Power and performance were on display at the recent Bobcat/Doosan Atlanta Media Event 2010 held at a local Bobcat dealership near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Bobcat introduced the largest compact track loader the company has ever manufactured - the T870 - along with what will be the largest skid loader in its lineup, the S850. Both loaders feature industry-leading lifting heights, more powerful hydraulics, increased fuel capacity, increased pushing power and higher horsepower.

Numerous other Bobcat excavators and loaders were also on display, as was Doosan’s line of large excavators and loaders.

In terms of plumbing needs, Bobcat Product Specialist Mike Fitzgerald told PM plumbing contractors are looking for varied machinery options to meet their jobsite specifications.

“In the plumbing area, they’re looking for small- to medium-sized machines to get into those tighter areas,” Fitzgerald said. “They might package a mini-excavator with a loader so they could get into someone’s backyard and dig those shallower trenches where you don’t need that big dig depth. When you are removing material, sometimes you’ll put it back in, but a lot of times you’ll bring back other material to pack in. That’s an example of where it works to put two machines together.”

Fitzgerald emphasized the location of the plumbing contractor will many times determine what size machine they are looking for.

“In our part of the country (North Dakota), you have to go down a minimum of seven feet,” he said. “So you need a machine that can get enough reach to cover that span. In the South, you only have to go down two or three feet and in Atlanta and Florida, it’s 18-24 inches. In the Montana mountains, it’s 14 feet deep and you still might freeze.”

Bobcat also unveiled its new line of utility carts at the event. (Check out a video of PM Senior Editor Mike Miazga driving a utility cart on a large track.)                                          

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