‘Next is Now’: Bobcat unveils new R-Series loaders

Bobcat has recently unveiled its new R-Series loaders and excavators at the company’s “largest ever virtual launch event” in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – entitled ‘Next is Now’.

The new R-Series machines “are the result of the most significant redesign of Bobcat compact loaders in 60 years and the company will begin deliveries of the machines in October 2020”, the manufacturer says.

Bobcat is launching the company’s new R-Series Stage V compliant compact loaders comprising the S66 and S76 skid-steer loaders and the T66 and T76 compact track loaders.

So – what’s new?

With longer wheelbases and tracks, the new T66 and T76 compact track loaders have a solid undercarriage system, but can be equipped with the optional 5-Link Torsion Suspension Undercarriage as an option for tackling rougher terrain

In addition, there’s an optional Auto Ride Control feature available on all R-Series loaders for more stability. This feature “reduces material spillage and also increases operator comfort”, the company claims.

The R-Series have a “fully enclosed one-piece” cab with HVAC, a 5in display and an LED lighting system.

The standard 5in deluxe display is operated by jog-shuttle and gives detailed machine information on the screen and can also be used for the feed from the optional rear-view camera, Bobcat says.

A number of previous options are now built into the new R-Series loaders as standard features. These include:

Selectable Joystick Controls (SJC);
Cab with HVAC;
Two-speed travel;
High flow hydraulics with Attachment Control Device (ACD);
Dual direction bucket positioning;
Back-up alarm.

The standard controls on all the new R-Series loaders is the SJC system. Manual hand and foot controls are available as a no-cost option on the S66 and S76 skid-steer loaders.

The customizable features available through the SJC include speed management, drift control and the ability to change the set up on the sensitivity of the joysticks. The SJC system also has built-in horsepower management to increase comfort and productivity.

Turning to attachment versatility, Bobcat says that, using Can-Bus communication to recognise the attachment on the machine, the ACD system “automatically sets up the joystick controls and the output flow to ensure the best performance when using attachments on the new loaders”.

Meanwhile, the High-Flow Hydraulics enables the machines to be used with advanced higher flow attachments such as planers and wheel saws.

Turning to the specifications, the machines range from an operating capacity of 1,179kg to 1,361kg for the skid-steer loaders, and 1,110kg to 1,417kg for the compact track loaders.