AT LEFT: Texas homeowner David Howard fi nds many uses for his Bobcat compact tractor, such as moving fi rewood.


BELOW: A Bobcat compact tractor is just what David Howard and his wife needed to maintain their rural property.


country


He visited Ranchers ATV and Tractor, the Bobcat®


compact tractor dealer in


Kerrville, and liked what he saw. The 27-horsepower CT225 was the right size and he was impressed with the sturdy construction, specifi cally the thickness of the metal. “Other tractors I looked at had more plastic; the Bobcat tractor was very solid,” he says.


More standard features


The CT225 comes with many standard features — some only available as options on other tractors — that include a tilt steering wheel, suspension seat, retractable seat belt, slip-resistant rubber- coated pedals and rubber mats, cup holder and cruise control.


Since purchasing the compact tractor in the fall of 2009, Howard has used it


TEXAS COUPLE RETURNS TO RURAL SETTING AND BEGINS WORKING ON A “LIFETIME” OF PROJECTS


“The structure of the tractor and the cost were important,” he says. “I wanted to buy from a local dealer that could provide good service. A friend suggested I check out the Bobcat brand. At the time I did not associate Bobcat with compact tractors, but was aware of their long history of building quality loaders.”


regularly to improve the property. A new front yard was installed, and the CT225 with front-end loader leveled the area and built berms. It was also used to build a road.


The tractor helped install a ¾-acre garden and will help build a pond that will be stocked with fi sh.


Using the 3-point rotary cutter implement on the compact tractor enables Howard to quickly and easily cut the tough grass and brush in the back of the property.


Future fruit tree orchard


One of the fenced-in areas in the backyard is home to a 1½-acre orchard. Planting for up to 100 trees — apple, pecan, peach, pear and apricot — began early this year. A rented auger attachment on the tractor makes planting easy, says Howard. “There is no way we could put in and maintain an orchard of this size without a tractor. In addition to installation, the tractor will be used to cultivate and mow between the rows of trees.”


He expects to harvest a good crop of produce in two or three years and plans to


EARLY SPRING 2011 | WorkSaver Homeowner with Acreage 7


donate a portion to local charities.


The Howards are looking forward to what they can do with the property in the coming years.


“We will do things at our convenience,” he says. “We are in no hurry. Whatever we do to the property will be done because we enjoy working outdoors and making changes.


“I don’t know how we could live on this property without a tractor,” he says. “In some ways, it’s just as valuable as a car — you just don’t think about how much you need it. For example, last fall I had to bring in some soil for a fl ower bed and I got out my wheelbarrow. Then I stopped and said, ‘Wait a minute; I have a tractor.’ Sometimes I forget about how useful it is.”


Visit www.MyWorkSaver.com/tractor to learn more about the benefi ts of Bobcat compact tractors and the many implements available for them. Then call or visit your local dealer — listed on the back cover of this magazine.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24