A300: A Mountain of a Machine

High on a mountain top in southeast Tennessee, Brad Braswell decided it was time to buy his first skid-steer loader. “We faced a real challenge,” recalls the owner of Homescapes, a professional landscape design and installation firm based in Hixson, Tenn. “We had the contract for all the landscaping around a new multimillion dollar home. However, the grades were steep and the design called for several large boulders to be placed around the property. Plus we had to deliver pallets of sod and pavers.” Braswell previously rented or borrowed a skid-steer loader when he needed one. This time, however, the unusual circumstances required a special loader. “I was looking around at various machines when I heard about the Bobcat® all-wheel steer (AWS) loader,” says Braswell. “I demoed it and quickly came to the conclusion that the A300 would be my first loader. No other product even came close to it.” Bobcat of Chattanooga delivered his new loader—a 73 hp vertical lift path powerhouse with a rated operating capacity of 3,000 lb.—just in time to tackle the challenge of working in the mountains. “All of a sudden, this landscaping project became much easier,” says Braswell. “I could place heavy boulders exactly where I wanted them, handling large pallets of sod and pavers became a simple task and ground disturbance was not a problem.” Braswell operates the loader in all-wheel steer 99 percent of the time. “I like the improved traction you get in this mode,” he says. “It’s great for going up and down inclines with a full load. On this mountain project all-wheel steer made all the difference in the world. “The A300 is a great loader,” Braswell concludes. “It puts all the others I’ve tried to shame.”