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Bobcat & Skid Steer Loader Hire
What is a Bobcat & Skid Steer Loader?
A skid steer loader is a versatile machine used to dig, collect, lift and move material, particularly dirt and sand, and also grade, jackhammer cement and load trucks. Other popular activities that involve bobcats include site clean up, spreading material, road sweeping, backfill, load and removal material, turf preparation, slab preparation and more.
These machines are often nicknamed “bobcats” in Australia, although in countries like America this refers to a particular skid steer brand that grew in popularity in the 1970s and continues to be one of the largest skid steer brands in the world. Multi-terrain loaders are another variant, which are used when ground conditions are soft and require more traction, like snow, mud, sand, and bush. Skid steers have steering locked on both sides, meaning the right and left wheels or tracks can be operated separately, allowing it to skid, achieving remarkable manoeuvrability and the ability to “turn on a dime.” The loader arms are usually operated with hydraulics which allows the bucket or any other attachment to lift either vertically or radially. The radial movement means the bucket will arc away from the skid steer until reaching as high as the cab before it moves back inward.
Our directory offers a huge volume of qualified bobcat hire suppliers throughout Australia, with both wet and dry hire options available. These suppliers offer a diverse catalogue of bobcat loader types and builds to suit a variety of projects and operations across the nation.
What bobcat do I need?
While bobcats come equipped with a bucket, this can be easily replaced with many different attachments to suit different activities. As a result, the question people usually ask is “what attachment do I need for my bobcat?”. Attachments include the tree spade, dumping hopper, trencher, tiller, ripper, roller, tilt, sweeper, auger, pallet fork, hydraulic breaker, stump grinder, cement mixer, wheel saw, snow blade, wood chipper or mower.
How do bobcats work?
Bobcats and skid steer loaders utilise loader arms, powered by hydraulics, to operate a variety of attachments, particularly buckets. These machines are usually four-wheel drives, and have double acting cylinders, and can, therefore, drive in opposite directions and skid. Skid steer hire suppliers also have tracked bobcats available, which are sometimes known as multi-terrain loaders, as they can be used across a variety of difficult terrain, including mud, sand, and bog.
Once hydrostatic motors were introduced, the transmission was removed from these machines and they’re now powered by a set of hydraulic motors and pumps. Each machine will typically have two motors (one motor for each set of wheels) and four pumps. The motors have a unique operating system, ensuring that the bobcat avoids stalling, and while the wheels are operating, the full force of the motor is focused on that function, while when other implements are being used the motor is then focused on powering that instead. Bobcats are usually protected from any torsional forces as the wheels skid. The machine still manages to stay light and small, allowing it to complete the same tasks as a front-end loader with versatile applications and increased mobility.
