A bobcat or skid steer as they are known as, Bobcat is actually a brand name, skid steer is what the machines are, they can be hired in different sizes, in many different brand names, they either have tracks or tyres, most popular at present is the tracked skid steers, as they are more moveable, can travel over any terrain, and do not need to worry about punchers, as they have tracks not tyres. They come with a bucket on the front, which you can have a 4 in 1 bucket, meaning the bucket opens and shuts, this is a very versatile bucket, as you can pick up items and materials with a grabbing action. You can also level with this 4 in 1 bucket.
An Excavator is a completely different machine, It, has a boom like an arm extension, which has the bucket attached to it, you can use this attach different buckets/hammers/argues/ripper attachments etc, like the bobcat you can hire these excavators in different sizes. They are mainly tracked, you can hire with wheeled if required.
What Are Excavators Used For?
The excavators are versatile machines, as they can sit in one position and swing around to operate, plus they move forward and back, they do not move as quick as a skid steer, as skid steers are more for levelling/picking up materials and loading, as any excavator can do all this also, but they are more useful when digging service trenches/dams/pools/pier holes/septic holes/soak well and leach drain holes etc, where a skid steer is unable to on its own.
There are times when a shovel might work, but if you are digging anything major, then earthmoving equipment is going to be in order. Large projects might include digging a trench for a pool or digging a trench to lay the foundation of a building. Anything like that is going to require Earthmoving equipment if you plan to stick to any type of reasonable time frame and come in various sizes such as mini excavators.
Why is the Bobcat brand so well known?
Bobcat (Skid steers) has been around for more than 60 years and accounts for over 35% of the entire market of skid steers. In that time they developed a reputation for producing tough, reliable equipment that performs well, even in less than ideal conditions. But now there are so many manufactures now that are just as competitive as Bobcat is.
Skid steer Bobcats, are sold now with John Deer, Hi tachi, Komatsu, Case, CAT, Volvo, etc, At Dobson Excavations we purchase different brands of machine, as different brands can handle different types of job sites, so this is why our excavators and bobcats we have are in multiple sizes so we can use the equipment that’s best suited for the job.