A decade after the launch of the 40 Series, the 743 was still immensely popular. But it was time for a change. Bobcat launched the 50 Series in 1990 with the 753, 853 and an impressive list of product features. The new loaders were quieter, better cooling, more reliable and easier to service.
Say the word “Bobcat” and most of us think of the white front-end loader we see daily on farms, construction sites and clearing snow or, perhaps, responding to natural disasters. Even from a distance, the color and silhouette are unmistakable, the brand memorable, even iconic. It wasn’t always that way.
The Bobcat M970 was a groundbreaking invention. With a one-yard bucket and 3,000-pound rated operating capacity, the machine known as “Big Bob” was the largest skid-steer loader ever built. More important, the Big Bob introduced several industry firsts the world continues to benefit from.
