Toolcat 5600 Helps Landscape Contractors Build a New Business
Nick Cattell and his son Brad planned to buy a utility tractor for NBC Landscaping and Lawncare, Chariton, Iowa, their new landscape construction and maintenance business. Into the purchase plan they figured the cost of the tractor and several attachments, then they added in the price of a used skid-steer loader for tackling jobs the tractor couldn’t handle.
While they were mulling over the economics of “Plan A” they heard about the new Toolcat™ 5600 utility work machine. It didn’t take long for them to turn their attention to “Plan B.” That’s because the 5600, designed and built by Bobcat Company, offers more performance, versatility and convenience for about the same amount of money.
No wonder they went to Plan B. This revolutionary machine can work with a wide range of Bobcat® attachments while doubling as a loader and pickup truck. Plus, unlike the utility tractor, the Cattells were able to equip their 5600 with an enclosed, heated and air conditioned cab for much more comfort.
This multi-purpose machine—along with half a dozen Bobcat attachments which the Cattell also purchased from Capital City Equipment, Des Moines—has proven to be a vital part of their business. “There are a million uses for the Toolcat machine,” Nick says. “We use it every day.”
Some of those uses: Grading and digging with a bucket; drilling holes for fence posts and planting trees with an auger; carrying logs and piling brush with a utility grapple; and unloading and transporting landscaping supplies with a set of pallet forks.
There’s more: “We’ve used the tiller on existing gardens and to break up sod and hard-packed dirt,” Nick says. “It does an excellent job. This winter we’ll use the snow blade for clearing snow for some of our lawn-care customers.”
Job versatility is only one of the Toolcat 5600’s strong points. The machine’s front and rear suspension and four-wheel drive system is complemented by tight-turning, turffriendly all-wheel steer. “The machine is very maneuverable and doesn’t tear up the yard when you turn,” says Nick.
The 2,000-lb. capacity hydraulic lift cargo box is another very important benefit. “It seems like we’re always using it to haul supplies,” he adds. The Cattells have also used the Toolcat 5600 with the standard rear hitch to tow a trailer-load of trees to a jobsite.
What more can it do? Nick and Brad aren’t certain, but they are sure that as their business continues to grow they will find many additional uses for this first-of-a-kind work machine.