Toolcat 5600 Tackles Property Maintenance Work Like Nothing Else

Jim (left) and Pat Boeshart like the way their Toolcat 5600 cuts grass.

Whether it’s powering a snowblower to clear away deep snow, running a mower to cut several acres of grass, or unloading pallets of materials from a flatbed truck, a Toolcat 5600™ utility work machine is making work faster and easier for employees of Lite-Form Technologies, South Sioux City, Neb. And those are just some of the jobs they’ve found for this one-of-a-kind work-saver.

“We’ve been really impressed with it,” says Jim Boeshart. He’s the equipment manager for the company, which manufactures polystyrene insulated forms for pouring concrete walls.

The company, originally a construction firm, has been using Bobcat® loaders ever since it began 22 years ago with a used 610 skid-steer loader. Today, in addition to the Toolcat 5600, Lite-Form Technologies owns a Bobcat 763 skid-steer loader and a Bobcat A220 all-wheel-steer loader. That successful history with Bobcat equipment, not to mention strong service and support from the company’s dealer, Sooland Bobcat, Sioux City, Iowa, are among the reasons for buying this innovative machine. But it’s not the only one.

“We like to stay current on the latest equipment,” says Boeshart. “The 5600 intrigued us because it has the ability to use attachments on the front and has the cargo box on the rear. That combination works well for a variety of general maintenance jobs around our facility. ”

With comfortable seats for two, a steering wheel, independent suspension and a top speed of 18 mph, the revolutionary machine was developed by Bobcat Company to out-lift, out-pull and out-haul other types of equipment that are similar in size.

Toolcat 5600 with mower attachment

The Toolcat 5600 passed one of its earliest tests of efficiency and productivity with flying colors when a 11/2-acre parking lot and truck loading area were buried under 12 in. of snow last winter. The machine, with four-wheel drive traction, all-wheel-steering maneuverability and a Bobcat snowblower attachment, was ideal for the job. It made quick, easy work of cleaning out the tight ramps, which angle down to allow trucks to backup to the loading dock, and other cramped areas. “That unit can flat throw snow,” Boeshart says. “It blew the snow back over the machine and out of the pits, where I could use our A220 loader with a snow blade to push the snow away.”

With a Bobcat mower mounted on the front, the Toolcat 5600 has replaced a tractor with an underbelly mower for cutting the large expanse of grass at the facility. “The tight-turning radius of the 5600 is very handy for towing,” says Boeshart. “It does a better job than a tractor, too, because the wheels don’t run over the grass and push it down before you cut it. Also, unlike the tractor, our Toolcat 5600 is equipped with an enclosed cab with air conditioning and heat. You stay clean and comfortable in the summer and winter.”

The 5600 offers still another feature not found on a tractor—a cargo box for hauling a variety of materials, from end-of-winter roadside debris to rock for site repairs.

Ease of entry and exit is another plus for the new Bobcat machine. So is the visibility. “You have a nice line of sight to everything around you,” Boeshart notes. “All in all, it’s a neat, compact general purpose maintenance vehicle.”