Updated our Bobcat 334 with a nice, brand-new E42 with all kinds of options. It has the long arm option with extra counterweight, enclosed cab, heat, air conditioning, secondary hydraulics, suspension cloth seat, hydraulic coupler, hydraulic thumb, keyless start, radio, a 24" severe duty bucket, and I think that's it, lol. So here are the pics. First job is shed, pool, and concrete patio demo and excavating addition, second is a small drainage job, and third is a wall job we just started. Edit: I guess not this is one of the most confusing picture uploaders Ive ever used...
Ol' Willie created a great tutorial - Yeah, I would like to update my 2001 very tired 334 but the economy has to get better first...
Ok I think I got it. I figured out how to post them, but didn't know why it said file size to large, and then took a little while to figure out how to resize in paint without messing up the picture, so lets see this should work.
I have had the same problem posting pics to HEF from my Macbook. Nedly05 posted in his Some Random Pics thread that if he emailed the pics to his Macbook, they would automatically re-size and it works well. Now what I do is email the pics I take on my Iphone and they are already re-sized. Post some pics of the finished wall.
Nice machine!
Thanks for the help cm1995. We had 2 334s, a 2002 that had about 1500 hrs. before we traded it in on a new 2006 and we put over 2000 hours on it. We had tracks replaced at 1500 hours, and had a short in one of the wires which went to the radio that would kill the battery in the winter so we just removed the radio. Other than that just oil changes and the bolts for the shanks on the buckets broke fairly often, but we fixed that by getting the severe duty bucket with weld on shanks. We have rarely had any problems and when we have, our dealer has been there 100% of the time for the last 20 years. Definately our go to brand, hope you have good luck with your 334 and get into one of these new beasts soon. And thanks for the compliment TCM
My 334 has been a good machine as well. I bought it new and really have not had any problems with it. It has around 2K hours, obviously not used on a regular basis over the last 10 years but has been a good machine. The main boom and blade cylinder needs to be re-packed as they're leaking some. It's running it's second set of tracks, other than normal service costs and fuel, that's is all the machine has cost over it's lifetime. I've also had the same problems with the bolt on shanks. The three buckets I have for the 334 are the only shanks I have left that are bolt on and use the top drive in roll-pins, which IMO are a complete abomination.:bash
Ya they have had some tooth designs that just leave you shaking your head. The ones we prefer have the rubber middle to them. As long as you have the tool to knock them out, a couple swings of a 3 pound hammer and they are out. We did have a 68" tooth bucket for our T190 that used those rolled brass pins which i think you may be talking about and what a PITA those were. We destroyed a whole set of "indestructible" punches and all kinds off screw drivers trying to get those things out.
Lol, I know what your talking about. The best tool for those types of pins/shanks has 2 bottles- one for oxygen and one for acetylene.
Here are some pictures of the wall. We are pretty close to done, by the end of the week we should have the 600' section done that we bid. There is another 100' that was existing that we may wind up rebuilding for a nice extra. The E42 is only about a month old and already has about 100 hrs. on it, which is a lot for us, and no problems so far, just superb performance. In the first pic, that is a 4' grade stake against that corner stone, rock must be 5 - 6' in diameter and 3 - 4 ton and the machine had no trouble moving it. So basically the customer wants a wall, about 600', along the street as a border. This is all conservation land, the opening is for a trail, which leads from the street, to a bunch of different walking trails. There is an existing wall across the street, about the same 3' height, but all flat faced rock. This is all rock from the utility contractor who replaced the water, sewer, and gas lines in the street, so they told us to do the best we could with it because they couldn't afford to buy rock. As you can see the wall has some height variation, that's because they didn't want to remove all the ledge. The landscape architect called for a "serpentine farmers wall" so this is his design, not ours. All that matters to us is that him and the customer say the like it, and they pay, lol.
And here are some pictures of the machines. The second pic the E42 is selecting rocks from the stock pile for the T190 to move down to the wall, the last pic shows the section of wall we may be rebuilding.
The "serpentine farmers wall" looks nice. Ya'll did a good job using trench rock spoil to create a wall. Sometimes it's a PITA to have to use only what you have available but that's what makes life and projects interesting. If the customer and LA are happy and you get a check, it's a win-win for all involved.
Yeah I've been trying to upload some photos of my new 329 and my S220 for a month.
jim15, how do you find the digging power of this machine? Is that a 24" bucket you are using? Any reason why you used a 24" and not a 30"? I'm in the process of buying one of these machines and just want to make sure that I'll be happy with it, I'm looking to replace my 331. Thanks
coorecat, With some help, I finally found out that the pictures file size was too big. I used Microsoft Paint (in accessories) to resize. Just click "image" in the top bar, go down to "stretch and skew" and type in a new percentage in "horizontal" and "vertical". I forget what size the picture needs to be, but I think it was like 600 pixels by 600 pixels. To find out the size of your picture, click "Image" at the top again, and then go down to "attributes". If, for example, it says the width is 1,200 and the height is 1,200, go back to "stretch and skew" and change both percentages from 100% to 50%, now your picture will be 600 by 600. Not sure if there is an easier way, but that's how I got it done. superdigger, Yes it is a 24" severe duty bucket. We had a couple of 334s before the E42, and for those we had 13", 20", 24", and a 36" cleanup buckets. The 20" got torn up pulling stumps by someone who now longer operates for us, so we had it rebuilt with thicker side walls, new cutting edge, new shanks and teeth, so we kept that and replaced the 24". Also the E42, E45, E50, and E55 all come with the 24" severe duty buckets. We just bought the machine this fall, so living in the Massachusetts we would have torn the 30" or 36" digging buckets apart with the frost, and we knew that wall job was most of the work the machine was going to be doing, so we didn't get the buckets, yet. Originally we were going to sell all 4 buckets, and get 24" and 30" severe duty digging buckets, and the 52" cleanup bucket, but we decided to keep the other buckets for now, and see if we want the other buckets this spring. For now though, if we are dealing with rocky fill, ledge, concrete, or big rocks we don't want too big of a digging bucket on the machine, but when we do additions in real loamy dirt or gravel we throw the 36" cleanup bucket on. As far as digging power, the machine is incredible. With the buckets we have now, the machine will sling a ton of dirt. Compared to the 2006 334 we traded in, the 334 can't hold a candle to the E42. It is the perfect machine for us, we specd it exactly as we wanted, and only had to wait about 3 to 4 weeks from the initial thought of replacing it, to the machine being on its first job. So far 150 money making hours on it, and no problems. Only maintanence was the 50 hour oil change, greasing and cleaning every other day, and fuel of course (the machine sips fuel, probably a gallon an hour or less, and that's no embelishing). We tend to work 10 hour days and we put and 15 to 18 gallons in about every 2 days. The cab is extremely comfortable compared to the 334, make sure you get the suspension cloth seat! Any other questions, feel free, may take a little while, sorry we are pretty busy with this warm winter we are having.
thanks for the reply, sounds like another great machine from bobcat, I have been very happy with my 331 and have put 1400hrs on it without any problems. The time has come to replace it for a stronger machine, at only 9 inches wider the E42 seems like a good fit for me. Probably order one this week! Again thanks for the reply...
superdigger, That's good to hear. Glad you and CM1995 are thinking about replacing your old machines. We knew it was getting to the point where, even though we take tremendous care of our trucks and machines, it's still an old machine. Like you said sooner or later the cylinders were going to need to be repacked, and all your pins, bushings, bolts, nuts, and all your miscellaneous parts start breaking, and there's nothing you can do about it. We know when we get rid of our equipment, it may not even be half way through its life, but we rather have the equipment during its best years. Bobcat equipment has never let us down. And on occasion when something is wrong, they make it right. It sounds like you two have had a similar experience and hope you guys get into your new machines soon. I think its a sign that this country is finally turning around.
That is nice machine!
machine is ordered! With all the goodies except angle blade... Now to make it pay itself off....
Chrisblevins, Thank you. They all look nice when they are new. The hard part is keeping them looking that way. superdigger, Sounds good. We passed on the angle blade also, as well as the motion alarm. So besides those two deletions, it is basically an A91 long arm machine. We demod an E50 too see if it would fit our application (too big unless we kept our 334). The E50 had the angle blade and we used it to backfill an addition and the utility trenches and found the angle blade to be useless. The motion alarm we also usually disconnect because 85 to 90% of our work is tight residential and we try not to **** the neighbors of as much as possible. The only things that have alarms are our dump trucks and loader that is used for commercial snow removal and other commercial jobs. Post some pics of the new machine when it comes in and when its on its first job.
Jim15 Did the E50 you demoed have noticeably more power than the E42
I just took delivery of a E50 and it is turbo charged vs the non turbo E42 and had a substancial amount more power in my opinion. Tjhat being said, the E42 was a nice machine. Pretty decent size unit , very nice but not as nice as the E50.
The new M series Bobcats are great! Glad you like your E42 Jim15. We love our E50. To answer the question on power... E42 Arm Digging Force 5778 lbf Bucket Digging Force 9105 lbf Rated Lift Capacity 4603 lbf E50 Arm Digging Force 6452 lbf Bucket Digging Force 9442 lbf Rated Lift Capacity 6034 lbs
Thank you for quoting the specs Tom. Depending on what you are doing, those machines are very close except when it comes to lift capacity. I was looking through the Bobcat catalog at the dealer Monday and if I remember correctly, the E50 only has a 1.5' or so more reach and dig depth than the E42 (Tom do you have the dig/reach specs handy ). For what I would use a mini-hoe for the E42 would fit the bill nicely, especially if there is a big price difference. If I need to lift something 6K lbs or dig deeper, I'll use the 420D. Just out of curiosity, what is the price difference between the E42 and E50? Is the E55 and E60 a Bobcat made product or Doosan? I know the E80 is a Doosan and it looks like the E60 is a Doosan as well.:beatsme
Sure do! haha These numbers are for the standard arm configuration. You can get a long arm version for both machines but then you loose digging power. E42 Maximum Dig Depth 10.5 ft Max Dump Height 12.2 ft Maximum Reach at Ground Level 17.3 ft E50 Maximum Dig Depth 11.6 ft Max Dump Height 12.7 ft Maximum Reach at Ground Level 19.5 ft Our E50 was about $51,000. Now that's just the base model, no inclosed cab, buckets, thumb, etc... I don't know how much a E42 is. The E60 and E80 are the only current Doosan models in the Bobcat lineup. The E60 and E80 are just Doosans painted white.
Tom is correct, The E55 is also made by Bobcat, when I priced my machine I priced an e42 and e50, I think the difference is around $10,000. Dig depth is the only thing I find really disappointing with the e42, it only has 4" more dig depth then the 331 which is a fair bit smaller (Long arm on both, 134" to 138"). That being said, the e42 does have a big advantage in dump height over the 331 (128.7" to 153.6") again long arm units compared. I always look at long arm as dig depth is important to me. If it wasn't for width restrictions I would have ordered the e50 for dig depth alone....
I looked at a bunch of machines before I purchased the Bobcat E50. Is it just me our does anyone else think all models of the new "M" Series Bobcat are best in Class machines ?
Carl Peter, We only demoed the E50 for one day. We have only owned Bobcat 334s for our compact excavator, so originally we were going to replace it with an E32 long arm (which replaced the 334). Then, when the time came to start thinking about replacing it, we decided to look at models that were a little bigger because although the 334 was bullet proof and very powerful, we thought at times we were pushing it beyond it limits a little bit. So the first machine we looked at was the E50. There's no doubt that the E50 is more powerful than the E42, as it is a bigger machine, but it's all about what your needs are. Our need is a compact excavator, which I would say 50% of the time is digging additions and other excavations, 40% concrete demo, first hammering and then loading out slabs, and the other 10% of the time pulling stumps, building walls, and other miscallaneous tasks. And most of our work is in residential backyards, and a lot of the times we need a machine that is smaller than 6 feet. The E50 definately has more power than the E42, but those benefits don't outweigh our need to have a smaller machine as the E50 is 78" wide and the E42 is 68" wide. Our T190 is also 68" wide with a 68" bucket so that combination works for us. Here are some specs E42 Standard Arm Operating Weight 9246 lbs Arm Digging Force 5778 lbf Bucket Digging Force 9105 lbf Maximum Dig Depth 10.5 ft Max Dump Height 12.2 ft Maximum Reach at Ground Level 17.3 ft Rated Lift Capacity 4603 lbs Length 200 in Overall Length in Travel Position 200 in Width 68.9 in Height 98.7 in E42 Long Arm Operating Weight 9722 lbs Arm Digging Force 5328 lbf Bucket Digging Force 9105 lbf Maximum Dig Depth 11.5 ft Max Dump Height 12.7 ft Maximum Reach at Ground Level 18.2 ft Rated Lift Capacity 4435 lbs Length 201.6 in Overall Length in Travel Position 201.6 in Width 68.9 in Height 98.7 in E50 Standard Arm Operating Weight 10677 lbs Arm Digging Force 6452 lbf Bucket Digging Force 9442 lbf Maximum Dig Depth 11.6 ft Max Dump Height 12.7 ft Maximum Reach at Ground Level 19.5 ft Rated Lift Capacity 6034 lbs Length 218.7 in Overall Length in Travel Position 218.7 in Width 77.2 in Height 99.7 in So for us we need a machine that has sufficient breakout force, can dig to a reasonable depth, can load out 10 wheelers and triaxles with typical sides at about 12', and we can fit through fence gates and be able to move around in most tight backyards. We felt that since we don't use the machine as a crane, such as TomG hoisting granite slabs, rocks, and pallets of pavers everyday, the smaller machines breakout forces and lift capacity were sufficient enough, and did not really factor into our decision. I hope that clears up our decision making process. The E50 is a very nice machine. We contemplated keeping our 334 and getting an E50, but we felt the E42 had more than adequete power for the tasks we use it for, the 334 was getting to the tired point, and the E50 would have been too heavy and long to fit on our 10 ton Eager Beaver trailer with either our T190 or S185, even though it has a 21' deck and 6' beavertail.
CM1995, to answer your question on price, the prices we compared where the E32, E42, and E50. Specs where all the same: long arm, enclosed cab, heat, ac, suspension cloth seat, radio, keyless start, secondary hydraulics, hydraulic exchange, thumb, and 24" severe duty bucket The E32 was about $51,000, the E42 $52,500, and the E50 $60,000. So the E42 made sense for us as it was not that much more expensive than the E32, but a good deal less than the E50. If we weren't so pressed for width and length, the E50 may have been a more viable option, but the need of the smaller machine made the decision much easier. I thinkl the E42 fits most peoples needs. If we were to go bigger, I would think we would add maybe an E80, to make it more worth it. Although I'm not sure how I feel about the Doosan machines yet. I really want Bobcat to make their own excavators from the 6 ton up to about the 11 or 12 ton range, and not just repaint someone else's.
And finally, superdigger, completely agree with. If size restrictions weren't as important to us, we probably would have went with an E50 or E55. However, we have built our reputation and money on being the guys with the compact equipment. Starting with a skid steer, adding a compact excavator, then a compact track loader, then a compact wheel loader. So, as the machine titles say for themselves, we want to stay as compact as possible, and although the E50 by definition is compact, its not compact enough for us. pafarmer, We are religious when it comes to Bobcat equipment, as it has never let us down and the dealer is incredible. Even though Cat is adding a new dealership to sell their vocational trucks and some equipment right down the street from our Bobcat dealer, I don't see us wavering. And yes, the new M series excavators have put the G series to shame (and the G series excavators and loaders and K series loaders have been nothing but great to us)
A few last pictures from the wall job. It was a good job for us. We don't build a whole bunch of walls, this was a partnership with a stone mason that we do a fair amount of work for. We took care of all logistics, coordinating material deliveries, and site work, they took care of labor. All in all I think it came out decent. It could have been better if we had a better selection of rock, but hey, that's what they wanted. Already lining up work for this year, sounds like we are going to get going in the next couple of weeks, so more pics to follow. First the existing section of wall that got replaced, second old wall gone, base down, and front of the wall rough re-regraded, third about 30 feet from the end of the wall, fourth shows the majority of the wall (past that minivan) and there is a transition there to give that big pine tree a little room, and finally a view of the serpentine nature of the wall.
Some recent work with the E42 Came on here to ask a question about our loader, figured I would add a few pictures. The E42 is a little under a year old, a little over 200 hours. A couple minor issues, but covered under warrenty. So these first pics are of another wall job completed recently. Big retaining wall in the back raised the backyard 3 feet, all rocks just random rock off of one of our foundation excavations. A smaller retaining wall half way up the backyard with a sitting wall and patio up top. Also a bunch of drainage work, loam, and other stuff. We are just doing site/prep work, the loam and drainage, no laboring thank god. First picture about 3/4 of my first of 2 rock piles. Brought 60 ton of rock in in one day. Second picture working away grading out the crushed stone base, preparing to set rock. As you can see the site was a loamy clay with a steep slope, in addition to pouring rain for 2 days before. Third picture is of left side of wall which wraps around the property corner at a slight curve, and then straightens out with the property line. Again its all just rock off of one of our excavations, except in a few stops flagstone was used as a cap, but its all dry fit, and I think I found a pretty good cornerstone there. Also extra rock which was too small to use was used behind wall with crushed stone to limit fines running through the wall as the grade will be brought right up to the top of the wall. Fourth picture shows the right side of the wall where it is straight. And fifth picture is of an electric trench we dug directly above the gas line, which is only 2' in the ground. It had to go there due to septic tank/ septic setback and the rest of the material to the right was from the "cabana" excavation which is being fed with electricity for tv's, lights, plugs, a fridge, and whatever else you would want in your backyard.
Some more pictures. First three are of an addition. It involved demoing only the exterior breezeway wall, outside foundation wall that was sitting on, and the floor along garage foundation wall to make room for a wall which would be poured against the garage wall since it was settling. Then excavating for foundation with 6' frost walls, crawlspace underneath, and crushed stone for footing due to heavy groundwater. Outside wall and foundation wall demoed, hammering floor to make room for new foundation wall. Stripping off the loam, begining excavation Excavation done, crushed stone for footing drainage in On a stump job this spring ripping out a little 36" diameter oak stump with our 30" severe duty bucket Hammering ledge inside of the cellar hole for a little 7,000 sq. ft. house, 9' ceilings throughout and a 3 car garage. Trying to get the corner of the foundation in. (And we don't usually hammer like that, trying to knock the top off)
And finally some pictures of concrete pool deck demo. Pool was just replastered 3 years ago, so couldn't go swimming with the excavator or track loader T190 = 68" wide, E42 = 68" wide, max distance around pool = 72", down to as low as 64". Tried to get the fence down, didn't have the money to replace, told us to leave it. Tried to at least take flag down for the day out of respect (said it hasn't come down since it was put up 40 years ago):usa. So onto the pictures. Working our way in there around the flag, edge of pool, skimmer, fence, electrical that was mounted to fence and buried inside the concrete :Banghead, and the pool shed. (DId I miss anything?) Made it, hammering away... And hammering... Begining to load it out. Took 2 triaxle loads, but got it done in under a day. And finally another small rock wall job. And guess what? Using some more excavated rock to build a wall (Along back between trees to create terraced patio area)
wish i could just be like, oh think ill buy a new digger today.. off to the dealer
I wish it was that easy too, but it took 25 years of hard work, dedication, a good business model, great customers, treating those customers as if they were family, some more hard work, thousands of hours of hard work, continued hours of hard work, for those same core customers, and upkeep of our equipment which we use to serve our customers, and once we feel the machine is ready to be replaced, we make the difficult decision of deciding to purchase a new machine. The only way we are able to buy that new machine is if we have adequate work for it to accomplish, and in that case we go on our way with some more hard work. I wish I could be like, "Oh I think I'll buy a new excavator today, let's go down to Bobcat, and hand them a blank check to a bogus checking account." However, for some reason it doesn't work that way. :usa