T870 Gives Dirt-Moving Contractor a Productivity Boost

Owner impressed with new M-Series cab, loader performance and roller suspension system

Iowa contractor Jared Morris upgraded to a new M-Series T870 compact track loader last fall. He's since purchased his second T870 from Bobcat of Cedar Rapids.

Never before has there been a Bobcat� compact track loader as powerful or productive as the M-Series T870. This is a serious dirt-moving, truck-loading machine with a 99.2-horsepower diesel engine. Just ask Jared Morris of Robins, Iowa. He's owned Bobcat compact track loaders for nearly a decade, and when the T870 was introduced in the fall of 2010, he was one of the first customers to buy one. He's since added a second T870 to his equipment fleet.

Productivity is critical to Morris. He oversees the excavating and grading tasks for JPM Enterprises � a company owned by his parents, who also build new homes after the dirt work is done. "We dig basements, backfill foundations, grade lots and get the lots ready for sod," he says. "Our Bobcat compact track loaders help us quickly backfill and grade, both rough and final, around the new homes. With the new T870s, we have even more power to get the backfilling and grading tasks done faster."

Morris' T870 backfills around a new foundation.

Comfortable cab

Morris is in the machine as much or more than his crew members, so he knows how important it is for the machine to be comfortable. "A nice, quiet cab is a must," Morris says. The new M-Series loader cab impresses Morris with its visibility, pressurized operating station and new windows (on the outside). "Visibility is important to me because I want to see everything around me and where I'm going. With the cab-forward design and bigger window in the door, I can see the attachment much better."

Superior ride

Also important is the ride, which Morris says is dramatically improved with the standard Roller Suspension� System for the T870. "We drive over a lot of curbs to get off the streets, and it can be hard on the machine and the operator, so the suspension system helps smooth the ride," he explains. Steel leaf springs within the Roller Suspension System dramatically reduce vibrations and bumps as the loader travels across the ground. The system also helps with turning, produces less noise and provides an overall more comfortable work environment.

The extra lift height of his T870 makes it even easier for Jared Morris to clear the side of this truck when he loads dirt. He says the visibility has also improved with his new M-Series loader.

Morris owns five Bobcat loaders altogether: four compact track loaders (one T320, a T300 and two T870s) and a 773 skid-steer loader. He purchased the loaders from his local dealer � Bobcat of Cedar Rapids. "The rubber track undercarriage makes it a lot easier to grade around a house, especially if it is muddy, because of the extra traction," he says.

He pairs his 773 loader with an angle broom and bucket to keep the streets in the development free of dirt and debris, keeping it out of the storm drains. He says this is important because the city pays close attention to the streets and he can be fined if they're dirty.

While other companies have called on Morris and encouraged him to switch brands, he hasn't strayed from Bobcat models. "We have tried other loaders, but Bobcat is still No. 1 to me," Morris says.

Precision Grading System CD-ROM

CD-ROM shows laser-guided grading techniques

Ask your local Bobcat dealer for a copy of the Bobcat� Precision Grading System on CD-ROM, or mark it on the enclosed WorkSaver� Dialogue card. Learn how Bobcat equipment � compact loader, and laser guided grader and box blade attachments � can save you money in flatwork preparation.

A more precise final grade can be achieved with the Bobcat laser system, as much as +/- .25 inches. You will save on the costs of material when using a laser-guided system. Even experienced operators cannot be accurate to +/- .25 inches over the entire grade. If a flatwork contractor was off by a half-inch on a 300-by-300-foot slab, the extra 138 yards of concrete needed could easily cost more than $13,000. The formula assumes the price per yard of concrete is $95. The cost savings could pay for the laser control system based on this example, and over time could pay for the compact loader, too. Laser-precise grades in one pass minimize errors, lower labor costs and build profits for compact equipment owners.

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