Newest and Smallest Bobcat Compact Track Loader Has It All
First owners of the T140 compact track loader report that the new Bobcat® K-Series machine is just the ticket for working limited-access areas in backyards and in-between the closely spaced houses in today's new suburban subdivisions.The T140 measures a mere 55-in.-wide (without bucket) and weighs just 6,660 lb. It combines the traction and flotation of a dedicated rubber-tracked undercarriage with the ability to slip in and out of tight areas and has the power to work quickly and productively.
Impressive traction and breakout forces make the T140 ideal for digging and grading jobs. You can also use it to extend your work season and money-making opportunities because it works so well in muddy or soft soil conditions and terrain. Plus, it treads lightly across lawns, patios, sidewalks and other sensitive surfaces to reduce site damage and repair costs.
With a 1,400-lb. rated operating capacity and radius lift path, this 46 hp unit is one versatile loader.
Big Savings for Flatwork Contractor
John Mason bought his T140 to replace a similar size skid-steer loader for his business, John Mason Concrete. Based in Hernando, Miss., the company does a variety of flatwork projects for residential and commercial customers in the northwest part of the state.
One of the attractions of the machine, which he bought from his Bobcat dealer, Williams Equipment, Memphis, Tenn., was its compact size. "When preparing small home sites for slabs, it easily maneuvers around plumbing and gets into tight spaces between houses where a bigger machine can't go," he says. "It's also a lot easier to haul around on a trailer."
At the same time, he notes, the low ground pressure of the T140's rubber tracks helps protect water lines and minimizes ruts and other surface disturbance when maneuvering.
What he really likes about his T140, however, is the increased traction compared to a skid-steer machine. "There's a night and day difference," he says. "With the T140 we can cut driveways in the rain by pushing right through the mud. Also, because it's a lot more stable, it holds the grade better. Put the bucket down and it will cut the same grade each time. A driveway that used to take four hours to do with the skid-steer loader and laborers, now takes only an hour using just the T140."
Fits Right in with Construction Projects
After replacing a breakdown-prone compact track loader of another brand with the new, similar sized Bobcat T140 machine, irrigation contractor Mike Fling, Fort Mill, S.C., has just one complaint. "I wish the T140 had been available earlier," says the owner of Fling Irrigation, Inc.
In addition to its size, he also wanted a machine that he could depend on. Fling, who has owned Bobcat equipment for the past 15 years was confident about the reliability of the T140. His current lineup of Bobcat equipment includes five other compact track loaders-two T190s and two T200s and a T300. His dealer is Bobcat of Charlotte.
Fling uses the T140 primarily for working in the confined areas of townhome communities. The T140, equipped with a landscape rake, makes quick, easy work of preparing lawns for loading and spreading topsoil, backfilling and seeding.
"We could use one of our bigger loaders to do this but it would take more time for maneuvering," he says. "Our T140 is both small enough and big enough to do the work. It's a good machine for what it was designed to do and certainly fits our needs for working around townhouses."
Making the Switch to New Track Loader
Ken Carter, a longtime owner and operator of Bobcat® equipment, recently made the switch from a traditional skid-steer loader with rubber tires to a new T140 compact track loader from Bobcat West in Eugene, Ore. Carter is the president of Carter Brothers Construction, a custom homebuilding company that has been in business for nearly four decades.
Carter got his start 25 years ago with a 500 Series skid-steer loader, and through the years he has traded or sold several Bobcat loaders, eventually settling on a 753 model which he successfully used for many years in his Florence, Ore., business.
Equipped with over-the-tire steel tracks, Carter and his crew could work year-round in the sandy soil conditions found along the western Oregon coast where he builds homes in price ranges of $200,000 to $1,000,000. He rarely removed the tracks, except for a few occasions when he needed to work on asphalt.
So why would he look for a different loader?
One reason: flat tires. Carter says that always seemed to be an issue with his skid-steer loader because it was difficult to fix the tires with the tracks wrapped around them. With the T140 he never worries about tires going flat. And while the rubber track undercarriage can take more time to maintain than rubber tires, he is saving time on jobsites with his T140.
He says that while working on smaller lots, the T140 compact track loader can get in and work where larger equipment can't fit. With just a few less inches on either side of the machine than his 753, Carter says he can use the bucket attachment to better work alongside homes. The T140 is just 56 in. wide with a bucket.
"We use the T140 where other equipment won't fit," Carter says. "The narrow width of the T140 enables me to work more efficiently because I am not worried about catching a tire on a wall while turning."
Among the other attachments Carter owns for his T140 are a 4-in-1 combination bucket, pallet forks, grapple and backhoe. At the start of many new projects, the combination bucket is used to clear the property of brush. Then, with the grapple attachment, he can easily lift debris and move it elsewhere. He says the grapple attachment is also frequently used on remodeling projects to move scrap and hard-to-handle waste.
A staple for Carter's crew is the backhoe attachment, which can dig as deep as 9.5 ft.
"We use the backhoe for utility trenches-putting in primary electric lines at 4 ft., secondary lines at 3 ft., and some water lines at 2 ft.," Carter says. "The backhoe runs beautifully on this machine. It's like having it on a totally different application with the T140 than the 753. It has more speed, more power and more stability with the extra weight."
According to Carter, using a compact track loader is a significant time-saver when it comes to backfilling trenches. He says it is at least five times faster to backfill a trench with his loader than with laborers.
And when the rain sets in, the T140 really performs well. "It will cut ground and move material incredibly well, even in soft ground," Carter says. "It doesn't slow up for anything."