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Fall 2008

Built on Bobcat tradition

Former skid-steer loader operator maintains acreage with CT230 and implements

CT230

With a new Bobcat CT230, owners James Jacobs and Penni Livingston can easily maintain their property.

When James Jacobs heard about the new line of Bobcat® compact tractors, he recalled the seven years he operated a Bobcat skid-steer loader building silos on farms throughout northern Illinois in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He wondered if the same traits — durability, reliability and versatility — that made Bobcat the world’s most popular skid-steer loader, would be built into the tractor.

“I won’t forget the performance of that skid-steer loader,” he says. “It was easy to operate, very reliable and you could change attachments quickly.”

Jacobs and his wife Penni Livingston live on a 29-acre property in Fairview Heights, Ill. After having some problems getting their driveway plowed in a timely manner, they purchased a CT230 last winter at the nearby Bobcat of St. Louis dealership.

“Within days we had a 6-inch snowfall,” Jacobs says. “With the bucket on the tractor I cleared our three-tenths of a mile driveway in 40 minutes. The tractor worked great. We were sold.”

For owners like Jacobs and Livingston, the CT230 is ideal for working around their tree-lined property. The 30-horsepower engine has the power for heavy-duty jobs, such as dragging logs and pulling a trailer filled with wood. The tractor has standard four-wheel drive for working in tough conditions and a hydrostatic transmission with three travel speed ranges.

Other standard features of the CT230 that Jacobs likes: power steering, cruise control, a comfortable suspension seat and a fully retractable seat belt that is within easy reach. The hood and side panels provide excellent visibility; they are made of tough, durable steel, not plastic.

Within days we had a 6-inch snowfall. With the bucket on the tractor I cleared our three-tenths of a mile driveway in 40 minutes. The tractor worked great. We were sold.

Expanding the versatility of the tractor, they added a 72-inch finish mower — an implement that produces a clean, smooth cut without skips. It has a rear discharge and solid rubber wheels. Quick, easy implement changes on the CT230 model are aided by the telescopic lower links on the three-point hitch. They extend and adjust for easy connection.

“I use the mower implement on our three-and-a-half acres of cleared land,” Jacobs says. “It does an excellent job, and riding on the comfortable tractor makes this work more enjoyable.”

Jacobs and Livingston plan to use the compact tractor to help develop walking trails around their property. “I have always liked the fact that Bobcat has a number of attachments and implements that make their equipment so versatile,” Jacobs says. “As we go forward I am sure we will find additional uses for the CT230 and available implements.”

The compact tractor has met his expectations, Jacobs says. “When Bobcat does something, they do it right.”

Go online at www.bobcat.com/tractors to read about the full line of Bobcat compact tractors and implements.