New Bobcat owner needs help/advice

[BJacobs]

Just got a Bobcat 743 with about 1500 hours. New plain bucket. Have rented other equipment in past, but I am not an experienced operator. So...I need a few tips. 1. I assume indoor parking is preferable. 2. When operating, machine for first time, it travels great at full forward, and fine on spin turns. But when I try to SLOWLY go backward (dragging bucket to level gravel) or SLOWLY forward it sometimes is smooth and sometimes herky jerky. The ground was very wet. So, is this jerking just an inexperienced operator, a design limitation, a function of the wet ground (tires spin, etc), or mechanical problem? 3. Is there any reason I shouldn't operate in mud as long as the mud isn't bad enough to bog the machine? What about puddles? I don't intend on driving into 2 feet of water, but I assume an 8 inch deep puddle is ok? 4. It seems tippy, especially when herky jerky. As long as I travel with bucket down, how difficult is it to tip one of these over? 5. Sadly, I don't have the manual. Does anyone know where I can get one? Thanks, BJ

 

[Blaine]

1) Indoor parking is preferable. Keeping things out of the sun, rain, and snow can really help eliminate rust and corrosion. Especially on electrical connections. 2) The jerkiness could be cause by loss of traction or even by the operator slightly moving the levers. How does the hydraulic fluid look? 3) Operating in mud or water can be dangerous if you are near the edge of anything as it will be very easy to slide off. It is also fairly easy to sink a machine. The seals should keep all mud and water out of all critical parts, but it is always a good idea to check fluids for signs of contaminants. 4) I personally think it is hard to tip them when unloaded. Fully loaded with the bucket raised it becomes very easy. The best thing you can do is get to know your machine and you will begin to understand its capabilities and know its limits better. 5) Sever members of this board have recommended and ebay seller who sells quality manuals. Of course there is always the dealer as well.

 

[Tazza]

1) Indoor parking is preferable. Keeping things out of the sun, rain, and snow can really help eliminate rust and corrosion. Especially on electrical connections. 2) The jerkiness could be cause by loss of traction or even by the operator slightly moving the levers. How does the hydraulic fluid look? 3) Operating in mud or water can be dangerous if you are near the edge of anything as it will be very easy to slide off. It is also fairly easy to sink a machine. The seals should keep all mud and water out of all critical parts, but it is always a good idea to check fluids for signs of contaminants. 4) I personally think it is hard to tip them when unloaded. Fully loaded with the bucket raised it becomes very easy. The best thing you can do is get to know your machine and you will begin to understand its capabilities and know its limits better. 5) Sever members of this board have recommended and ebay seller who sells quality manuals. Of course there is always the dealer as well.

Just as Blaine said.

Also, the higher you lift the arms up with or without a load the more un-stable the machine will get, when moving keep the bucket as low to the ground as possible. Basically keep the heaviest part of the machine up hill when going up hills, this means forwards when loaded, backwards when un-loaded. This will help with your stability. Just keep playing around, you will soon get the hang of how to control the machine. As for the jerking, the levers are really quite touchy, i would suspect you may be jerking them as you go over bumps, just takes practice. Remember not to plow into objects either, the machine has more power when you move it slowly so don't go and throw it at full speed into a pile of dirt, it will just hurt you and the bobcat.

Keep up do date on all your servicing too.

As for the manuals, i got mine off a guy called maxxwedge on e-bay, just do a search for bobcat 743 and you will find him. Get both a parts and service manual. He doesn't have the operators manual, but you really don't need this, its really just common sense.

 

[ajwgator]

Just as Blaine said.

Also, the higher you lift the arms up with or without a load the more un-stable the machine will get, when moving keep the bucket as low to the ground as possible. Basically keep the heaviest part of the machine up hill when going up hills, this means forwards when loaded, backwards when un-loaded. This will help with your stability. Just keep playing around, you will soon get the hang of how to control the machine. As for the jerking, the levers are really quite touchy, i would suspect you may be jerking them as you go over bumps, just takes practice. Remember not to plow into objects either, the machine has more power when you move it slowly so don't go and throw it at full speed into a pile of dirt, it will just hurt you and the bobcat.

Keep up do date on all your servicing too.

As for the manuals, i got mine off a guy called maxxwedge on e-bay, just do a search for bobcat 743 and you will find him. Get both a parts and service manual. He doesn't have the operators manual, but you really don't need this, its really just common sense.

Manuals...got mine (Service & Parts) from maxxwedge on ebay too. Well pleased with them! I'm not experienced yet either but one hard lesson I learned I have to share. Hauling your Bobcat, always load it backwards on the trailer so you have more tounge weight on your vehicle. When I bought mine, picked it up and it was loaded forward. On the way home one of the front tires on the trailer went. Trailer started swerving and I couldn't hold it. It took me for one hell of a ride. If it weren't for a guard rail I would have lost my Bobcat off the trailer, flipped my truck, an maybe even got killed. I was lucky and no traffic coming the other way. I screwed up both ends of my bumper, twisted my a-frame on the trailer, and the guard rail finished the job by trashing my truck bed. Nevertheless, still lucky NO ONE KILLED, Bobcat still on the trailer, and $500 bucks to fix trailer a-frame & rehang the axles. I feel certain that if I had know about the warning in the manual about loading the unit backwards all of that might now have happened. I was only traveling 45 MPH and man that was the most "helpless" feeling I have ever experienced! Good luck and welcome to the forum. Jay W.