Bobcat is entering a new equipment size class with the introduction of its small articulated loader, or SAL for short.
The compact equipment manufacturer will introduce two models of the SAL, the L23 and L28. The machines are expected to hit the market in early 2020.
“We looked at this space and we knew there was a big opportunity,” said Doosan Bobcat President Mike Ballweber. “And we also looked at it as a key pillar for us to expand the compact equipment portfolio.”
Bobcat’s small articulated loaders provide customers in landscaping, tree care and facility maintenance a new option to minimize workload and complete projects quickly and efficiently.
“It fits in between a small track loader up to the small skid steer loader. It’s kind of the machine in between. It fills a gap that we may be missing,” said Marty Miller, Bobcat’s product specialist for small articulated loaders. “It’s a tool carrier concept in a smaller concept size.”
Both models feature a 25 hp engine. The L28, however, includes a telescopic boom that extends about 60 cm, allowing the SAL to reach 2.6 metres high.
The telescoping boom arm includes an innovative dual-cylinder design that keeps the load level as operators move the bucket. As well, the telescopic cylinder is synchronized with a second-level cylinder, providing superior levelling and preventing excessive rollback.
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“It makes it a little more versatile for such a small compact machine,” Miller said.
The SALs have the ability to fit into backyard areas and are capable of carrying small pallets of block or landscape materials with low turf disturbance.
“And you’re not going to tear up the ground. It has a nice light footprint,” Miller said.
The small articulated loaders’ width, ranging from 1 metre to 1.2 metres, also allows the machines to travel on a sidewalk.
“For guys that are in the snow removal business in the winter, and landscape in the summer, it’s a multipurpose machine,” Miller said. “It’s a nice machine that can do a lot of different things in the field.”
Miller added the small articulated loaders are capable of easily navigating around obstacles that may be in their path.
“This thing can turn sharp corners and get into tight areas and maneuver around pretty much any obstacle,” he said.
