“My back isn’t the best after all these years of working, driving bulldozers over rocks, and the Toolcat machine is much more comfortable to operate. The Toolcat machine is very smooth. To me, it is like a Cadillac®
— a ‘country Cadillac.’” — Joe Natus
The Toolcat 5600 and a pallet fork are an ideal pair to easily lift, carry and place hay bales for their cattle.
Pat fi lls a tire with air from the compressor stored in the Toolcat 5600’s cargo box.
“My back isn’t the best after all these years of working, driving bulldozers over rocks, and the Toolcat machine is much more comfortable to operate,” says the 64-year-old. “The Toolcat machine is very smooth. To me, it is like a Cadillac — a ‘country Cadillac.’ There are so many things that we can do with it. When we’re on the ranch, we’re running around, and instead of getting in my pickup truck, we can drive the Toolcat 5600.
“It’s so comfortable to use, I don’t get tired. Ever since I saw the fi rst one, it really impressed me, about the way it was designed. I especially like the enclosed cab, two seats and it’s easy to get in and out of. Pat and I like the air-conditioned cab, especially down here in Texas. It gets plenty hot and dusty, and the pollen and cedar down here are terrible. I think that’s one of the best things, having an air-conditioned cab on our Toolcat 5600.”
Attachment versatility
Something that attracted Joe to the Toolcat 5600 was its front- mounted attachments. Since he already owned some Bobcat attachments for his skid-steer loader, he could also use some of them with the 5600.
It didn’t take long for Joe to fi nd many uses for the Toolcat machine and attachments. And he says the visibility to the front- mounted attachments makes them easier to operate. “I operate an auger on the front of the Toolcat machine and it’s easy to see where I’m digging. And it’s nice when I’m mowing brush and weeds, because I see what’s in front of me instead of looking backward.”
One of his fi rst projects at his home in Kerrville was rebuilding a road to the house, which he did with a bucket. Then, he cleared and stacked brush with an industrial grapple, and installed a fence with an auger. “I use it anytime I need to load or unload something,” he says. “It’s a real back-saver. It just makes life so much easier.” Joe and Pat own a bale fork that they pair with the Toolcat 5600 at their ranch, moving hay bales for the cattle and horses.
Altogether, Bobcat Company offers more than 40 attachments for its Toolcat machines; many available for rent from a local dealer for occasional use. That’s what Joe intends to do with a rotary cutter for his 5600. “I like knowing that I can rent additional attachments from my dealer, and I can see how they work in case I want to buy them,” he says.
Inside the Toolcat 5600, a joystick for the loader lift arm and attachment controls suits Joe well. “I like where the joystick control is located in the middle because I don’t have to move my arm or reach for the control,” he says. “It’s a natural place for me, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the joystick.”
Joe and Pat purchased their Toolcat 5600 and attachments from Ranchers ATV and Tractor, their nearby Bobcat dealer. Joe had been working with the dealer for a number of years, and noticed a Toolcat machine sitting at the dealership one day when he stopped in for parts for his Bobcat skid-steer loader. Joe went home and told his wife about it, and together they
continued on the next page EARLY FALL 2012 | WorkSaver Homeowner with Acreage 11
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