Skid-Steer Loader Proves Cost-Effective for School District
Dependable S175 Saves Time and Money
In the Edgerton School District (Wis.), mathematics and economics extend beyond the classroom. For the maintenance department, some simple math turns into a striking lesson in economics.
That’s because the school district’s Bobcat® S175 skid-steer loader is a time, labor and money-saving machine.
“For example,” says Dave Anderson, head of the maintenance department, “a couple of years ago we had cut down a number of trees and needed to remove the stumps. We got a bid of $100 per stump from an outside supplier. Instead, we rented a Bobcat stump grinder [attachment] from our local dealer, Bobcat of Janesville, for $150 per day. We did 20 stumps in a day, which would have cost us $2,000. That was a no-brainer when it comes to saving money.”
More recently, the school district tore down two small concession stands and replaced them with a concession stand/restroom facility and an athletic storage building.
“We used our loader to demolish the buildings, pull up the concrete and haul it away,” Anderson says. “Instead of hiring a contractor and a trucker, we probably saved $2,000 to $3,000 by doing it ourselves.”
There were additional savings in the construction of the two new buildings. “We hired a mason to build the new block buildings. We got a lower rate because we used our loader to move around the blocks and other supplies. He didn’t have the equipment to do it,” Anderson explains.
Not only has the Bobcat loader helped the Edgerton schools save money on special projects, it has also made work much easier for Anderson and other employees.
“For many years after we got our first loader, I did all of the work myself,” he says. “I wouldn’t have been able to do as much without the loader. Now we can do more projects — such as sidewalk repairs — than I ever imagined.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do as much without the loader.”
Unloading freight and moving it around has become routine with the pallet fork attachment. Before, I was always looking for people to help with this type of project. Believe me, this is much better.”
Maintenance department employees, along with several building custodians, have taken the Bobcat safety operator training course and regularly operate the loader. “We now have great flexibility. Several people are available to use the loader to make all our jobs easier,” Anderson says. “The loader is invaluable.”
So, too, is the fact that the local Bobcat dealership has a large inventory of attachments for rent. “That saves us from having a shed full of attachments, many of which we would use just once a year,” Anderson notes. “Renting attachments only when we need them is sound economics.”
Visit the product page to learn more about the benefits of Bobcat compact loaders.