WorkSaver Summer 2004
MT52 mini track loader
Among the many strengths of the new Bobcat® MT52 mini track loader is its ability to raise productivity on a broad range of jobsites.
Charles Shaw makes money with his MT52 in tree trimming and storm cleanup work. Scott Papp, on the other hand, profits by using his MT52 to dig trenches for installing silt fence.
However, despite their widely different uses for the machine, these two owners share one thing in common—they’re glad they bought the new Bobcat mini track loader.
“It’s an amazing piece of machinery,” says Shaw. “It’s unbelievable what it can do. It makes a lot of money by saving time and labor.”
“My MT52 has allowed me take my company to the next level of profitability,” says Papp.
The MT52 replaces the Bobcat MT50 mini track loader with improved performance and easier, more comfortable operation. Powered by a reliable 18.8 hp liquid-cooled Kubota diesel engine and providing a 520-lb. rated operating capacity, the MT52 offers the lifting power, lift height, and loading and dumping performance of a small skidsteer loader. A mere 36-in.-wide, the 2,506-lb. machine easily slips through gates and doorways to work quickly and efficiently in limited access areas. More than a dozen Bobcat attachments can be used.
Charles Shaw
Hydrostatic drive improves performance when digging or turning with a full bucket. A new C-pattern rubber track is friendly to lawns and gardens while maintaining tractive effort.
This rugged loader also features simple operation. A low-effort, multifunction handle controls travel speed and steering, while a lever controls lift and tilt functions.
What’s more, thanks to an optional, removable platform, the MT52 is the only mini track loader that lets you operate the machine while riding or walking behind. Mounting or removing the ride-on platform is as easy as engaging or disengaging two pins.
The end result, say these owners, is a machine that outworks and outearns the alternatives—whether manual labor or other equipment.
Trimming Labor Costs
Shaw, who owns Capital City Tree Services, Alexander, Ark., uses the MT52 to slip through gates and work in backyards and other areas too small for his Bobcat 863 skid-steer loader.
"My MT52 has allowed me to take my company to the next level of profitability."-Scott Papp
He uses the mini track loader with a grapple bucket to pick up and carry a dozen or more trimmed limbs about 5 or 6 ft. long and up to 12 in. in diameter. “I just raise the bucket to clear the fence and the MT52 drives right through the gate,” Shaw says. He also mounts a 48-in. angle broom on the machine to clean debris and packed dirt from sidewalks, driveways and streets.
The machine’s productivity enabled Shaw to cut his six-person ground crew in half.
“I was paying those three laborers $240 a day,” he says. “I’m paying $300 a month for my MT52. The machine is on time and ready to work every day.”
Shaw equipped his MT52 with the ride-on platform. “It makes all the difference in the world,” he says. “It’s very well built and I use it as much as possible, unless I’m in really muddy conditions.”
He likes the machine’s easy operation. “It only took me about 30 minutes to learn how to operate the MT52 and feel comfortable with it,” he says.
“I’ve been real impressed with my MT52 and so has everyone else who’s seen it work,” adds Shaw. “Other people who do this type of work and don’t have one are sure missing out.”
A Big Boost in Production
Papp uses his MT52 with a 36-in. bucket to dig trenches for installing silt fence and a 48-in. angle broom to clean streets at construction sites in residential subdivisions. The loader has enabled his company, Infinity
The machine replaced two laborers with shovels for digging the trenches. “We do three times the work in a day with two laborers than what we used to do with four men,” Papp says. “Two laborers cost me $140/day in wages. My MT52 costs just $23 a day to own. In one week, the machine pays for itself for a month.”
MT52 mini track loader
His multi-purpose MT52 does more than save time digging and sweeping. Unlike a dedicated trenching unit, he can use the bucket of the MT52 to move lumber, bricks or other construction materials that are in the way of a fence.
The machine’s versatility has also opened up new money-making opportunities as jobsite superintendents find more work for it. One time, for example, a truckload of dirt had been dumped right where a sidewalk was scheduled to be poured. “With the MT52 I was able to move the load and grade the area quickly,” Papp says. “It comes in handy for other jobs, too, such as grading in between homes that may only be 4 ft. apart.”
The compact machine is simple to operate, he adds. “Operating the handle and lever is intuitive. It’s easy to learn.”
And easy to transport. “I may offload my MT52 to do 60 ft. of silt fence at one house and then trailer it to another small job on the other side of the subdivision,” he explains.
MT52 mini track loader
For shorter travel distances or when working in hot weather, the optional riding platform is great. “Walking behind the machine to sweep several miles of streets in the winter is one thing, but I’d sure hate to walk all that way on a hot, muggy day in August,” he says. “I only use the platform about a third of the time, but that’s enough to make it worthwhile.”
The diesel engine is another important feature for Papp. “When I’m investing in equipment that will be worked hard, I want the long-life of a diesel engine,” he says.
These are just some of the many ways the MT52 can lift your profit potential. To learn more, visit your participating Bobcat dealer.