Power and finesse define Bobcat excavator on landscape installations
COMPACT EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE OF D & T LANDSCAPE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. TODAY, A BOBCAT E42 EXCAVATOR AND ATTACHMENTS ARE MAKING IT EASIER TO INSTALL NEW LANDSCAPES AND BUILD HARDSCAPES
Troy Patterson took a leap of faith 20 years ago when he started his own landscaping and stone masonry company. Today, Patterson is a well-respected landscape contractor in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area, specializing in high-end residential and commercial landscaping. At his side is a Bobcat®
E42
compact excavator, a pair of skid-steer loaders and numerous attachments.
Patterson and business partner David Petersen own D & T Landscape, Inc. “When we met, Dave was more of a plant guy and I was more of a stone guy,” Patterson says, “and we combined our talents and went forward. He has a background in architecture, does our bidding and meets with customers. I oversee the installation crews and take care of on-site needs.”
Since starting the company, Patterson has owned six Bobcat loaders and several compact excavators that are operated extensively on his landscape and hardscape installation projects. A Bobcat compact excavator is a natural complement to his loaders, particularly for lifting and placing hardscape materials and boulders.
Patterson purchased the E42 — one of nine Bobcat M-Series models — plus buckets and a clamp from Intermountain Bobcat. He says the performance
improvements between his previous Bobcat excavator and the E42 are quite noticeable.
“The E42 has more hydraulic strength when I’m trenching,” Patterson says. “I have a couple of buckets and switch depending on what I’m doing, whether it’s fi ne grading or trenching. It’s easy to switch between my Bobcat buckets. We have some rocky soil in this area, and the teeth on my trenching bucket help loosen the dirt, particularly when we’re installing new irrigation systems.
“The E42 is quieter than my previous machine, and the auto-idle feature is nice, too. It’s a fuel-saver for sure. Fuel is a big expense for us because we use a lot of it.” Auto idle is standard equipment on nine of 11 Bobcat excavators available today.
Joystick offers precise control
Enhancements made to Bobcat M-Series excavators give operators like Patterson more control of the boom swing and auxiliary hydraulic functions. Patterson can press a paddle switch on the joystick control to activate the clamp.
“The controls of the E42 are smooth, making it easier for me to be more precise,” Patterson says. “I use the clamp to set landscape rocks, build walls and lift garbage to load it into a container. On one project, we removed a bunch of scrub oak with the excavator and clamp. I removed the oaks and laid them in the bucket of the Bobcat loader. It was too tight of terrain for any other machine to traverse the site.”
Fine grading with angle blade option
An angle blade option is a feature that Patterson can’t be without. He can angle the backfi ll blade 25 degrees left or right for preferred spoil placement.
A Bobcat E42 compact excavator helps operator Troy Patterson lift, carry and place boulders, as well as complete trenching projects for landscape installations.
“When we’re working next to foundations, we can angle the blade and level the dirt as we drive the excavator,” he says. A blade fl oat feature, activated by pressing the control lever forward, provides a smooth fi nish when grading, leveling and backfi lling, and minimizes manual labor.
Visit www.MyWorkSaver.com/MX to read more, fi nd additional product specs and watch videos about the benefi ts of Bobcat M-Series excavators. WorkSaver BobCatalog 2013 11