New line-up has up to 74 horsepower and a power shuttle transmissions that can be adjusted for each operator
Bobcat has added three new tractor models to its lineup. After offering compact and sub-compact models, it has now made a foray into the higher-horsepower utility category with the UT6000 Series.
“We entered into production and started shipping in July,” says Bobcat’s product specialist Jonathan Widmer. “They’re new. Three different models. This is our largest series of tractors.”
The 66 horsepower UT6066 is available in either open station or cabbed configurations. The 74 horsepower UT6573 is a cab-only model. All three models have front-wheel assist.
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The tractors get power from a Daedong turbocharged diesel engine. Mated to that is a 12 x 12 power shuttle transmission that comes standard in all three models.
“This is the size class where hydrostatic (transmissions) go away and we get into the gear driven,” adds Widmer. “There’s no foot clutching, you’re doing all the clutching electronically with your thumb.
“When you look at all the competitive models, everyone in this space is doing it (power shuttle transmissions), at least as an option. But not everybody does it as standard.”
The response of the power shuttle can be adjusted to make a more gradual or faster change in direction, depending on the operator’s preference and the job at hand.
There are a few other features on the larger tractors that the brand hasn’t offered before. Those include a mechanical self-levelling front-end loader, LED lights and a PTO cruise function.
“If you’re working the tractor heavily, it will slow down the tractor so your rpms stay up for the implement,” says Widmer.
Inside the cab, operators will find the environment and trim level similar to cabs on other Bobcat machines, including an adjustable seat and tilt steering column.
Widmer says the decision to grow the tractor line’s horsepower range came as a result of input from dealers who found many customers wanted larger models.
“We talked to a lot of our dealers and they were saying somebody came in looking for a tractor and it seemed like they needed just a little bit more (horsepower). That was probably the biggest push why we wanted to get into this.
“Bobcat makes it onto farms with skid steers and loaders, but we didn’t really have a tractor we thought farmers and ranchers might use.”
The new tractors get final assembly at a plant in North Carolina and come with a standard two-year 1,500-hour warranty.
