The Bobcat 322 is a compact machine from Bobcat Company, an American manufacturer of farm and construction equipment based in West Fargo, North Dakota. The company sells skid-steer loaders, compact excavators, side-by-sides, compact tractors and mowers.
Bobcat 322 at a glance
| Maker | Bobcat Company |
|---|---|
| Machine class | compact construction and farm equipment |
| Brand origin | Melroe Manufacturing, Gwinner, North Dakota |
| First Keller loader | three-wheeled design delivered in 1957 |
| Four-wheel skid-steer | Melroe M400, 1960 |
| Bobcat trade name | used since 1962 on the 440 loader |
| Headquarters | West Fargo, North Dakota |
| Owner | Doosan Group since 2007 |
| Source | English Wikipedia, Bobcat Company |
Model-specific specifications are not covered by the available source, the English Wikipedia article on Bobcat Company; the page is based on that single source.
History of the Bobcat 322
From a turkey barn to a trade name
The Bobcat story starts in the 1950s with Louis and Cyril Keller, who ran Keller Welding and Repair near Rothsay, Minnesota. In 1956 a turkey farmer, Eddie Velo, asked them for a machine small enough to work inside a pole barn and light enough to run on its upper floor. The brothers delivered a three-wheeled, belt-driven machine on 4 February 1957, then patented a clutch-based transmission in 1958.
The Melroe years
Melroe Manufacturing of Gwinner, North Dakota, took the machine to market, and in 1960 introduced the four-wheeled M400 Skid-Steer Loader. The name Bobcat was chosen in 1962, when it was applied to the 440 loader; Les Melroe and the advertising agent Lynn Bickett settled on it during a drive between Minneapolis and Gwinner. The early advertising slogan was “tough, quick, and agile”.
Who owns Bobcat today
Melroe was bought by Clark Equipment Company in 1969, which in turn was bought by Ingersoll Rand in 1995. In July 2007 Ingersoll Rand sold its construction equipment group, Clark Equipment included, to the Doosan Group of South Korea for US$4.9 billion. The company now trades as Bobcat Company; its European headquarters moved from Waterloo, Belgium, to the Czech Republic in 2017.
Design and features
- The original idea: a machine small enough to work inside a building and light enough to work on an upper floor, as Eddie Velo asked in 1956.
- The Keller transmission: the clutch-based system patented in 1958 replaced the first belt drive and became the basis of the Melroe M60 loader.
- Four wheels instead of three: the M400 of 1960 established the skid-steer layout that Bobcat still sells.
- A trade name with a slogan: Bobcat, chosen in 1962, came with the line “tough, quick, and agile”.
Bobcat 322 versions
- Bobcat 325: the neighbouring model in the same compact range.
- Bobcat 743 and 753: the classic 700-series skid-steer loaders.
- Bobcat 843 and 863: the larger 800-series machines.
Other machines in the range are the Bobcat 325 and the Bobcat 743. More are in the Bobcat collection.
Video: Bobcat 322
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Bobcat Company, English Wikipedia: company history, product range, ownership
