Bobcat MT100 Mini Skid Steer Review

The Bobcat MT100 mini track loader, also known as a stand-on skid steer, is a money-maker for those in the landscape/hardscape industry and the go-to rental equipment for anyone who needs to tackle a small-scale demo or construction project.

With its 36’’ width, the Bobcat MT100 can get through gates, doorways, and narrow spaces, replacing manual labor and boosting versatility and efficiency thanks to various attachments available.

Keep reading to learn what we’ve found great about the Bobcat MT100, what we’ve found lacking, and how it compares to other mini track loaders.

Photo source: www.ritchielist.com

The design of the undercarriage on the MT100 is entirely new compared to Bobcat’s previous models.

The MT55 and MT85 had grease zerks on every roller, which you had to grease daily. On the other hand, the MT100’s sealed rollers are permanently soaked in oil for continuous lubrication.

Bobcat has also refined its heat treatment process to produce more durable rollers and idlers on the MT100.

The maintenance is easy. Simply lift the hood to check coolant, fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid levels.

The MT100 ISO pattern controls are mechanical over hydraulics.

Photo source: www.bobcat.com

The ISO pattern has become increasingly popular in skid steers and compact track loaders. It’s intuitive and easy to use. Operators can perform complex tasks with minimal hand movements. The pattern can reduce training time and improve the adaptability of operators unfamiliar with the machine.

Mechanical controls provide reliable feedback on the load and the machine’s response. They are more durable than electronic systems, especially in harsh environments. Another benefit is that they require only basic mechanical knowledge and tools to fix them.

Besides landscape and hardscape, you can use this mini track loader for trenching, site clean-up & prep, demolition, plowing snow, moving material, and loading dump trucks thanks to its impressive lift height of 80.9 in. And although the MT100 is a light machine (3,390 lbs), you can tow with it.

The machine is very fuel efficient. Its 7-gallon fuel tank lets you run the CTL all day.

Another cool feature to mention is the counterweights. Their shape lets you swap them between the undercarriage and the rear of the machine on the uprights to increase lifting performance, or you can purchase extra counterweights to use them on both places at the same time.

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As mentioned, the MT100 undercarriage has improved, yet it still needs some tweaking.

The rubber tracks last about 400 hours, and derailment is frequent, especially when traveling over rocks and other obstacles.

From our point of view, the major drawback of the undercarriage is the mechanical track adjuster. The system has a threaded rod and requires manual effort to adjust. It’s prone to getting rounded and more time-consuming than a grease track adjuster.

The Bobcat MT100 is a tippy machine. Don’t pick up a load at full height and turn on an incline.

Regarding its ROC, 1,000 lbs is great for such a small machine. However, it won’t pick up a full pallet of sod (1,500 – 3,000 lbs) or any other material heavy material. We recommend breaking the pallets into thirds to handle the material safely.

The MT100 mini track loader is ideal for trenching, backfilling, and moving material but not so much for excavations, especially on soils with high clay or silt content. When wet, these soils become very sticky and heavy.

Because of the above, some companies in regions with clay-rich soils, like Pensilvania, rent the MT100 without teeth on the bucket for liability reasons.

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Maintenance is easy on the MT100 overall, but the design feels more “thrown together” than more organized mini CTLs like the Kubota SCL1000. Also, the oil filters on the MT100 are hard to get off because of their weird installation angle.

The thumbscrew covers should open easily after the thumbscrew is removed. However, other bolts get in the way, and you must remove the cover after all. It’s a minor but bothersome design flaw.

The MT100 doesn’t have a USB port and is super loud.

The parking brake—a little ram/pin that pops out and locks the sprocket—can get stuck, especially in cold weather. On cold mornings, you’ll probably have to jiggle the gear forward and backward to loosen it.

We’ve noticed the engine cranks up longer than usual after a break. To solve the issue, give it a bit of throttle, and it’ll start right up.

One of the Bobcat MT100’s best features is its Kubota D902 diesel engine, which adds reliability, durability, and efficiency to this great mini skid steer.

Let’s see what else characterizes this mini track loader.

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Bobcat provides vast attachment versatility to help you quickly complete grading, backfilling, digging, and hauling.

The following attachments are compatible with the Bob-Tach attachment mounting system:

• 36’’/44’’ bucket: For digging, grading, and backfilling. Also, for handling and loading material.
• Angle broom: To move material away from a machine at an angle.
• Auger: For drilling holes in the ground for planting, fencing, and footings.
• Boring unit: For horizontal boring under paths, roads, or other obstacles without trenching.
• Digger: For digging trenches, holes, and foundations.
• Hydraulic breaker: For breaking up hard materials.
• Industrial grapple: For handling and loading industrial waste, debris, and bulky materials.
• Landplane: To smooth and level a surface on areas requiring grading, leveling, and grooming.
• Nitrogen breaker: A hydraulic breaker that uses nitrogen gas to enhance its breaking force.
• Pallet fork: For lifting and moving pallets and other materials.
• Root grapple: For clearing brush, roots, and debris while leaving soil behind.
• Snowblower: For removing snow from an area.
• Soil conditioner, Tiller: Prepares soil for planting.
• Stump grinder: For grinding tree stumps into mulch.
• Sweeper: Similar to the angle broom but often with a collection bin for debris.
• Trencher: For digging narrow trenches for laying pipes, cables, or drainage.
• Utility blade: For pushing, grading, leveling, and backfilling soil, snow, or other materials.
• Utility fork: Similar to a pallet fork but often with more tines.
• Utility grapple: For handling various materials, including logs, debris, and rocks.
• Vibratory plow: Uses vibration instead of trenching for laying cables or pipes underground.

Choose between narrow tracks for a total width of 36’’ to easily get through doorways and fences or wide tracks to get to 41’’ of width for less ground pressure but still keeping maneuverability in tight spaces.

Picture source: www.bobcat.com

Swapping the counterweights between the undercarriage and the rear end increases the rated operating capacity but not significantly. The difference is 80 lb. We recommend purchasing the extra counterweights and leaving them in the undercarriage and rear end.

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If there’s one word to describe the features of the MT100, it’s safety.

The Bobcat industry’s leading safety features ensure no accidents happen due to sudden hydraulic actions or operator errors.

For example, several functions revolve around the engine being off, like the lift and tilt function lockouts, which deactivate those movements when the engine isn’t running. If the machine shuts off with its arms in the air, you can press a bypass button on the dashboard to lower them.

Likewise, you won’t be able to start the engine under certain conditions.

The first condition is if the drive/steering control (Neutral-start interlocks), lift arm control or auxiliary hydraulic control lever is engaged.

The second condition is if you step on the continuous flow shutoff pedal, AKA the operator’s presence pedal, allowing hydraulic oil to flow to the attachment. (The attachment shutdown system activates when stepping off the pedal.)

The lift-arm supports prevent the arms from accidentally falling down when servicing the loader, and, as mentioned before, the MT100 comes with a parking brake.

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Subtle but considerable details set the Bobcat MT100 apart from the competition. The Toro Dingo TX 1000, Kubota SCL1000, Ditch Witch SK1050, Wacker Neuson SM120, and Case TL100 are similar machines to the MT100 (1,000 lb ROC).

Let’s start with the hood. Unlike the competition, the MT100 has a very durable poly hood (plastic hood) to prevent dents or scratches from falling debris.

The highly recommended Bob-Tach quick coupler is an optional signature feature of the Bobcat MT100.

With some practice, you’ll switch attachments within seconds—22 sec, to be exact. The other machines have the standard common industry interface (CII) coupler.

The CII ensures compatibility across different brands and skid steer loader models, but switching attachments is more time-consuming.

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The Bobcat MT100 controls are among the best (ergonomically and functionally speaking). Most models have similar controls, except for the Case TL100 and the Toro Dingo TX 1000. The Case TL100 controls are huge and can produce fatigue after extended working periods.

While the Kubota SCL1000 and the Toro Dingo TX 1000’s hydraulic hoses are exposed to damage, the MT100’s hoses are inside the lift arms, protecting them from debris or ripping.

Unlike the Ditch Witch SK1050, Case TL100, and Kubota SCL1000, the Bobcat mini skid steer doesn’t have front lights. But beyond that, where the MT100 really isn’t keeping up with the rest of the stand-on skid steers is the track adjuster. The MT100 mechanical track adjuster requires effort, is time-consuming, and the bolt’s head is prone to get rounded.

What we’ll mention from now on, rather than giving the MT100 the edge over other mini CTLs, will conform to the user’s specific needs and preferences.

The MT100 (like the Wacker Neuson SM1000) has the radiator away from the standing platform to avoid blowing hot or dusty air across the operator’s legs.

The controls vary a lot across every model. For instance, to control the throttle, some machines have levers and other knobs. Same with the cell pocket and cup holder. They are OK on the MT100, yet the Ditch With SK1050 design is better. The pockets aren’t on the board but backward, creating a more comfortable workspace and preventing your cell phone from falling.

Lastly, the Bobcat MT100 can deliver fast cycle times, but all mentioned competitors have a higher travel speed, except for the Toro Dingo TX 1000, which is the same (4 mph).

Photo source: www.bobcat.com

Will Norman, who’s been in the landscaping business for 12+ years, relies on the MT100 to do pretty much anything underground or aboveground. Will encourage people not to get fooled by the compact size of the MT100 but rather witness its power on the field.

Taylor Parker from Acer Landscape Services has experience with Vermeer and Cat equipment but has decided to stick with Bobtcat because of their less bulky and more reliable design.

According to Taylor, the Bobcat MT100 fits better through tight spaces than some competitors, and its confined fittings and hydraulic hoses significantly reduce the risk of breakdowns.

For landscape projects, the Bobcat MT100 will replace most hand tools, manual labor, and wheelbarrows to boost productivity in hard-to-access work areas.

Although powerful, the machine is also tippy, so don’t get nuts trying to carry a whole pallet of material.

The MT100 is a must-have equipment for landscape, hardscape, demo, and construction projects. Granted, it’ll get you to really tight areas, but you’ll still need more robust track loaders to complement your fleet, like the Kubota SVL75-2, SVL97-2, Cat 259D3, or John Deere 333G. The following posts delve deep into each machine’s characteristics:

• Kubota SVL75-2 Review.
• Kubota SVL97-2 Review.
• Cat 259D3 review.
• John Deere 333G review.