How Two Towns Make Grounds Maintenance Work Go Faster and Easier

John Nelson

When it comes to mechanizing work crews to do more work in less time, park and recreation superintendents, cemetery managers and others in charge of grounds maintenance work need equipment that can tackle a variety of jobs without tearing up turf and damaging trails and parking lots and other sensitive surfaces.

Bobcat offers several multi-purpose machines that do just that. They include the A300 all-wheel-steer loader and the Toolcat™ 5600 utility work machine.

In fact, each can work in ways no other machine can. Just by flipping a switch, for instance, the two-in-one A300 can be used as an all-wheelsteer loader for making smooth turns that save tires and turf. Or it can be operated as a skid-steer loader to turn within its own length for fast maneuvering in tight spaces. The four-wheel drive, all-wheel steer 5600, on the other hand, combines the best features of a loader, pickup truck, attachment carrier and towing unit in one compact machine.

Each machine offers the power, speed and versatility to make quick, easy work of a wide range of construction, maintenance and material handling jobs. When equipped with such options as an enclosed heated and air conditioned cab, they’re just the ticket for working conveniently, comfortably and productively all year long.

Here is how two Minnesota towns—Ramsey (population 22,000) and Monticello (10,000)—located within 20 miles of each other, rely on Bobcat products (all purchased from Lano Equipment).

All-season work-saver

John Nelson directs park and utility construction and repair projects and snow removal for the city of Ramsey. At one time he considered buying a dedicated snow removal machine for clearing sidewalks. Instead, he chose a turbo-charged Toolcat 5600, along with six Bobcat attachments. In the process, he got a machine that has proven efficient and productive not only for snow removal work but for many other jobs throughout the year.

The Toolcat 5600 gets plenty of use for the city of Ramsey (Minn.).

“Without the 5600 we’d be doing a lot more hand work,” says Nelson. “Also, we’d be using either another piece of equipment for work it wasn’t designed to do or a tractor-loaderbackhoe which would be too big and heavy for many of our jobs. The Toolcat unit is a great machine. We use it just about every day.”

Depending on the job, Nelson and his crew use the 5600 with a Bobcat angle broom, utility and light material buckets, pallet forks, snowblower and snow V-blade. Such features as good visibility, hydrostatic drive, ease of operation and an enclosed heated and air conditioned cab result in a very user-friendly machine, he says.

The machine, equipped with optional safety lights and rotating beacon, has a top speed of 18 mph. That eliminates the time and bother of trailering the machine. “We drive it to all our jobsites,” Nelson says.

The speed, agility and compact size of the utility work machine pay off on many jobs. “All-wheel steer enables us to turn in real tight situations, such as between benches on a ball field or in wooded areas. When driving on sidewalks we can turn corners and stay on the pavement, and not scuff lawns. And the fourwheel drive lets us go just about anywhere in mud or snow.

“We can load dirt and tools in the cargo box and drive across grassy fields into areas to repair an irrigation line break without damaging the grass,” he says. “It’s also better for driving across turf than a pickup truck.”

The 5600’s 2,000-lb. capacity cargo box, along with a passenger seat, make it a great vehicle for transporting people, equipment and supplies. “We haul just about anything we need on a job, from landscape rock and wood chips to heavy water valves,” says Nelson. “The box sits nice and low to the ground for easier loading.”

Selectable steering benefits

Grounds maintenance crews with the city of Monticello have been using a Bobcat® A300 to save time and labor for the past two years. Superintendent Adam Hawkinson, who looks after the city’s 24 parks and several cemeteries, purchased the loader after his crews compared it to several different skid-steer loaders.

Adam Hawkinson

“All-wheel steering was a big feature for them,” he says. “The ability to quickly switch between the two modes makes it easy for operators to select the steering mode that they prefer.”

In all-wheel steer mode, the A300 doesn’t disturb the turf or asphalt surfaces when turning, he notes. The skid-steer mode is handy when grading or cleaning a trail.

“Skid-steering makes it easy to keep the machine in a straight line,” Hawkinson says. “When we get to the end of the work site or a T-intersection in the trail, we can switch to all-wheel steer mode in a matter of seconds to make the turn without tearing up the ground.”

The crews use the A300 with a variety of Bobcat attachments—an auger for drilling holes for planting trees or securing playground equipment, low profile bucket and a tooth bucket for grading and hauling materials and a snow blade and snowblower for clearing sidewalks, trails and parking areas. At times the city’s street department uses the machine with planer attachment to mill asphalt patches. “The ability to use so many different attachments makes it a really versatile machine,” Hawkinson says.

The A300 frequently operates on turf and on sensitive surfaces. “If the operator plans ahead for the turns, it does very little damage when turning on well-established turf and other areas, such as the warning tracks at baseball fields and playgrounds,” Hawkinson says.

The A300 minimizes surface damage.

The machine’s 3,000-lb. rated operating capacity also lightens the work load. “We use it to unload skids of sod and pallets of concrete block without any problems,” he says. Hawkinson equipped the A300 with several options to improve operator comfort and production. One is an enclosed heated and air conditioned cab. Operators stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The other feature is the Power Bob-Tach™ attachment mounting system. That saves the time and inconvenience of getting out of the cab to change attachments, he notes. He and his crews also appreciate the ease of servicing the A300. “The machine has worked out very well for us,” he says. “Everyone is glad we bought it.” For all the details about how the Toolcat 5600 and A300 can make your grounds maintenance work faster and easier, visit your participating Bobcat dealer.

More Smart Choices for Grounds Maintenance Jobs

The Toolcat™ 5600 utility work machine and Bobcat® A300 all-wheel steer loader aren’t the only Bobcat compact machines that ease groundskeeping chores.

A300

With a Bobcat MT52 or MT55 mini-track loader, one operator can replace an entire crew of laborers and their wheelbarrows and shovels. Packing a lot of power in a small package, these rubber-track machines can tread lightly to float over soft, wet or muddy conditions with minimal ground disturbance. Armed with more than 20 different Bobcat attachments, the MT52 and MT55 can drill tree planting holes, break up concrete, dig trenches, blow snow and much, much more.

When the job calls for transporting people, equipment and materials around a park, golf course or other large parcels of property, Bobcat utility vehicles offer a more convenient and more economical alternative to a pickup truck. Choose from a pair of two-wheel drive models—the 2100 and 2100S—or two four-wheel drive units —the 2200 (gas) and 2200 (diesel). Each offers rugged construction, simple operation and the speed and payload capacity to handle your offroad transportation needs efficiently and productively.