Hey all! Rental fleet owner here. I, by no means, am an operator. The extent of my operating is loading on trailer's and demo'ing for customers. Looking to add 2x 4-ton Mini-Excavator's to my fleet this year. We are in Colorado so pretty hard, dry soil with clay and rock underneath. I have narrowed it down to either CAT 304's or Bobcat E48's. The Bobcat has more power on paper, the CAT is $5k cheaper per unit so $10k total. CAT also has 0% financing for 60 months, Bobcat's 0% is only 36 months. Both 2 year, 2,000 hour warranties. As the business owner; the cost savings, brand recognition, and better financing of the CAT seems like a no brainer. However, I've built my business/brand on having the best equipment available so the extra power of the Bobcat really has me torn. If spec's were closer it'd be CAT all day. On a machine of this class how much do those numbers really matter? Will it be a noticeable difference for my customers? I currently run Bobcat E42's and while they have treated us well overall, had a few gremlins (mostly electrical) that have me considering a switch. We've demo'd Kubota, Yanmar, CAT, Deere, Tak, and again currently run the Bobcats. It will 100% be the CAT or Bobcat, so please keep feedback to those two brands. Both dealers in my area are great, that being said I have no real experience with the CAT dealer they just appear good so far (don't own any CAT yet). Bobcat has been beyond amazing to me. Most important to me is uptime, cost of ownership, durability, ease of use, and functionality for a variety of users on different jobs. We rarely have customers doing anything crazy/special. Just need a durable machine that will work when we turn the key, and doesn't cost half a child to maintain/repair. It's usually concrete guys, septic installers, plumbers, landscapers, and the occasional weekend warrior doing a project. Pretty straight forward dig jobs 40-50% of the time, using it for stump removal, rock placement, or similiar another 20-30% of the time, and randomness the rest of it's life. CAT 304 Price: $79,865 Weight: 9,867 LBS Lift Capacity: 4,423 LBS Dig Depth: 11 Feet Bucket Dig Force: 8,588 LBS Arm Dig Force: 4,721 LBS Width: 67 Inches Fuel Tank: 17 Gallons 498 LBS less lift capacity 1,012 LBS less bucket dig force 1,099 less arm dig force 2 gallon smaller fuel tank Bobcat E48 Price: $84,086 Weight: 9,830 LBS Lift Capacity: 4,921 LBS Dig Depth: 10.4 Feet Bucket Dig Force: 9,601 LBS Arm Dig Force: 5,820 LBS Width: 73 Inches Fuel Tank: 19 Gallons - 6” wider = less accessible in residential area's (won't clear a 68" double gate)
Looking at the Bobcat and Cat specs online it looks to me like these two machines aren't really an apples to apples comparison. While the Bobcat E48 is listed as a 4 ton machine it seems to me to be a closer match to the Cat 305. The Cat 304 seems to be closer to the Bobcat E40 or E42. With that said, most rental customers will be unlikely to notice any real difference between the two. As far as reliability and uptime, our Cat minis have given us no trouble at all, even when run by the concrete crews. Dealer support is a big factor in how satisfied you'll be.
From my experience as a customer the brand machine never mattered. Ill rent from the company that has an available machine in the size I need, when I need it. Buy the brand that best fits your business model. Bobcats on paper all seem to punch above their class but who is really going to notice if they are operating the machine within its limits. On the small machines you only really notice the extra hydraulic forces when you're doing things on the edge of capability and that's even if you can perfectly remember the last brand machine you operated. If anything to be concerned about its the dimensions and configuration. Narrower zero swing machine that can fit more places will have more people renting it than worrying about more breakout force.
Go with the Bobcat E48 — more power and better operator comfort
If you have not made a decision yet look at the develon. New dealer out here in denver area with incredible pricing and warranty. I picked up a 55-7 and it is a incredible machine.