Bobcat tractors???

I am finally going to bite the bullet and buy compact tractor. There is a great deal on bobcat tractors right now. Free front end loader or 80 months financing at 0% interest. I am looking at the cash deal and the dealership I would be buying it from already had them marked down. Basically, I can get a bobcat 35hp tractor with front end loader for almost $10k cheaper then any of brand of tractor in the same class. I have not read anything bad about their tractors. The only thing bad I have read about them is that bobcat had been in the compact tractor business in the past and they got out of it and now they are back. Are they giving these great deals to get a better share of the market and if they are unsuccessful, are they going to pull out again?

The main issue that I have with bobcat tractors is that the nearest dealership is 50 miles away. There is a Kioti dealership 5 miles away. The Kioti dealership has a used Kioti CK3510 with front end loader with 150 hours for $3500 less than the bobcat. It still has some warranty on it. If the bobcat has to be taken in, I have to take a half a day off where as the Kioti I can drop it off at lunch. I am leaning towards the Kioti but really like the deal on the bobcat.

John Deere also has 0% for up to 84 months. I just bought a 5075E with loader, grapple and post hold digger. May have been a couple thousand less but I am done with the more off brand tractors, not that Bobcat is off brand.

Bobcat makes very good equipment.
A lot of parts will interchange with other equipment. Don't have one myself but have used them on job sites for over 40 years. I have New Holland and Kubota.
Hope this helps.

I just bought a 3025D 4x4 John Deere with R1 Ag Tires, but my brother's neighbor has a bobcat 35 hp with loader R4 tires and about every attachment you can think of. Now as far as comparison. We just worked both side by side yesterday as we were hit head on with a category 1 hurricane Monday morning. As far as the loader goes, my 3025 D can lift and move anything his can. Tractor looks to be very similar size and probably weighs nearly same. Mine definitely has a lot more power to the wheels but mine is a gear driven tractor and his is hydrostatic. I think his bobcat is a solid tractor though. He can move and change directions with the hydro seamlessly where mine is a shuttle and a lil slower on changing from forward to reverse but not enough to make me want a hydro.

FlGunner said:

I just bought a 3025D 4x4 John Deere with R1 Ag Tires, but my brother's neighbor has a bobcat 35 hp with loader R4 tires and about every attachment you can think of. Now as far as comparison. We just worked both side by side yesterday as we were hit head on with a category 1 hurricane Monday morning. As far as the loader goes, my 3025 D can lift and move anything his can. Tractor looks to be very similar size and probably weighs nearly same. Mine definitely has a lot more power to the wheels but mine is a gear driven tractor and his is hydrostatic. I think his bobcat is a solid tractor though. He can move and change directions with the hydro seamlessly where mine is a shuttle and a lil slower on changing from forward to reverse but not enough to make me want a hydro.

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I have looked at the 3025's but the bobcat 2035 has 10 more hp and with the current deals right now is probably $4k less which is why I have been looking at it. I think its the same with the John Deere 30 series but with the bobcat CT20 series, everything is pretty much the same as far as loader lifting capability. More horsepower does not buy you more lift. I have been trying to figure out the difference between 25hp compact tractors and 35hp compact tractors. As far as I have found, the 35hp are faster and give you more pto horsepower to run larger implements. They are only a few hundred pounds heavier. The 25hp version which is the same size as the JD 3025 at the dealership I am looking at are just under $16k with a loader. I think at my JD dealer, a new 3025 is around $24k. I have been contemplating the 25hp as well but the 35hp is such a good price its hard to walk away from.

If the dealership wasn't 50 miles away, I would have one sitting in my driveway right now.

I took my tractors back to the dealer towards the end of the given year that I bought them for the free service I got when I purchased them. And have Never had to take them back. I do all my own service work. New Holland Tc33r 25 yrs old, kubota L3350 8 yrs old.
Unless you're running all day at the same speed you do not need a shuttle shift,
Hydraulic work very well. Around 35 hp is all someone usually needs. IMO
Hope this helps.

I wouldn't be afraid of the Kubota with 150 hours. That should have had all the bugs worked out by then. You can also get an extended warranty if you feel the need. My one piece of advice is to get the biggest thing you can. That way you won't be maxing it out or straining to do what you need done. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices you are looking at.

2 months ago I bought a brand new Massey Ferguson 35 hp for the 0% 84 month deal.
I've got nearly a hundred hours on it and absolutely love it.
It's a beast.
Mine is the shuttle shift with R4 tires.

Jim,
My son just bought the 25hp Bobcat with loader, 60" mid mower and brush hog about month ago. He has good experience running my Bx2380 Kubota and sees big improvement over it in just their practicality. He has home on 12 acres that he uses it for all sorts of maintenance. Also has 20 acres hunting parcel that is going to get some serious land work. I just happened to ask him couple days ago on how it was doing and is still in honeymoon. . So far no regrets.

bdlesh said:

I wouldn't be afraid of the Kubota with 150 hours. That should have had all the bugs worked out by then. You can also get an extended warranty if you feel the need. My one piece of advice is to get the biggest thing you can. That way you won't be maxing it out or straining to do what you need done. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices you are looking at.

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Thats why I am leaning towards the kioti now. I keep swinging back and forth between the 2

Tom264 said:

2 months ago I bought a brand new Massey Ferguson 35 hp for the 0% 84 month deal.
I've got nearly a hundred hours on it and absolutely love it.
It's a beast.
Mine is the shuttle shift with R4 tires.
View attachment 592580

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Thats purdy. I could kick myself. My massey dealer had those for $22k and 60 mo same as cash back in 2022. They have jumped considerably in price since then. I have a massey, john deere, and kioti dealerships within 5 miles of my house and kubota, TYM, LS, and bad boy within 10 miles of my house. The closest bobcat dealership is 50 miles from my house.

JimFromTN said:

Thats why I am leaning towards the kioti now. I keep swinging back and forth between the 2

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No matter which one, I am ticked off at Kubota on the loader attachment. They went from positive pin to PITA "easy on". Which means do NOT back blade with loader. You can pop the loader out of its bracket easily. Ask me. My previous Kubota was pinned. Never thought to double check on a swap. I hate the loader attachment.

The Bobcat is pinned so you can do heavier work without risk.

JMO

JimFromTN said:

I have looked at the 3025's but the bobcat 2035 has 10 more hp and with the current deals right now is probably $4k less which is why I have been looking at it. I think its the same with the John Deere 30 series but with the bobcat CT20 series, everything is pretty much the same as far as loader lifting capability. More horsepower does not buy you more lift. I have been trying to figure out the difference between 25hp compact tractors and 35hp compact tractors. As far as I have found, the 35hp are faster and give you more pto horsepower to run larger implements. They are only a few hundred pounds heavier. The 25hp version which is the same size as the JD 3025 at the dealership I am looking at are just under $16k with a loader. I think at my JD dealer, a new 3025 is around $24k. I have been contemplating the 25hp as well but the 35hp is such a good price its hard to walk away from.

If the dealership wasn't 50 miles away, I would have one sitting in my driveway right now.

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Yeah you'll gain about 9 hp at the pto with the 35 hp. I was $28,300 out the door with loader, 3rd function hydraulic, root grapple, 5' rotary cutter, and added a 5' frontier disc harrow a week later for another $1,500. I went with JD because Kubota (Crystal tractor) wanted a heck of a lot more for the same size tractor and implements, and I felt JD was the better route to go as far as what I know about service issues with them at the Kubota dealer as well. I know my brother's neighbor likes his bobcat. But our closest dealer is over an hr away in Tallahassee for us and they mainly cater to commercial items this skid steers and such.

One thing I would say is look and see if it has a steel rear end…I didn't think to look at the bobcat yesterday. But that's another reason I went with the D series over the E (hydrostatic) of John Deere…. The 30 E series has an aluminum rear end. And there's a few other manufacturers out there doing the same.

JimFromTN said:

I have looked at the 3025's but the bobcat 2035 has 10 more hp and with the current deals right now is probably $4k less which is why I have been looking at it. I think its the same with the John Deere 30 series but with the bobcat CT20 series, everything is pretty much the same as far as loader lifting capability. More horsepower does not buy you more lift. I have been trying to figure out the difference between 25hp compact tractors and 35hp compact tractors. As far as I have found, the 35hp are faster and give you more pto horsepower to run larger implements. They are only a few hundred pounds heavier. The 25hp version which is the same size as the JD 3025 at the dealership I am looking at are just under $16k with a loader. I think at my JD dealer, a new 3025 is around $24k. I have been contemplating the 25hp as well but the 35hp is such a good price its hard to walk away from.

If the dealership wasn't 50 miles away, I would have one sitting in my driveway right now.

Click to expand...

Yeah you'll gain about 9 hp at the pto with the 35 hp. I was $28,300 out the door with loader, 3rd function hydraulic, root grapple, 5' rotary cutter, and added a 5' frontier disc harrow a week later for another $1,500. I went with JD because Kubota (Crystal tractor) wanted a heck of a lot more for the same size tractor and implements, and I felt JD was the better route to go as far as what I know about service issues with them at the Kubota dealer as well. I know my brother's neighbor likes his bobcat. But our closest dealer is over an hr away in Tallahassee for us and they mainly cater to commercial items this skid steers and such.

One thing I would say is look and see if it has a steel rear end…I didn't think to look at the bobcat yesterday. But that's another reason I went with the D series over the E (hydrostatic) of John Deere…. The 30 E series has an aluminum rear end. And there's a few other manufacturers out there doing the same.