SideXSide Action - April 2008 - (Page 20)

Bobcat 2300 & ToolCat A s a young teenager I worked with my father in construction during the summer months while school was out. My dad had always instilled a strict work ethic with my two brothers and me, and at times we became more employees than offspring. I can’t say that I always enjoyed the back-breaking work involved in concrete laying, but it did leave me with one thing: an appreciation for a machine that can make that work easier! Anyone who has ever graded a 1,200 sq. ft. back patio with a two-foot swell in the center or has dug eight feet into a hillside for a retaining wall knows that, at the end of the day, the last thing you want to do is pick up another shovel. I was always envious of the construction crews driving down the road with their flatbed trailers full of useful machines; machines that could probably do my full day’s work in less than an hour. These machines represented freedom from the confines of my splinter-bearing shovel, and offered an element of fun to anyone who sat in their lap of luxury. Being in the smaller scale side of the construction industry, there was always one style of vehicle that stood out as the ultimate in backyard and home renovation: The S-Series loader. In fact, back then I didn’t even know that there were other brands of this type of small loader. I had just always called the vehicles “Bobcats.” Recently, I had the opportunity to be a part of Bobcat’s 50 Years Unleashed celebration. This celebration commemorated fifty years of business and looked back on the past to show media outlets like Side X Side Action Magazine where Bobcat came from, and where they’re going. I’ve never considered myself a farmer or a construction guru, so my knowledge of operating an excavator, compact tractor, and track loader is minimal. The recent Bobcat event in Lake Las Vegas gave me a chance to brush up on my tractor driving skills, as well as get behind the wheel (and controls) of some rather large utility equipment. { The Swiss Army Knives of Utility Vehicles } is similar and actually much more comfortable than the traditional Side X Side. The front attachment operations for the Toolcat are very similar to that of a tractor, and for you gamers out there you’ll love the joystick configuration. The Toolcat offers the same patented attachment hookup system as many of the other products in the Bobcat line-up and is offered with a huge variety of attachable devices to make your work at home and the jobsite much more enjoyable. It was a nice change of pace to play around with the tractors and excavators that Bobcat had on display for us at the event, but my need to get behind the wheel of a Side X Side utility vehicle increased when I saw what Bobcat had to offer. First off, some of you may have seen the rather large-looking vehicle hurling snow on the previous page and are thinking, “That is not a Side X Side; it’s a snowplow.” Well, you would be correct, because as it is set up there it is a snowplow. However, tomorrow it could be a pallet lift and then the following day it could be a loader, depending on its owner’s workload and mood. The vehicle shown is Bobcat’s answer to both the utility vehicle user who wants more power and lifting capability, and the larger equipment owner who wants something smaller for his personal use. The Toolcat is Bobcat’s version of a utility Swiss Army Knife. When I first saw the Toolcat my jaw dropped to the floor and I could not wait to get inside its enclosed cab and “do some work.” From first glance, the Toolcat offered everything you would need to complete light to moderate projects around your property. With a 1,500 lb. bucket load rating, the Toolcat can easily move dirt around, something I had longed for during my construction days. While the Toolcat is much larger than the traditional Side X Side, the drive feel After hopping out of the Toolcat, I was able to jump behind the wheel of the 2300 utility vehicle. The 2300 may be the runt of the litter when it comes to the larger-scaled tractors and loaders offered by Bobcat, but this machine isn’t just for work. The 2300 is Bobcat’s response to the “Work during the week; Play on the weekends” crowd. It offers a 20 HP diesel engine that just won’t quit, plush suspension for play, and 1,200 lb. capacity when it’s time to work. If you’re buying this Side X Side for light work and some fun on the trails, you won’t be disappointed. Bobcat set up a small obstacle course with off-camber ditches, hill climbs, and ground-clearance mounds – all of which the Bobcat blew through as if it were asking for more. Having driven just about every Side X Side under the sun, I was able to really examine the drivability of this machine. While it excelled in the hill climbing and pulling portions, the rear leaf spring suspension gave me the bobble head treatment. I enjoyed tooling around in the 2300 on the military style course, but it wasn’t until I jumped behind the seat of a 2300 with the Rapid Link attachment system that I really started to have some fun. The Rapid Link attachment system turns the 2300 into a full-on workhorse. Much like the larger Toolcat, the 2300 transforms from off-road rider to off-road trail maker in no time. With many of the same attachments as the Toolcat, the work-ready 2300 can move up to 500 lbs. of dirt with the loader attachment as well as up to 800 lbs. of 20 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SideXSide Action - April 2008

SideXSide Action - April 2008 Contents Mailbox News Tips & Tricks Race Interview Next: Bobcat Soldier Meadows Win a Rhino CORR Season Wrap Up Race Year in Review Built For It: Rath Racing Prowler Product Review Shock Adjustments Tech: CDI & ECU Boxes Company Spotlight: Legend Off-Road Wheel Buyers Guide SXS Shoot-Out Gallery Shot New Products On The Go Photo

SideXSide Action - April 2008

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