Skidsteers are not that common on Irish farms but anybody who has one tends to wonder how they ever managed without one. The Bobcat S590 is a sizeable machine, weighing in at 2.9t with a bucket attached.

The specification of the test machine was over and above what most farmers would ever need but still shows what these machines are capable of. This machine came with SJC joystick control, air-conditioned cab, radio, two-speed travel and high-flow hydraulics (only needed for road attachments). All of these are self-explanatory except for the SJC joystick control. This allows the operator to choose the functionality of the joysticks on the move and select what inputs they require.

Controls

The left joystick controls the direction of movement and the right joystick controls the boom and bucket, similar to most loaders either on a tractor or loading shovel, so it feels normal to most everyday machine operators.

There are a couple of other options which allow the operator to control movement on each side of the machine separately with each joystick. This can be used to give greater control at speed on the road with the boom locked in a safe position. Steering drift compensation keeps your loader on a straight path as you side-shift certain attachments, such as a planer or trencher, which tend to pull the machine to one side.

It is also beneficial when you operate on surfaces that cause the loader to gradually drift to the left or right, such as gradual slopes or crowned roads. It is possible to make fine steering adjustments with the push of a button to either side and stay on target.

On the farm

The main test for the Bobcat was to clear loose dung from a winter cattle fattening shed.

The bucket was chosen as the weapon of choice. Getting a handle on the driving of the machine took a matter of minutes, and once I had the hang of it, the manoeuvrability was spectacular.

The ability to get into and out of tight corners that a tractor and loader would never manage was one of the best bits of this machine.

With 66hp on tap, the little loader was good at pushing and, once the surface wasn’t too slick, it was more than capable of loading the bucket to its maximum level.

Lift capacity was very good and a larger bucket or other attachment wouldn’t cause the hydraulic system any difficulty. The oil flow rate is 110-litre/min on this machine with the pump upgrade and you could feel it having lots of lifting ability. This model also had a two-speed option, giving it a top speed of 17.3km/h when flat out but still lots of pushing power when the lower range was selected.

The dung was being loaded into a 5ft-side Redrock trailer and the lift height of 3,032mm made this achievable with one small problem. If the bucket was overfilled, there was the possibility of loose material landing on the glass roof of the cab and at a minimum reducing visibility and, in a worst-case scenario, breaking the glass. This was sorted by letting down the top foot of the trailer side, which allowed the material to stay in front of the cab if some came loose on the move.

Once the shed was cleared, the little Bobcat was put to work transporting gravel from the farmyard down a bumpy lane to fill potholes.

The lift capacity of 967kg was more than enough to lift the bucket fully loaded with the stone. One surprising feature on this machine was how comfortable it was transporting this sort of weight on rough ground.

The fully adjustable seat did its job very well and the machine was well balanced with very little of the rocking that you sometimes get with this type of machine.

The verdict

Bobcat is the market leader worldwide in skidsteer loaders and, from spending time driving this latest machine, it can be seen that the company knows how to make them. On farm level, this machine would get through more work than many much larger loader options. The ability to work in small areas with relative ease and still have the power to both push and lift make these a serious option for any farmer across all the different sectors.