The Bobcat S300 is a skid steer loader from Bobcat and it can do a lot for its compact size. However small or compact it may be, the Bobcat S300 can do anything from lifting (heavy stuff), to digging, carrying, scarification (racking ground harshly to remove weeds), road sweeping and so many other things. With that being said however, the Bobcat S300 does come with quite a number of problems and today we’ll be looking at what those problems are exactly and how to potentially resolve them.
Table of Contents
1. The Bobcat S300 Has A Hydraulic Coupler That Cracks Under Pressure
A hydraulic coupler is a device (on the Bobcat S300) that serves to connect two things together, on the Bobcat S300 it is especially important when you have to detach some additional equipment or attach other equipment (scoop, loader, lifter, etcetera.) The problem with the Bobcat S300 is that this coupler breaks too easily under the pressure and so the hydraulic fluid will start leaking out rendering the Bobcat S300’s front mechanism useless.
What You Can Do
- This problem has been the far cry for many users of the Bobcat S300 and many of these users have exclaimed their distrust in the Bobcat brand because of this.
- It seems older models of the Bobcat S300 do not have this problem. And newer models are thr only ones whose hydraulic coupler breaks or cracks under pressure. You may need to carry spare hydraulic couplers handy because if you have the Bobcat S300 then you are likely to face this problem at least once.
2. The Bobcat S300’s Hydraulic Motors Give In After A While
What is meant by giving in is that the hydraulic motors of the Bobcat S300 start to succumb to the high pressure or work load that you will be using the skid loader for. The Bobcat S300 Has hydraulic motors on both sides of the skid loader that help to control the front of the loader. These [hydraulic] motors are responsible for moving hydraulic liquid back and forth in the tubes/ inner works when the operator selects such an input as to lift or lower the front loader.
What You Can Do
- This is a sign that the hydraulic motors need to be replaced because they may be damaged, but it can also be a case of a lack of hydraulic fluid. Visit your nearest Bobcat S300 for further assistance on this issue.
- This will happen on any Bobcat S300 [eventually] and that’s normal, that is why you always have to service your skid steer loader after every single massive job you do. Servicing it limits you having to deal with or worry about such problems occurring.
3. The Bobcat S300’s [Air] Filter System Is Subpar
The filter system is important because it helps you discern whether or not the right stuff is going into your engine. This can be the oil, fuel and so on. The problem with the filter system on the Bobcat S300 is that it wears out quickly. This issue is directly caused by how the Bobcat S300 was manufactured. Due to Bobcat’s lack of attention to detail on the Bobcat S300’s filter system it may lead to the engine having reduced/ lower power output. This can also lead to the Bobcat S300 making very quick work of the fuel that will be in the tankcof the skid steer loader.
What You Can Do
- If you use your Bobcat S300 regularly then this issue is certainly going to happen therefore you should be prepared to replace the air filter, its housing and the air intake hose. All of the aforementioned parts make up the [air] filter system.
- Because of where you will be using your Bobcat S300, you are likely to see some debris, dirt and dust in your air filter. This is also very normal but you then need to replace the filter.
4. The Bobcat S300 May Smoke Excessively
When your Bobcat S300 starts to smoke (expelling smoke) excessively then it is a problem that has something to do with your engine. Particularly a single (but very important) component and that is the spark plug. The spark plug is an important component to the success of internal combustion which is a process that takes place inside the engine to help propel the skid steer loader (and other vehicles with an internal combustion engine.) Without a spark plug, there can be no internal combustion. But due to the mixture of air and fuel in the engine of the Bobcat S300, the spark plug(s) may start to suffer and become dirty as a result. When a spark plug is dirty then it cannot produce a spark (high-voltage electrical shock) that ignites the air and fuel in the internal combustion engine. As a result of this, other issues may start like misfiring and backfiring of the engine of the Bobcat S300.
What You Can Do
- When you begin noticing that your Bobcat S300 is smoking excessively then you should first replace the spark plugs. Make sure they are specific to your Bobcat S300’s engine because spark plugs (from industrial grade machines) can differ in size.
- After which you should then change the oil within the oil tank of the Bobcat S300. When changing the oil of the Bobcat S300 you should be sure to also change the fuel. Also change the air filter of your Bobcat S300 because it might be dirty.This will make sure that the engine starts running smoothly again.
Conclusion
Although you may have to buy some of their machines with one eye closed, Bobcat has become synonymous with compact skid steer loaders and that is for good reason. Their machines are rugged and they do what they are supposed to, it is problematic only when these compact skid loaders (like the Bobcat S300) to do work that is fit for something much stronger and bigger like Caterpillar machines. But even though skid steer loaders like the Bobcat S300 are compact, they still offer one hell of a punch to industries.
