The Bobcat S300 is a skid-steer loader of the S series built by Bobcat Company, an American manufacturer of farm and construction equipment based in West Fargo, North Dakota. It is the largest S-series model covered in this collection.
Bobcat S300 at a glance
| Maker | Bobcat Company |
|---|---|
| Type | skid-steer loader |
| Series | S |
| Headquarters | West Fargo, North Dakota |
| Original works | Melroe Manufacturing, Gwinner, North Dakota |
| Skid-steer pioneer | Melroe M400, 1960 |
| Bobcat name | in use since 1962 |
| 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 S300
The original compact loader
Louis and Cyril Keller ran Keller Welding and Repair near Rothsay, Minnesota. In 1956 the turkey farmer Eddie Velo described a need for a machine small enough to manoeuvre inside a pole barn and light enough to operate on its upper level. The Kellers delivered a three-wheeled, belt-driven machine on 4 February 1957 and patented a clutch-based transmission in 1958, the basis of the Melroe M60 loader.
Melroe makes the M400
Melroe Manufacturing of Gwinner, North Dakota, brought the machine to the 1958 Minnesota State Fair and introduced the four-wheeled M400 Skid-Steer Loader in 1960. The Bobcat trade name was applied in 1962 to the 440 loader; Les Melroe and the advertising agent Lynn Bickett chose the name, and the first slogan was “tough, quick, and agile”. The S series, with the S300 at its top in this listing, is the modern line.
From Clark to Doosan
Clark Equipment Company bought Melroe in 1969; Ingersoll Rand bought Clark in 1995. In July 2007 the construction equipment group was sold to the Doosan Group of South Korea for US$4.9 billion. Bobcat’s European headquarters moved from Waterloo, Belgium, to the Czech Republic in 2017.
Design and features
- Largest of the S series here: above the S130, S175 and S185 in size.
- Skid-steer drive: it turns by running its left and right wheels at different speeds, with no steering axle.
- Designed for loading: the loader family Bobcat created is still used for lifting, carrying and clearing on farm and building sites.
- Worldwide brand: Bobcat owns trademark registrations for its name in markets around the world.
Bobcat S300 versions
- Bobcat S185: the model below it in the S series.
- Bobcat 873: the largest 800-series loader in this collection.
- Bobcat 773: the top of the 700 series.
Compare the Bobcat S185 and the Bobcat 873, or see the whole Bobcat collection.
Video: Bobcat S300 loading dirt
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Bobcat Company, English Wikipedia: company history, product range, ownership
