A Good Buy Makes A Good Sale
Bill Mosier
Bill Mosier still remembers his first Bobcat® skid-steer loader which he bought about 25 years ago. “After the third season, I had about a thousand hours on the 632 when I traded it in on a new model, says the owner of midwest Concrete Driveway Co., Falcon Heights, Minn. “The trade-in value from my dealer was only about $2,500 less than what I paid for it new. That’s pretty inexpensive labor.”
Since then he’s been trading his Bobcat skid-steer loaders every three years for new ones, reaping the laborsaving performance and high trade-in value of the machines. “The other brands of skid-steers loaders lose their value a lot quicker than my Bobcat machines,” he says.
He attributes that, in part, to their rugged construction. “I don’t worry about breakdowns,” says Mosier, who uses his loaders for flatwork preparation projects. “My Bobcat loaders have been pretty much bulletproof. In all the years I’ve owned them, only one machine has been down for a major repair and that was only for two days. That’s not bad.”
Mosier is one of many owners who has enjoyed the unequalled value of Bobcat equipment—both when they buy the machines and when they trade or sell them. This value reflects sound design and engineering, the latest technological advancements and strict quality-control measures on the production line. The result is a combination of high performance, comfort, convenience and reliability that no other line of compact equipment can match.
Fred Dunphy (left) with Mike Rayner, Bobcat Atlantic
Here’s how contractors, representing a variety of applications, have profited from the built-in value of their Bobcat equipment.
Valuable Money-Makers
Fred Dunphy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, purchased a 741 loader in 1979. Over the years, his company—Fred M. Dunphy Excavation and Construction, Ltd.—has owned 18 Bobcat machines, including its current lineup of four loaders—a 743, two 773s and an S185—and two 341 excavators.
Dunphy typically replaces his loaders after about five years when they’ve logged between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of service in jobs ranging from landscaping, grading and excavation to demolition and snow removal. He reports they hold their value very well.
“We have no trouble selling them or trading them in because they’re good products and we maintain them,” Dunphy says. “Every year people who’ve bought our equipment ask us when we’ll be selling more. When we trade them in our dealer usually has a home for them already.
“Over the years—whether we’re buying, using or selling it—our Bobcat equipment has been a good investment. The machines have been excellent money-makers.”
A Best Buy
The attractive resale value of Bobcat equipment got Mike Penman’s attention when he went shopping for his first skid-steer loader last year. He’s an electrical contractor who started a new business, MMX General Contracting, in Eagle Lake, Ontario.
Penman bought his Bobcat S300 based, in part, on his experience with a property maintenance firm which owned Bobcat loaders. “The resale value of their machines stayed high,” he says. His decision to buy an S300 was also influenced by “For Sale” ads in equipment trade publications.
Larry Jorgensen
“If I’m putting my money out to buy a loader, I want to get as much back from it as I can,” he says. “The Bobcat loaders seemed to hold their value much better than other brands. You tend to get what you pay for. I did a lot of research and it seemed like the people who wanted good equipment bought the Bobcat brand.”
Dependable Value
High trade-in value is one reason Larry Jorgensen, Center City, Minn., has owned only Bobcat loaders for the past 25 years. He started his business, Valley Landscape, in 1979 with a Bobcat 600. Today he owns a 773 and an 853. He uses them for grading, loading and other material handling chores.
Jorgensen has been trading his machines after about 1,200 hours of work. “I’ve done real well in terms of value when I trade them off,” he says. “The cost of owning them has been really low.”
That, he reports, reflects regular maintenance, lack of abuse and wellbuilt, dependable machines. “My Bobcat loaders have saved me many times,” Jorgensen says. “Unlike some of my other equipment, they have always been there when I need them.”
Low Ownership Costs
Vogel Concrete, Inc., Ft. Collins, Colo., uses its fleet of nine Bobcat loaders—including 773, 873, S185 and S300 skid-steer loaders, and a 337 excavator—for concrete demolition and loading work on driveway, sidewalk and street repair projects.
Dan Vogel and his partner, Kevin Drager, have been buying Bobcat skid-steer loaders since starting the business 26 years ago.
Normally the machines are traded in after four seasons or about 2,800 to 3,200 hours of work. “We run them hard, maintain them well and have a very nominal amount of breakdowns,” says Vogel. “It doesn’t make sense for us to keep them any longer and wear them out because they’re still good machines and have a good value when we trade them in.
Dan Vogel
“We’re happy with their resale value. By trading every four years, it costs us about $3.00 to $3.50 per hour, not including maintenance, fuel or operator expenses, to own a Bobcat loader.
“With the current price of labor so high, a labor-saving machine with good resale value is definitely worth having.”
Three Operators Tell Us What They Think About Bobcat Equipment
When Fred Dunphy returned the approval of the preceding story in which he is quoted, he included written reports from some of his employees. Here are the unsolicited comments of three people from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who operate Bobcat® equipment every day:
Derek Osborne
“I have operated Bobcat loaders for 16 years, as well as doing maintenance on the machines. They are low maintenance, with easily accessible service areas. The technicians and parts people at our dealer (Bobcat Atlantic) go out of their way to help, even if they are not going to do the work.
“I take my hat off to Bobcat Company.”
Mark Sellon
“Bobcat loaders have proven over time to be dependable, powerful and comfortable, whether plowing snow in the winter or working at various jobsites the rest of the year.
“I also operate our 341 excavator. More jobs demand small machines that are productive. That’s the 341. I can tell you from experience—I’ve dug foundations, water breaks for the city, loaded tandems and tractor trailers, built numerous rock walls and moved more than enough debris from Hurricane Juan—that I wouldn’t run anything but this powerful, dependable machine.
“Keep up the great work in building and improving your machines to meet our needs.”
Roger Merrick
“I have operated Bobat loaders for a number of years, and believe they are tops in their field. If someone was starting a business and asked my opinion about loaders, I would recommend Bobcat machines because they are tough, durable, dependable, comfortable and have great maneuvering ability. Plus the employees at our local dealership are true professionals.
“These reasons should make decisions easier when people are selecting their next loader. Bobcat equipment is the way to go.”