# Bobcat S300 hydraulic problem.



## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

Just seeing If anyone has ever had the same problem. This last storm I was out plowing at 3am and noticed hydraulic fluid dripping off of my quick couplers. It was going in the next day for the first 250 hour service so I just kept a eye on the fluid level and kept plowing. Bring it in for the service and find out the female quick coupler was cracked and it not under warranty When I bought the machine they told me it had a 2year full coverage warranty, come to find out it's 2 year power train, one year full coverage and only 6 months on some things??? :realmad: I still love the machine but the warranty is piss poor.
Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Robert


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

i would b!tch to high heaven, one of those couplers should never break, driven a lot of skids, been around them all my life, never seen one of those crack, manufacture defect!!!


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## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

Rob, I'm not sure if you use the couplers alot in summer for attatchmants, but I've gone through quite a few with my 250. I don't think they're built as well as they used to be. I can literally destroy a coupler in one day with the concrete breaker on the machine. I always keep spares at the shop just in case. Best of luck.


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

As much trouble as I have had with my Bobcats, I have never cracked the hydraulic quick coupler. I do however have problems with them on my 435 mini ex. The problem is that (most of the time) I can't connect or disconnect the lines without shuting off the machine and cracking open the line to bleed off the pressure. What is the point of the "quick connector" if you have to break out wrenches and crack open the lines? You can imagine the mess if you do a lot of switching. My A300 came with a year "bumper to bumper" and 36 months power train (if you used Bobcat oils and filters). That was for an '06 purchase. I think that their quality over all is suffering and instead of fixing the problem they are just reducing their liability exposure with fine print. Case in point: My 435 has a hydraulic quick coupler (not the one for the hydraulic lines, but for attaching buckets). I have had several problems with it (as I think many others have as well). Bobcat fixed it under warranty once. Shortly after that they have issued a statement that they will no longer warranty this coupler. I doubt there was any sort of press release but they posted big (hand made) signs at the dealer.


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## Randy Scott (Nov 6, 2000)

We have an '04 S250 and I broke a coupler when I snagged a tree branch, my fault, no biggie. I have had a lot of problems with them leaking on our plow connectors during the winter. It's happened on multiple skid-steer plows and with new couplers. I think that when the machine is so cold, the connectors just don't seal well as the interior o-rings don't get warm enough to seal. Because when summer comes and we start using attachments, it's never a problem. After about an hour of use in the winter, if it's not ungodly cold, the fittings seam to seal better when plowing.


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## rob_cook2001 (Nov 15, 2008)

I could understand if I was switching attachments all the time but all that is ever on the front of that machine is a bucket, pallet forks, hay forks or the plow and only the plow uses hydraulics. Well we will see if it happens again.
Robert


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## buckwheat_la (Oct 11, 2009)

simple enough, don't buy the couplers from bobcat (and let them know why!) it could be that bobcat has just cheaped out on this part, i compared the ones on my cases to the ones on a friends brand new bobcat, and i would say mine are definetly heavier.


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