you need the most out of a machine.

you cant compare the price of cat 305ccr and a bobcat 435. Cat matches there 305 vs the 337. When i demoed the 337 it was def a nice machine but i liked the cat better it was smoother and stronger. I also demoed a 2008 435 and i felt that machine was very nice as well and it was smoother and quieter then the 337 but did not have the same power as the 337 or the 305. I def like the thumb on the bobcat better thou i give you that but the cab you cant beat that cat

 

Bobcat's thumbs are a joke, if that was a design that worked on the bigger excavators, everyone would use them. I do like the saw toothing, but the whole design is weak and it sticks out too far from the stick.

 

Bobcat's thumbs are a joke, if that was a design that worked on the bigger excavators, everyone would use them. I do like the saw toothing, but the whole design is weak and it sticks out too far from the stick.

i disagree ron i actually like the thumb set up on my bobcat better then the set up on the cat

 

Oh you can do better.

Nah they are good machines, The older one 2006 or older had some bugs in them especially the fast track models but Bobcat has it right now. Good machine, large cab (much bigger than the MX made in japan (cat., deere, NH) but dig depth is some times alittle short

 

i should add that the price difference between the 305 and the 304 cat was only $1500, so even still using the 304 as comparison the price was far enough off to make the bobcat an easier choice. Also, how can you possibly say the cat thumb is a better design lol. I like cat as much as the next guy but come on, lets be realistic, light duty as hell compared to the bobcat and the machine i tried it got tied up in the teeth when it was brought into the bucket.

 

Bobcat's thumbs are a joke, if that was a design that worked on the bigger excavators, everyone would use them. I do like the saw toothing, but the whole design is weak and it sticks out too far from the stick.

that's just it they are not made to work on a "bigger excavators", and using that logic why wouldn't caterpiller use the same system they use on their larger track machine on there MTLs, instead of a system designed by a company (asv) who designed it from there snow grooming equipment.

 

i disagree ron i actually like the thumb set up on my bobcat better then the set up on the cat

The thumb on the Deere mini has to take the cake in this market for the cheesiest thumb. CAT uses Amulet if I remember from my 305 Quote which is light but the Deere thumb is a complete POS. Especially if you tear out a lot of concrete. Their quick coupler which should be renamed slow coupler is also lame. If you don't change buckets often I guess it is no big deal, but if you do that is a lot of time wasted especially if you going from bucket to hoe pac and back again all day like I do. The wedge coupler is self adjusting for wear, but over the life of a pin grabber type I can replace my coupler when it gets sloppy and still be money ahead of the Deere wedge coupler when you factor in the time it takes to switch buckets. Sorry I digress.

 

The thumb on the Deere mini has to take the cake in this market for the cheesiest thumb. CAT uses Amulet if I remember from my 305 Quote which is light but the Deere thumb is a complete POS. Especially if you tear out a lot of concrete. Their quick coupler which should be renamed slow coupler is also lame. If you don't change buckets often I guess it is no big deal, but if you do that is a lot of time wasted especially if you going from bucket to hoe pac and back again all day like I do. The wedge coupler is self adjusting for wear, but over the life of a pin grabber type I can replace my coupler when it gets sloppy and still be money ahead of the Deere wedge coupler when you factor in the time it takes to switch buckets. Sorry I digress.

ksss you ever operate a bobcat excavator? If so what do you think about them

 

ksss you ever operate a bobcat excavator? If so what do you think about them

I have run the 322, 325, 331, 337, and 341. I have liked the cabs, the track power seems good. I have not liked the control package in them. There are not many around here any more. The larger machines seemed to struggle with hyd. problems and quickly got a bad rap. Even the local Deere/BC dealer pushes the Deere/hitachi machines before the BC excavator. BC owned this market in the 90's but the competetion I think has surpassed them. I have yet to run the 430 or 435.

 

I have run the 322, 325, 331, 337, and 341. I have liked the cabs, the track power seems good. I have not liked the control package in them. There are not many around here any more. The larger machines seemed to struggle with hyd. problems and quickly got a bad rap. Even the local Deere/BC dealer pushes the Deere/hitachi machines before the BC excavator. BC owned this market in the 90's but the competetion I think has surpassed them. I have yet to run the 430 or 435.

Ksss, I think you would like the 335, if it had different controls in it...

Bobcat use to run the market just about everywhere in the 90's, and then CAT and many other brands came in in the late nineties and bobcat has yet to really be up on the current technology since then...

 

Ksss, I think you would like the 335, if it had different controls in it...

Bobcat use to run the market just about everywhere in the 90's, and then CAT and many other brands came in in the late nineties and bobcat has yet to really be up on the current technology since then...

From what i have heard Ingersol rand was the problem at Bobcat. They are a public traded stock and all they worried about was trimming cost to help the bottom line, and as the parent company they kept the ropes to tight.
Now with Doosan (family owned Korean) things are changing for the better, I hope so

 

From what i have heard Ingersol rand was the problem at Bobcat. They are a public traded stock and all they worried about was trimming cost to help the bottom line, and as the parent company they kept the ropes to tight.
Now with Doosan (family owned Korean) things are changing for the better, I hope so

I hope they change, I would seriously look at a CAT CTL if my dad wasnt stuck on bobcat, he says that he has had alot of bobcat equipment and he never had a problem with it so why change...