Week 18 Winners

Ryan Meccage
Dynamecc Property Services
Bozeman, Mont.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I would not be able to perform in my business as I currently do with any other equipment than my all-purpose Bobcat® utility work machine, the Toolcat™ 5600. In the spring of 2007, I decided to start my company, Dynamecc Property Services. With a Rangeland Science degree and years of weed control and rangeland technician experience, I saw a niche to fill in my area. I found a demand for noxious weed control expertise, but I needed the right piece of equipment. I needed a machine that was versatile enough go almost anywhere and haul water and a spray system. When I found the Toolcat utility work machine, I was blown away — this was the right tool for the job.

“I am now doing things in my line of work that wouldn’t be possible with a different machine. I equipped it with a GPS system that helps me navigate while I am spraying and automatically records every single patch of weeds as I spray — even allowing me to record different weed species at the quick push of a button.

“I purchased a 5-foot high-flow rotary mower to tackle those tall stands of weeds that don’t get sprayed. Mowing next to fence lines or on right-of-ways is much more efficient with the Toolcat machine than with others, because I can crab-steer at an angle while getting the back of the machine away from hazards and the mower closer to the fence line. With the changing of the seasons in Montana, you never know what the weather is going to do the next day. I have found myself spraying weeds one day and plowing snow the next! I maintain ultimate precision from my full-visibility heated cab while plowing in a maze of curbs, landscaping, and parked cars. Because this machine gets around so well in town, I just drive the machine from job to job most of the time. The Toolcat utility work machine excels in every category and that’s why I’m proud to call it mine.”

Darin Haugen
Haugen's Landscaping
Glyndon, Minn.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I purchased my first Bobcat® skid-steer loader for site work as I was building my own home in 2006. I graded my home with a few attachments I had purchased and became very busy with my Bobcat machine as a hobby. When winter came along, I soon had a few accounts for snow removal. Less than a year later, I quit a full-time job as a maintenance tech and started my own company, doing landscaping in the summer and snow removal in the winter. I then purchased a second S185 loader. The first one now has 1600 hours without any breakdowns or lost time! We tried other brands of skid-steer loaders for snow removal but had to call the dealer and tell them to bring a stretcher to pick them up when they broke down. The bottom line for me is this: In over 3500 hours of service with two Bobcat machines, I have never lost an hour to downtime. The new K-Series Bobcat machine allows me to communicate with customers and keep working when receiving phone calls. The quietness of the machine and its sound package saves me a lot of time during the day. I never have to idle my Bobcat machine down or stop working because the machine is so quiet. Bobcat has changed my whole life and given me my own business. Without that first purchase, I would still be making money for someone else!”

James Holmes
Molena Police Department
Concord, Ga.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I never thought I would have much to say about a machine, until I hired a land clearing specialist to clear my land for pasture restoration. The land has been overgrown with privet hedge and small hardwoods and pines for 60 to 80 years. It was formerly a cotton plantation. The contractor arrived hauling a Bobcat® T320 compact track loader and a forestry cutter that chops brush and trees into mulch, saving cleanup and my topsoil. I knew right away that this machine was going to be able to handle the job. And oh boy, did it! The contractor began on the back portion of my property and immediately daylight was hitting ground that had hardly seen a ray of sunshine in years. I watched intently as he tore through the overgrowth. I kept telling myself — and my wife, who was intently watching — ‘We need one of those. Imagine what we could do!’

“The contractor stopped to refuel after several hours. I approached the him and began asking about the hydraulic flow rates, the air-conditioned cab, the cutter itself, and so forth. I gently approached the topic of cost of running and operating such a machine and he told me outright. I was astounded at the number of jobs he had lined up after mine. It practically made his machine a huge hunk of gold on tracks. We discussed how thrilled he was to own it, describing how it has practically paid for itself already. By this time my wife had approached us, and I saw her expression as he described these scenarios. She looked at me and said, ‘We should be able to do this.’ The contractor laughed and said, ‘You will likely quit your regular job and turn out full-time on this machine — and you will love it!’

“The worker finished for the day at around 7:30 p.m. and began to load his equipment. I walked around and looked at my property. Because I had been watching the Bobcat machine the entire time, I hadn’t noticed the land start to open up. I was amazed that this machine was so strong and quiet; my mind had wandered too much to think about the capabilities of the equipment that could be attached to this machine. As I walked the acres that had just been cleared and looked at the ground, I realized the footprint of this wonderful machine had been very minimal. Not only was all of my topsoil still in place, but the Bobcat machine had left very few track marks. This machine had just saved me a year’s worth of work in eight hours! Now I am just as convinced as my wife that I can own one of these and be happy. Oh boy, the possibilities ... I have come to the conclusion that owning a Bobcat machine is my goal. I am so excited, and I can hardly wait.”

Gregory Vincent
Lead, S.D.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“The aptly named Bobcat® machine has had a tremendous impact on our family’s life. It sounds somewhat contrived, but the machines we have purchased over the years — a Bobcat 773, an A300, and now a T300 — have exponentially grown our potential to perform tasks at a more mature level. We couldn’t have gotten to this level before owning a Bobcat machine without hiring the work out to several subcontractors. I'd love to be able to recite the countless times I turned on an ever-reliable, nimble, and catlike Bobcat machine at the push of a button and used it to perform some menial or complex task I was unable or unwilling to do by hand. I will instead give just a few examples of how my Bobcat machines have saved my time, money — and my back!

“Our impressions of this world-renowned jobsite fixture were formed by our first purchase. We planned on building our own home in the year 2000. We wanted to save money and contribute to the overall construction process in a meaningful way. The day we purchased the 500,000th limited-edition Bobcat 773 was the first time we were able to explore our newly found potential for growth and financial independence.

“We cleared the lot, moving earth, and felled timber with ease. The road to the house site was cut, prepared with road base, and floated flat. We worked alongside a backhoe and found that the Bobcat machine was great at precision work like scouring the foundation out of the heavily timbered lot and maneuvering easily both inside and out of the concrete walls. We easily flattened the house base, transported 20-foot rebar reinforcement rods and additional earth fill, and dug the drainage troughs within the timeline. We graded and leveled the garage interior before the concrete pour and carried bags of gypcrete for the radiant flooring in the main house. Our Bobcat machine kept the project moving on schedule.

“Precision Bobcat machines have done just about everything possible to empower us. We have used our Bobcat machines for almost every task: home maintenance and yard landscaping, rescuing vehicles stuck in snow and mud, drainage and culvert placement, snow removal, heavy lifting projects, fence augering and posting, moving crates and boxes too heavy to lift by hand, landscape raking, and grass cutting. This has been a red-letter year for snow, but our Bobcat T300 tore through snow berms 4 to 6 feet high! This compact track loader has enabled us to both plow and travel three miles on a forest service road designated as a snowmobile trail. What a machine! There is never a day I don’t thank God for the innovative folks at the Bobcat Company.”

Thomas Russell
A1 5 Star Storm Shelters, LLC.
Eldridge, Miss.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I feel like I have been given a new lease on life because of the innovation and the versatility of Bobcat® equipment. About a year and a half ago, I injured my spine, leaving me paralyzed from the knees down in both of my legs. After spinal surgery, I regained a small amount of feeling and mobility in my right ankle and left foot. Because of the nerve damage in my feet and legs, walking and carrying things are very difficult. It is sometimes almost impossible for me to do my work. I have been in the construction business for 38 years, and not being able to do this type of work was very frustrating to me. I needed a substitute for my legs and a Bobcat machine was my answer. I am now able to face working again. I approach each job with the confidence that I can get it done just as well as I ever did — and in most cases, even faster. In January of this year, I had to have a left hip replacement. Now that I'm recovered from that, working my Bobcat machine does not take a great amount of physical effort. Thank you, Bobcat, for putting the wind back in my sails and giving me a second chance at my career.”