Toolcat 5600 Eases Tough Winter Workload
Toolcat 5600
When it comes to comfort, the unique, multi-purpose Toolcat® 5600 is second to none. The two-seat cab features unmatched ergonomics, good visibility, easy-to-use controls, a smooth ride and optional heated and air conditioned enclosure. When it comes to working efficiently and productively, this work utility machine tackles jobs like nothing else can. It combines the best features of a tool carrier, loader and pickup truck with a 46 hp diesel engine (or optional 56 hp turbo), compact size and tight-turning, turffriendly all-wheel steering and fourwheel drive.
These features pay off on a wide range of jobs throughout the year—whether mowing grass on a sizzling, sultry day in July or battling a blizzard on a frigid night in January. In fact, last winter provided a good test of the machine’s mettle in keeping operators comfortable despite frosty temperatures and biting winds. In many areas, snowfall was far above average. But, the Toolcat 5600 proved up to the challenge of brushing, plowing or blowing snow quickly and easily in mountain towns as well as congested cities.
5600 eases tough winter workload
John Watson, director of buildings and grounds for the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, describes his experience this way: “We had more snow than usual last winter and no matter what we got hit with, our Toolcat machine had no problems removing it.”
Saving work in winter and beyond
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, replaced a tractor with a Toolcat 5600, purchased from Bobcat dealer D.L. Page. The unit works year-round on the campus.
The timing was excellent. In January, snowfall in the area topped 70 in., second highest on record, reports Jeff Smith, physical plant operations supervisor for the college. Equipped with an angle broom, the Toolcat work machine cleaned the school’s 2.5 miles of sidewalks more quickly than the tractor-brush unit it replaced.
“The 5600 has streamlined our operation and shortened the hours our crew needs to clear the sidewalks,” he says
It also provides the power and precision needed to efficiently remove the snow, Smith adds. “The hydrostatic transmission allows us to keep the brush rotating at the proper speed, even while traveling at slow speeds,” he says.
At the same time the utility work machine gets into areas where the tractor couldn’t operate. That includes working around columns that support a system of elevated walkways connecting many of the buildings on campus.
“Maneuvering around the columns was a problem for the tractor,” says Smith. “But with its allwheel steering, the 5600 can easily get around the columns and right up next to doorways, reducing the amount of hand shoveling needed. Also, the heated cab allows the operator to work in shirt sleeves.”
User-friendly features
The Toolcat 5600 owned by the Town of Avon, Colorado, is used for a variety of street and park maintenance chores. In the winter, that means clearing snow from sidewalks, pedestrian malls and bike paths. It can be a long season. Situated at the base of Beaver Creek ski resort, winter weather typically starts in mid-November and lingers well into April.
“Our operators really like the heated cab,” says Dan Higgins, fleet manager. “The machine also gives them a good view of the 72-in. snow blade so they can see exactly where it is and avoid hitting objects.” All-wheel steering, he reports, makes it easy to maneuver in tight areas and around benches and light poles.
As fleet manager, Higgins also appreciates good support from his dealer, Bobcat of the Rockies, Grand Junction, and readily available parts. “The machine is made in America so we quickly get any parts we need,” he says. “We looked at other utility machines which were foreign-made and the parts were a lot more expensive and we would have had to wait much longer to get them.”
Toolcat 5600
Versatile productivity
Another municipality which learned the value of the Toolcat 5600 for clearing snow last winter was the City of Belleville, Ontario. The city bought the machine from John’s Equipment Sales & Service, Ltd., just in time for winter. It replaced a dedicated snow-removal machine.
“We wanted a piece of equipment we could use 12 months out of the year,” says Gerry LeMay, superintendent of public works. “Twenty-seven of our 30 operators selected it over three other utility machines we evaluated. They liked the Toolcat machine’s ease of operation, simple-to-use controls, visibility and comfort.”
The 5600 clears sidewalks in an eight-by-six block area of downtown and on one of the city’s four residential sidewalk routes. It’s equipped with various Bobcat attachments, depending on snow conditions.
The bucket is used in the downtown area to push snow off the sidewalks and into the streets or to load snow into the back of a small dump truck. The hydraulically operated angle broom is used to brush away light snow, while the snow blade is used to remove packed snow and ice.
“If the snow in the downtown area is really deep, we’ll mount the snowblower and blow the snow into trucks,” LeMay says. “The Toolcat 5600 is also nice in the residential areas because we can blow snow from the sidewalks into the yards and not on the driveways.”
Time-saving maneuverability
“We can’t fool around wasting time clearing snow,” says Watson of the Fashion Institute of Technology. “Our students and faculty need to have ready access to our buildings.”
That’s one reason he’s been impressed with the performance of his Toolcat 5600 which is equipped with an enclosed cab with heating and air conditioning. He’s responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks, alleys and loading docks in a 11⁄2 square block area.
The machine’s Bobcat snow attachments include an angle broom for light snow, a snow blade for removing snow up to about 12-in. deep and a snowblower. The cargo box is used to haul boxes of salt.
“Our Toolcat machine definitely saves us time,” Watson says.
It works much faster than the small tractor, walk-behind plows and hand tools which it replaced, he reports. That time savings reflects the ability to change attachments quickly and all-wheel steering to maneuver easily and efficiently around tight corners and close quarters.
The machine cuts labor costs as well. “The 5600 and one operator replaced three people,” he says.
The up-close view of the snow blade, great all-around visibility from the cab, the four headlights along with mirrors and strobe light add to the ease of working in high-traffic areas, he notes.
His satisfaction with the machine is enhanced by strong service and support from his dealer, Bobcat of New York City. “Our 5600 is a terrific running machine,” Watson says.