Bobcat hire
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What a bobcat does
A bobcat (skid steer loader) is a compact loader of about 2.4 t that turns on the spot. It carries rubble, soil, sand and gravel in its front bucket, works where bigger machines can't fit, and changes jobs by changing attachments: a breaker, an auger, a broom or forks.
Bobcat is the brand that made skid steers famous, so in South Africa “bobcat” means any skid steer. People book one as bobcat hire, skid steer hire or skid steer loader hire; it's the same machine. A standard one is 1.58 m wide over the bucket, and a mini one is under 1 m.
Jobs a bobcat does well
Rubble removal
Clearing builders' rubble and loading it into a tipper or skip. See site clearing.
Paving and driveway prep
Boxing out, spreading and levelling sand and G5 or G7 gravel before paving or a roller. See gravel roads and driveways.
Landscaping
Moving topsoil, compost and stone, and shaping beds and lawns in gardens with narrow access.
Breaking concrete
With a breaker attachment: slabs, kerbs, paving and floors. For heavy breaking, a TLB with a breaker hits harder.
Holes for posts and trees
With an auger: fence posts, pole holes, palisade footings and tree planting.
Clean-ups
Sweeping yards and roads with a broom, mucking out stables and pens, and moving pallets with forks.
Bobcat sizes and specs
We send a standard skid steer (Bobcat S450 or similar) for most jobs, and a mini skid steer (Bobcat S70 or similar) where access is narrow. These are the manufacturer's published figures.
| Spec | Mini skid steer (Bobcat S70 or similar) | Standard skid steer (Bobcat S450 or similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating weight | 1,268 kg | 2,365 kg |
| Rated operating capacity (safe bucket load) | 344 kg | 608 kg |
| Tipping load | 686 kg | 1,215 kg |
| Width over the bucket | 0.91 m | 1.58 m |
| Length with bucket | 2.47 m | 3.17 m |
| Hinge pin height (bucket fully raised) | 2.40 m | 2.78 m |
| Dump height | 1.93 m | 2.16 m |
| Engine power | 17.5 kW | 35.9 kW |
| Hire price | exact price on WhatsApp | R2,400–R3,700 a day with operator |
- Rated operating capacity is the load the machine may carry in the bucket, set at half its tipping load. A standard bobcat moves about 600 kg a bucket, so rubble and wet soil fill it by weight before they fill it by volume.
- Width decides access: the mini goes through a 1 m gap, the standard needs about 1.6 m plus room to turn.
- Dump height decides what it can load: 2.16 m clears a skip or a low-sided tipper. For high-sided trucks, a TLB tips at 2.74 m.
Skid steer attachment hire
A bobcat with a breaker, auger or broom is R3,000–R3,600 a day with operator. The attachment couples to the front in place of the bucket and runs off the machine's hydraulics; the standard Bobcat S450 lists breakers, augers, angle brooms and sweepers, pallet forks, grapples, trenchers, dozer blades and graders among its attachments.
| Attachment | What it does | Book it for |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic breaker | Breaks concrete, paving and kerbs | Removing slabs, floors and driveways |
| Auger | Drills round holes | Fence posts, palisade and pole footings, tree planting |
| Angle broom or sweeper | Sweeps loose material | Yards, roads and car parks after earthworks or paving |
| Pallet forks | Lifts and moves pallets | Bricks, paving and blocks around a site |
| Grapple | Grips bulky, loose loads | Branches, logs, bush and scrap |
| Trencher | Cuts a narrow trench | Cable and irrigation lines |
| Dozer blade, grader or landplane | Pushes and levels | Levelling ground before paving or lawn |
Breaker, auger and broom are priced on our guide; other attachments are priced per job on WhatsApp. Say which attachment you need when you book so it comes on the trailer with the machine.
Bobcat hire prices
These are our prices for a bobcat with an experienced operator, excluding VAT, with transport as its own line.
| Size | Rate | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard skid steer | Per day, with operator | R2,400–R3,700 |
| Standard skid steer | Per hour, with operator | R190–R370 |
| Skid steer with attachment (breaker, auger, broom) | Per day, with operator | R3,000–R3,600 |
Worked examples and what changes the price are on bobcat hire rates; every machine is on plant hire rates.
Get a bobcat price on WhatsAppBobcat hire with an operator, and what “dry hire” means
Our bobcats go out with an experienced operator: that's the R2,400–R3,700 day rate. In South Africa, dry hire usually means the operator is still included and you pay the diesel; wet hire includes the diesel. Your quote states the basis in writing. More in our guide to wet and dry hire.
Getting the bobcat to your site
A bobcat travels on a truck or trailer, and transport both ways is its own line on your quote. Two examples:
- Kempton Park is about 17 km from Boksburg by road, inside our normal delivery area. Transport for a bobcat there and back usually comes to R1,300–R3,840, shown as its own line on your quote.
- Ballito is about 50 km from Durban by road. Transport for a bobcat there and back usually comes to R4,300–R5,200, shown as its own line on your quote.
The truck needs somewhere to park and offload close to the gate, so tell us about steep driveways, narrow streets or estate access rules. Book the bobcat with a tipper on the same day and both come in one plan.
Bobcat vs TLB: which do you need?
| Bobcat (S450 or similar) | TLB (JCB 3CX or similar) | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.4 t | about 7.6 t |
| Width | 1.58 m (mini: 0.91 m) | 2.35 m; 3.30 m with stabilisers down |
| Digging | Shallow, with bucket, trencher or auger | Backhoe digs to 4.45 m |
| Safe bucket load | 608 kg | Loader lifts about 3.5 t at full height |
| Dump height | 2.16 m | 2.74 m |
| Gets to site | Truck or trailer | Drives on the road |
| Per day | R2,400–R3,700 | R3,900–R5,150 |
- Pick a bobcat for moving, loading and cleaning in tight spaces: rubble out of a back yard, paving prep, landscaping, or a job that needs a breaker, auger or broom.
- Pick a TLB when the job needs digging: pipe and sewer trenches, foundations, septic tanks, or loading high-sided trucks. See TLB hire.
- Pick a mini excavator when you need to dig but the gap is too narrow for a TLB. See mini excavator hire.
Bobcat and tipper hire
For rubble removal, book the bobcat and a tipper together: the bobcat loads, the tipper takes it away. In Gauteng a 6 cube tipper is R1,250–R1,900 a load, and a 10 cube tipper with its driver is R3,700–R5,250 a day. A standard bobcat carries about 600 kg a bucket, so plan on several bucket loads for every cube of heavy rubble. See tipper truck hire.
Bobcat operators: certificates and the rules
A skid steer is mobile plant under regulation 23 of the Construction Regulations, 2014. The operator must have received appropriate training, be certified competent with proof of competency, be authorised in writing, and hold a medical certificate of fitness from an occupational health practitioner. The operator must also inspect the machine daily before use against a checklist and record it in a register kept in the machine.
Skid steer operators have been assessed against SAQA unit standard 262712, “Operate a skid steer loader”. Our bobcat operators work to these rules, and we send copies of their certificates before the machine arrives, on request. See safety and certificates.
How hiring a bobcat works
- WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. Say which attachment you need and send a photo of the access.
- We confirm in writing: the machine size, attachments, the start date and the price, with transport as its own line.
- Pay the deposit to book the bobcat and operator.
- The bobcat arrives on its trailer with an experienced operator and gets to work.
- The balance and transport are settled as agreed on your quote.
Before it arrives: measure the narrowest gap on the way in, move cars, and decide where the rubble goes (a skip, a tipper or a stockpile). The full process is on how it works.
Bobcat hire near you
We send bobcats with operators to sites in all 9 provinces. Local detail and transport for the busiest areas:
- Bobcat hire in Durban and the rest of KwaZulu-Natal, including Newcastle and Pietermaritzburg.
- Bobcat hire in Pretoria and the rest of Gauteng, including Johannesburg.
- Cape Town, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein and every other area we cover.
Questions people ask
How much does bobcat hire cost per day?
A standard bobcat with an operator is R2,400–R3,700 a day with operator, and R3,000–R3,600 a day with operator with a breaker, auger or broom. A five-day week is R12,000–R18,500. Prices exclude VAT; transport on a trailer is its own line. Full prices are on bobcat hire rates.
Is a bobcat the same as a skid steer?
Yes, in everyday use. Bobcat is a manufacturer, and its machines were so common that “bobcat” became the word for any skid steer loader. A skid steer is a compact loader whose wheels on each side are driven together, so it steers by turning one side faster than the other and can turn on the spot.
Can a bobcat dig a trench?
With a trencher attachment it cuts narrow, shallow trenches for cable and irrigation. It has no backhoe, so for pipe trenches, foundations or anything deeper, hire a TLB (digs 4.45–4.78 m) or, in a tight space, a mini excavator (2.2–4 m).
How much can a bobcat lift?
A standard skid steer such as a Bobcat S450 has a rated operating capacity of 608 kg, which is half its 1,215 kg tipping load. A mini skid steer such as a Bobcat S70 is rated at 344 kg. Each bucket load must stay within that rating.
Do you hire mini or small bobcats?
Yes. A mini skid steer such as a Bobcat S70 or similar is 0.91 m wide and weighs about 1.3 t, so it fits through a 1 m gap and works in back gardens, courtyards and narrow side yards. The exact price for a mini bobcat comes back on WhatsApp.
Can I hire a bobcat without an operator?
Our bobcats go out with an experienced, certified operator, because the Construction Regulations require the person running the machine to be trained, certified competent and authorised in writing. The operator is part of every bobcat hire, and that keeps your site compliant.
Will a bobcat damage my lawn or paving?
It can. Because a skid steer turns by skidding its wheels, sharp turns scuff lawns and can loosen soft paving. Tell us what the bobcat has to drive over, so the operator plans the route and keeps turns to hard ground.
Related
Sources we checked
- Bobcat S450 skid-steer loader specifications and attachments (Bobcat)
- Bobcat S70 skid-steer loader specifications (Bobcat)
- JCB 3CX and 4CX backhoe loader specifications (JCB spec sheet P995-B)
- Construction Regulations, 2014 (GN R.84), regulation 23: construction vehicles and mobile plant
- SAQA unit standard 262712: Operate a skid steer loader
Need a bobcat?
WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.
WhatsApp us now