The new flail mowers are part of well over 100 attachment families for Bobcat’s compact loaders, mini-excavators and telehandlers, the broadest portfolio on the market, with new attachment products being continuously developed to meet customer needs.

The SL FM 60 has a cutting width of 600 mm and a hydraulic flow of 16-38 l/min, whilst the SL FM 85 flail mower has a cutting width of 850 mm and a hydraulic flow of 36-70 l/min. Both are optimised for use on Bobcat mini-excavators, with no external drain lines needed, so they can be easily interchanged between different machines with the Direct To Tank function fitted.

A unique feature on the new flail mowers for the Europe, Middle East and Africa market is a drum braking circuit that stops the attachment within 12 seconds. For extra safety, the flail mowers are also equipped with resistant guards to divert debris.

The new attachments are particularly suited for use in the landscaping, land clearing, municipal, parks, utilities, recreational, construction and rental industries.

The new flail mowers can be used while driving, the self-levelling feature guaranteeing simplicity of operation and maximum productivity. They are easy to use, with no additional training needed for the operators, a key factor for rental companies. The flail mowers form part of a full selection of attachments from Bobcat aimed at the rental industry.

Bobcat Mini-Excavator Versatility

Like all Bobcat mini-excavator attachments, flail mowers demonstrate the versatility offered by these machines, utilising the long reach and manoeuvrability they offer as carriers. They are therefore designed for cutting grass on uneven ground where other mowers cannot work - they also have rollers so that they can closely follow the contours of different surfaces.

They are ideal tools for cutting and shredding vegetation, branches, thick grass, bushes and small trees alongside ditches, roads, hillsides, river banks, parks and fences. They can be used to prepare new land for development, clearing out brambles or tall grass from neglected areas.

As well as uneven terrain, the new flail mowers can also work on hard-to-reach areas such as those around pylons, solar panels and over fences. The flail mowers can also be used for mowing areas that contain debris.

The SL FM 60 is equipped with 32 knives as standard, ideal for cutting tall weeds and overgrowth. The SL FM 85 can be supplied in both hammer (12) and knife (24+12) versions. The hammer version is aimed at heavier applications such as cutting saplings and denser overgrowth.

Other features of the new flail mowers include a direct power drive and an anti-shock, anti-cavitation valve and flow reducer for cutting speed optimization. Long product life is assured by replaceable wear skids, front and rear abrasion resistant guards and the double skin flail head. The flail mowers also have replaceable cutting flails.

The new excavator flail mowers complement related attachments such as the flail mowers, Brush Cat mowers and forestry cutters available for Bobcat compact loaders.

The LCO Awards are the industry’s only accolade of their kind, based on empirical data regarding the long-term cost of heavy and compact equipment. They are organised by EquipmentWatch, a world leader in data, software and insights for the heavy equipment industry. Nominees are recognised within 15 different categories of machine that exhibit the lowest cost of ownership over a five year span.

Total cost of ownership is one of the most important aspects that buyers take into account when they purchase equipment. The awards won by the T590 and S70 are a testament to the reputation for high performance, quality and reliability that the Bobcat range of compact loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers and attachments has established over the last 60 years.

Commenting on Bobcat’s success in the LCO Awards, Jiri Karmazin, Loaders Product Manager Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “We are delighted to win these awards again. They demonstrate why even after more than 60 years, the Bobcat compact loader range continues to be the market leader, so that one in every two skid-steer loaders sold today is still a Bobcat machine. It is our commitment to outstanding quality, workmanship and innovation that has helped to maintain our market leadership.”

The Bobcat T590 and S70 Compact Loaders

The T590 compact track loader has an operating weight of 3548 kg, a rated operating capacity (ISO 14397-1) of 971 kg and a tipping load (ISO 14397-1) of 2774 kg. A particular aspect of Bobcat compact track loaders like the T590 is the excellent ground-hugging abilities and stability offered by the tracks for work in harsh, wet conditions and for utilities and road maintenance with Bobcat planer and wheel saw attachments.

The S70 is the smallest model in the Bobcat skid-steer loader range. With a width of 901 mm, a height of 1814 mm, an overall length with standard bucket of 2472 mm and an operating weight of only 1268 kg, the S70 skid-steer loader ticks all the boxes for compactness, transportability and manoeuvrability. With its small dimensions, the S70 model can access sites with narrow openings such as gates, alleys or aisles. The S70 is ideal for work in tight areas where larger machines cannot manoeuvre effectively.

The T590 and S70, like all Bobcat compact loaders, are equipped with the quick-change Bob-Tach attachment mounting system, allowing them to be combined quickly and safely with a very wide choice of Bobcat attachments, delivering versatility and time-saving efficiency across a huge range of different applications.