Bobcat 4x4 Utility Vehicle Makes It Easy to Roam the Range

Ruth Bleau and employee Javier Medena.

When Ruth Bleau went shopping for a utility vehicle to travel and transport equipment and supplies around her California ranch, she had specific requirements in mind. Topping her list of must-have features was ease of operation, versatility and the ability to ford streams and climb hills. She found all that and more in the Bobcat® 2200 four-wheel drive utility vehicle.

"It's one of the best purchases I ever made," says Bleau.

The two-passenger 2200 with its 20 hp diesel engine, offers a convenient and comfortable way to tend to the needs of the alpaca, goats and sheep which she raises on her Blue Oaks Ranch near Grass Valley.

This rugged, sure-footed vehicle, featuring a strong, no-rust aluminum chassis, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes, and rack and pinion steering, takes her wherever she needs to go. "It's very easy to drive and handle," she says. "There's no slack in the steering, which is very precise."

Bleau also makes full use of the machine's handy cargo box. She likes the electric dump feature. "It's a great vehicle for hauling just about everything we want," she says.

That includes grain, hay, straw and manure. Sometimes it carries rocks out of pastures and transports gravel, lining material and plants when building ponds.

The 2200 is also put to work mowing weeds, towing a heavy-duty gas-engine mowing deck behind the machine.

"Not a day goes by that we don't use the 2200 at least several times," Bleau says. "Sometimes it runs all day long. I couldn't do without it."