Bauma Blasts #5 (Bobcat)

The Bobcat booth at Bauma is always a buzzing place to visit, and with so many machines in the range to see, its always a good place to spend an hour or two.

This year’s major Bobcat launch was the 1-2 tonne R2 Series mini excavators, with four brand new models being shown in public for the very first time. Additionally, there was an upgrade for the popular top of the range R2 Series E88.  

The new generation R2-Series 1-2 tonne mini excavators include the E16, E17z, E19 and E20z models, replacing the previous M-Series E17, E17z, E19 and E20z machines, respectively.

The M-Series, originally introduced in 2014, has now been succeeded by the R2- Series, marking a decade of advancements. The new models offer a fresh look, signifying new levels of performance and features that are designed to meet customer needs found across the European market.

The R2-Series introduces several new features, most notably its high-performance SmartFlow hydraulic system. This system uses a load-sensing pump bundled with a closed centre/flow-sharing main control valve.

All of this is powered by a new engine, creating an engineering setup that is exceptionally sophisticated for compact machines of this size.

This combination essentially provides the power on demand seen in larger excavators, ensuring continuously available power that improves precision and efficiency. The new mini excavators maximize hydraulic flow, while utilizing minimum energy for operation.

Like in larger machines, the new hydraulic system in the new 1-2 tonne mini excavators allows the operator to smoothly carry out multiple functions simultaneously. When working with equipment that requires a lot of hydraulic power, such as a flail mower on a quick coupler running at full speed, the operator can drive, slew and lift smoothly at the same time.

I was fortunate enough to be part of an exclusive gathering of press and social media influencers who were given the opportunity to test drive these machines at a secret location in the Czech Republic last October, and I was suitably impressed with the performance of them, both in the way they operate while using multiple functions, and in terms of cab comfort.

The company also presented a wide range of their products and technologies and even concept machines like the RogueX autonomous loader and the T7X all-electric compact tracked loader, which is another machine I have been lucky to spend some time on previously.  

Other electric powered machines showcased included the E10e and E19e electric mini excavators and the TL25.60e electric telehandler concept.

Rounding it all off was the legendary Bobcat display team who put the latest machines through their paces on the demo area at regular intervals throughout the days of the show, and absolutely stunning display of skills and choreography.

Checkout the demo video below, courtesy of the Italian Supercar Video channel on You Tube.