# Bobcat s70



## exmark (Apr 24, 2007)

Who's used a bobcat s70 for sidewalks? I figured get a blade and blower attachment. Looking for used ones with cabs. Just wanted a general opinion on how well it has worked for guys who have used them. They look like they'd be handy. Currently running two quads with blades. But was looking more towards using the blower on heavy storms. I have looked into small tractors. But they're really pricy compared. Any suggestions are welcomed.


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## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

There is a landscape contractor near my moms house that does a big complex of buildings and uses one (not sure if its a S70) and it does good work. I have only seen it with a plow attachment and havent seen a blower on it. 

If we get a good sized storm Ill have to drive down and see if he has a blower for it, i havent been near that site during anything more than a 4" storm.


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## exmark (Apr 24, 2007)

They look like pretty sweet small compact machines. It's just not to many people run them. Even looking for videos I only found a few actually pushing snow. Otherwise they looked tough to me.


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## tread lightly services (Jan 8, 2012)

I have 2 of these bobcat s70 machine and a a mt52 all with a 54" blade a 36 blowerfor the mt52 and 48" blowers for the s70
They are the go to sidewalk machines bang for the buck nothing compares


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## Krimick77 (Jan 3, 2005)

I have an S70 with plow and blower attachments. Its very powerful for its size. Obviously much slower than an ATV if your pushing. The blower is very fast and goes thru drifts and hard pack as if they were light fresh snow.

We use the blower for blowing back snow banks in tight areas around walks where bigger machines can't access.


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

I used to have a commercial account in which we had to take care of a few miles of 48" sidewalks. I used an ATV (w/plow) and it worked well (very fast) until the windrows started to stack up. I rented a 443 (same as an S70) with a 48" blower. It is not nearly as fast as the ATV but it is much faster than a walk behind. There are a couple of things I felt I should mention to you (which is why i decided to reply). This machine can not accept tire chains. There is not enough clearance between the tries and frame. The tires are a very unusual size and they look like a small version of the old military jeep tread tires. They don't get very good traction on snow or ice so the chains become even more important. Maybe you could make/get spacers to make more clearance but that will put your tires beyond 48" in width. The other things is that the blower is difficult to make work on a curved sidewalk (like around a culdesac) if you are on a 48" sidewalk. A wider one would be easier IMHO.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

DGODGR;2090750 said:


> I used to have a commercial account in which we had to take care of a few miles of 48" sidewalks. I used an ATV (w/plow) and it worked well (very fast) until the windrows started to stack up. I rented a 443 (same as an S70) with a 48" blower. It is not nearly as fast as the ATV but it is much faster than a walk behind. There are a couple of things I felt I should mention to you (which is why i decided to reply). This machine can not accept tire chains. There is not enough clearance between the tries and frame. The tires are a very unusual size and they look like a small version of the old military jeep tread tires. They don't get very good traction on snow or ice so the chains become even more important. Maybe you could make/get spacers to make more clearance but that will put your tires beyond 48" in width. The other things is that the blower is difficult to make work on a curved sidewalk (like around a culdesac) if you are on a 48" sidewalk. A wider one would be easier IMHO.


Do you know which tires were on that machine that you rented? There are two options available from Bobcat.

I have two sets of rims/ tires for my 463. One set is only as wide as the machine so you can drive threw a 36" opening and the other set is more of a turf/ dirt tire that makes the machine 42" wide.

Smaller tires are solid tires, very narrow, but work good on pavement.

Wider tires are filled with air, a bit wider, and are much better off pavement.

I cannot provide any personal experience with plowing with one of these, but there is a contractor that does all the public walks for a village in my area. They have a fleet of these little bastards. They are all equipped with v blades as wide as the sidewalks, and they just blast down the walks as fast as they can go. Looks very efficient for something that you could find work for in the non snow seasons. Quads would seem to me to be faster, but no cab would suck, and a fleet of quads in the summer does not seem to me to make money... unless you have an off road park?? Thumbs Up


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

Philbilly2;2090976 said:


> Do you know which tires were on that machine that you rented? There are two options available from Bobcat.
> 
> I have two sets of rims/ tires for my 463. One set is only as wide as the machine so you can drive threw a 36" opening and the other set is more of a turf/ dirt tire that makes the machine 42" wide.
> 
> ...


The one that I rented had the smaller tires. They were not the same tread pattern but they stayed within the frame of the machine as you described. Can you fit chains on it with either set of tires (maybe they are set a bit farther away from the frame of the machine)? If the loader is only 42" wide (with the wider tires) that would still probably work for the OP if he was working on 48" sidewalks.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

The skinnier tires are 5.5x12 and the wider tires are 8.5x12. The smaller tires keep these machines at 36" wide and the wider ones put them at 42-44 inches depending on brand of machine. All the companies make machines this size except cat, and have since the late 70's. I've run an older Mustang 310 for years, and now run a johndeere 60 which are sister machines. These machines are worth their weight in gold. They'll run circles around any walk behind. Most of the bobcats are 2 speed and have the quick attach, and aux hydros. Some similar models are bobcat 300/400 series, s70, New Holland L250/L255 johndeere 60 (3375?), Mustang 310, etc.


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