250 2-Speed?

[bobcatbrian]

Here's the scoop. My dad ordered a new S-250K for use on his farm. He just wanted a plain jane machine with high flow. I wanted him to get 2-speed on it also and i would pay for it but he was dead set against it. It now has about 130 hours on it, most of which i have rented from him for use in my tree business. Here is the problem, about a 1/3rd of the hours are hours i would have saved by having 2-speed driving from job to job. These hours add up in a hurry$$$. Is there any way to put 2-speed on a single speed machine?

 

[Tazza]

The extra little bit of time really is nothing $ wise, with 2 speed you are only supposed to use it to travel from site to site and it really needs to be a flat run or you get knocked about. I heard that you can't have it in the high speed mode to do any digging or you risk damaging the pumps/motors.
I'm sure other users will have other views on this. I know it would be nice in some situations but i can't see it saving that much time and money on fuel in most situations unless you had a flat driveway and needed to move the dire long distances.

 

[bobcatbrian]

The extra little bit of time really is nothing $ wise, with 2 speed you are only supposed to use it to travel from site to site and it really needs to be a flat run or you get knocked about. I heard that you can't have it in the high speed mode to do any digging or you risk damaging the pumps/motors.
I'm sure other users will have other views on this. I know it would be nice in some situations but i can't see it saving that much time and money on fuel in most situations unless you had a flat driveway and needed to move the dire long distances.

I do most of my work in about a 2 mile radius of my home on flat streets and hiways. It would save me time and money not having to by a trailer,$4000. I dont do much digging with it, mostly grinding stumps, using a grapple, and pushing snow. I read in another forum on this sight it would have cost about a thousand dollars to have it done a the factory. I figure i have spent about $1200 in extra driving time not having 2-speed, plus now im buying the trailer.

 

[Tazza]

I do most of my work in about a 2 mile radius of my home on flat streets and hiways. It would save me time and money not having to by a trailer,$4000. I dont do much digging with it, mostly grinding stumps, using a grapple, and pushing snow. I read in another forum on this sight it would have cost about a thousand dollars to have it done a the factory. I figure i have spent about $1200 in extra driving time not having 2-speed, plus now im buying the trailer.

Well i guess it wouldn't hurt to get a price from the dealer. If its available it may not be a bad idea.

 

[thetool]

Well i guess it wouldn't hurt to get a price from the dealer. If its available it may not be a bad idea.

My first impulse is to say, No, it's not available as a "field-installed" upgrade, which is what Bobcat refers to kits or upgrades besides factory-only options. But, I've been out of the Dealer Info Loop now going on ten months, so I just don't know about that anymore.
But I do know, for sure, that 2-speed is entirely different motors(variable-displacement axial piston-types) with spring-applied, pressure-release wet brakes, very expensive, no trade-ins on your old motors, unless your dealer moves used parts.
New manifold and plumbing for the brakes and two-speed activation. Not sure, but may even have a different pump spec.
My guess, if they go so far as to quote an upgade, no pump: $13K-with pump-$18K. That's one of my WAG's(wild-a$$ guesses), and my wife always doubles my WAG's when I reply to her "what's it gonna cost?" inquiries.......=).
I know it's aggravating to go slow when you wanna go fast. There is merit in both your and your Dad's desired options.
At the dealer, we had quite a few 2-speed failures that were so devastating as to scare me from ever wanting or recommending one, but it mostly depends on how you run them. 2-speed is great, but less forgiving of abuse or neglect.
Just my two cents.