Bobcat® winter attachments prepare authorities for cold snap
Bobcat® winter attachments prepare authorities for cold snap
By Mike Isherwood
With predictions of a cold winter to come in the UK and Ireland, the Bobcat range of winter attachments provides local authorities and their suppliers and contractors with the ideal solution for clearing snow and ice. From snow blowers and blades, buckets and sweepers for snow, to more specialist tools such as the Bobcat® super scraper and salt and sand spreader, these attachments are the perfect addition to rental and council fleets.
Designed for use with compact Bobcat skid-steers and tracked loaders, the Toolcat Utility Work Machine or Bobcat telehandlers, these attachments are designed to remove snow and ice from urban and country roads, pavements, driveways, bike paths, car parks, school playgrounds, playing fields and loading bays.
The Bobcat snow blade is an excellent tool to quickly remove light or moderate snow from pavements and driveways. An optional end wing kit (2184 mm and 2438 mm blades only) helps to convert the snow blade into a high-production snow pusher ideal for parking lots and larger areas.
The hydraulically-operated snow V-blades, available in five widths from 1520 to 2740 mm, can be used in five different blade configurations - as a V-blade, scoop blade, straight blade and 30o left or 30o right angle blade - providing far more versatility than a standard snow blade or snow bucket. The V-blade configuration is used to clear a path through deep snow, whilst the straight blade is used to pile up large amounts of snow. The scoop blade can be used to scoop, push or pile snow. The left or right angle blade configuration may be used to continuously push snow to either side of the loader. All Bobcat snow blades can be equipped with rubber cutting edges to minimise disruption to road and pavement surfaces.
Complementing the snow blades, there is a choice of six snow buckets with widths from 1371 to 2540 mm and capacities from 0.36 to 1.53 m3. These are large capacity buckets for loading and handling various light materials such as snow. They have high backs to help with pushing snow and straight sides to penetrate snow piles.
For the removal of light snowfalls with depths of 100 mm or less, the Bobcat angle broom is an ideal attachment for use on pathways, providing quick access for pedestrians by removing snow in just one pass. The Bobcat sweeper attachment can sweep and collect fine snow from pathways and driveways in both forward and reverse directions. Another useful tool for snow removal is the Bobcat push broom.
For removing surface ice and packed snow, Bobcat offers the super scraper and mini scraper attachments, which are highly efficient at dislodging ice and form an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of chemicals or salt. The super scraper and mini scraper remove mud, snow, ice and other stubborn, packed-on materials with ease, leaving behind a smooth surface for walking or driving.
The Bobcat SP125 salt and sand spreader attachment from Bobcat is designed for use with the Toolcat Utility Work Machine. It has a 382 litre hopper and mounts easily into the cargo box on the machine. The spreader is conveniently sized to allow the Toolcat machine to simultaneously carry a front-end snow removal attachment such as a snow blower, snow blade or angle broom.