Toolcat 5600 Succeeds at Streets Department

Crew Chief Finds Year-round Use for Utility Work Machine

“Back-breaking” is how the City of Maplewood, Minn., street division crew chief Bob Running says he would describe his job if it were not for Bobcat® equipment.

For years the street department has relied on dependable Bobcat loaders and attachments to rebuild roads, repair storm sewers, complete landscaping projects, sweep dirt and debris from streets, and remove snow. In 2007, the city added a new D-Series Toolcat™ 5600 because of the machine’s versatility.

“I was immediately impressed when I saw the Toolcat 5600 at an equipment show, and I asked our sales specialist at Tri State Bobcat for a demonstration,” Running says. “We found it perfect for what we need — it’s so versatile because we can reduce our overall inventory with one machine that operates multiple attachments.”

Running immediately tested the city’s newest Bobcat machine to move snow. “Our operators are in the Toolcat machine as long as eight hours,” he says. “Rather than haul the machine on a trailer, they drive it from our garage to clear snow off sidewalks and trails with a bucket, angle broom or V-blade attachment.”

5600 Makes Mowing More Enjoyable
Running put the 5600 on mowing assignments in the spring. Initial operator feedback was that it performed nicely in tight areas. “Operators told me that the 5600’s all-wheel steering ability was great for maneuvering around light poles, guard rails, signs and fences,” Running says.

He says the 5600 and 72-inch mower attachment save them time because of the rear discharge — an option not available on their other mowers. “The rear discharge does away with the mess we get from our conventional mowers, which means we don’t have to send an employee and sweeper to the area to clean up the clippings,” he says. “We don’t want the grass clippings going down the sewer, and the Toolcat 5600 helps minimize the mess.”

Unlike the conventional mowers, the Toolcat utility work machine has an enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning. “The operators love the cab and air conditioning because it protects them from the weather, minimizes exposure to grass clippings to keep them clean and gives them better visibility to the attachment.”

Toolcat utility work machines from Bobcat are changing the way cities work. You can read more about the latest Toolcat series at My Toolcat 5600.