hey guys I'm looking to purchase a 3.5 tonne excavator and have narrowed it down to the new bobcat 35 r series and the cat 303.5e2. Has anyone purchased or demoed the bobcat? It has just hit our waters in Australia and wondering how they go. I'm mostly interested in the bobcat as I have a e20 and is a great little machine.
I have an e32r. Have about 150hrs on it. So far it has been flawless. Very nice comfortable cab. Nice machine to operate. Only thing is I find when traveling in high speed and making a turn it bogs down the motor quite a bit. Could maybe use a few more HP. Other than that I'm happy with my purchase so far.
Depend on Dealer support. And cost. I'm having good luck with Yanmar myself
What farm boy said. I haven't owned the newer Bobcat mini's but I bought a 334 new in '01 and it was a great machine, very dependable more so than the SSL's. There are many 303.5's and Bobcat mini's running around my area, won't go wrong with either. Whichever dealer gives you the best price and more importantly parts availability and service. The dealer is really the question. I am considering purchasing either a 303.5 or 304 for my utility crew.
I agree with all of the above. Dealer support is #1 consideration....buying new, one wants quick service under warranty. In older machines, like mine, I want dealer parts pronto, and reasonably priced. I've actually bypassed a closer dealer because the farther one is cheaper, and they ship it to me cheaply and quickly.