With Features on Demand installed, buyers of Bobcat’s R-Series skid steers and compact track loaders can choose which features to download.Let’s say you want to buy a machine, but you’re uncertain about adding all the available features. Things like high-flow electronics, two-speed travel and automatic ride control sound great, but for right now you’re not sure if you need them.
If your needs change, however, your initial decision at purchase doesn’t have to be your final word, says Bobcat. Instead, call up your dealer and have them turn a feature on via a phone app. You pay for it when it’s added, not before.
That’s the idea behind Bobcat’s new Features on Demand. With this capability, not only can you add features at a later date, you’ll also be able to demo them before purchase, says Bobcat.
The Features on Demand Performance Package is now available as an option on Bobcat’s new R-Series S76 skid steer and T76 compact track loader, with other R-Series loaders lined up to get this feature later this year.
You will, however, need to purchase a machine with the performance package installed. But adding this package also enables you to demo these features and select the ones you want. Bobcat dealers then customize the machine by selecting the features you want —and turning off the ones you don’t.
The video below shows the process.
So exactly what can be turned on…or off? Here’s the list:
- 2-Speed travel: Increases the speed of the machine when traveling between jobsites.
- High-flow hydraulics: Provides additional hydraulic power to boost production of attachments.
- Automatic ride control: Reduces material spillage and allows faster travel and increased productivity. The dampening effect also increases operator comfort.
- Dual-direction bucket positioning: Keeps the load at a consistent angle through the lift cycle.
- Reversing fan: Reduces maintenance and downtime by purging debris buildup; includes auto mode or operator-controlled purge mode.
- Auto-Throttle (available only on machines equipped with Bobcat Selectable Joystick Controls): Allows an operator to automatically apply engine rpm while operating the machine, helping conserve fuel.
Through the initial two-year warranty period (or extended warranty period), you can buy any features not initially selected. Your Bobcat dealer will then select and sync each individual feature through a smart phone app.
“This technology will help customers improve their productivity by being able to easily adapt their machines to meet the needs of the work they’re performing,” says Joel Honeyman, vice president, global innovation, Doosan Bobcat North America.
