Unlike vehicles you see out on the road, heavy-duty construction equipment does not have a registration number that informs you of the year it was manufactured. If you want to know how old a car is, all you need to do is look at the license plate.
However, it is not that simple with machinery like a Bobcat skid steer. Whether you are planning to buy a Bobcat to use for construction, agricultural, or grounds maintenance purposes, you don’t want to be paying out more than you have to.
Buying a secondhand Bobcat doesn’t need to feel like you are taking a big risk, there is a way you can find out the exact year the machinery was manufactured. In this article, we share exactly how you can find out what year a Bobcat is by using the serial number.
Whatever Bobcat machinery you are planning to buy, it will not have a license plate. What the equipment does have though is a serial number. The Bobcat serial number is key in helping you discover what year a Bobcat was made.
Don’t know where the serial number is on a Bobcat? Don’t worry, we have done the research and can point you in the right direction. The serial number for a Bobcat will be found inside the owner’s manual.
The serial number is easy to find, as it will most likely be printed on the cover of the manual. If the serial number is not on the cover, open up the owner’s manual and you should notice it clearly printed on the inside cover page.
Maybe you have bought a second-hand Bobcat with no manual, the seller has lost it or you have misplaced it? Again, there is no need to panic because you can find the serial number in another location.
If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you will be able to find the serial number on the actual Bobcat machinery. The number will most likely be on the inside of the equipment’s door or on the loader, located on the inside of the Bobcat.
Finding the serial number is your first step in finding out what year your Bobcat is. Once you have the serial number to hand, you can now begin the process of finding out the age of your Bobcat.
It is important to know the age of a Bobcat that you are intending to buy secondhand. As with cars, older vehicle machinery will not perform as well the older it is. The parts are more likely to have corrosion or wear and tear.
The longer a piece of equipment has been in use, the more chance there is of parts not performing as well as they should and expensive repairs being required.
Before you sell or buy a Bobcat, it is important to know exactly what year model it is. To find out the year of a Bobcat, simply follow our step-by-step guide.
As we stated above, for you to have any chance of finding out how old a Bobcat is, you will first need to find the serial number. You can find the serial number on the Bobcat (often inside the door) or printed on the owner’s manual.
Once you have located the serial number, you will need to document it for future reference. Either write the serial number down and file it away somewhere safe or take a photograph of the number displayed on the Bobcat itself.
This way, anytime you need to reference the serial number, you will have it ready and you won’t need to go searching for the owner’s manual or out to the Bobcat to check.
Now you have the serial number readily available, you need to phone up Bobcat. You can call a Bobcat representative, give them the Bobcat serial number and they will be able to tell you the exact model and year of the machinery.
You can phone 800-743-4340 to speak to a Bobcat representative, or you can fill in the customer service form on the Bobcat website.
That’s it! It may require a little more work than finding out the year and model of a car or other vehicle, but finding out the year of a Bobcat is not a difficult process.
You can find out what year a Bobcat is by contacting a Bobcat representative. Firstly, locate the Bobcat serial number – usually in the owner’s manual or inside the door – and then phone up Bobcat.
Once you provide the representative with the serial number, they will be able to tell you exactly what year and model the Bobcat is.
The 743 Bobcat model was produced in the years 1987-1991. If you are unsure what year a Bobcat is – or even what model or series it is – you can use the serial number to find out.
By simply phoning the Bobcat team and telling them the serial number, you will be able to find out the year of your Bobcat in no time.
The 753 Bobcat is a skid steer model. If you have a Bobcat 753, it will have been manufactured between the years 1999 and 2003.
A Bobcat 773 is a popular loader and there was also a 500k turbo edition produced to mark Bobcat’s half a million loader productions anniversary. If you have a 773 Bobcat, it will be from the years 1991, 2000, or 2001.
If you don’t know what year your skid steer Bobcat is, you can easily find out using the serial number. We have detailed exactly how to find out the year of a Bobcat in this article, but to summarise, all you need to do is phone up a Bobcat team member and provide them with your equipment’s serial number.
As with buying anything secondhand, you want to use caution and common sense. Bobcats can cost a lot of money and you will still be spending a fair few dollars even if you buy the machinery secondhand.
To avoid splashing the cash on a Bobcat that is not in the best condition, you need to make sure you see the equipment before you buy. It is important to closely inspect the Bobcat and even ask to start the engine and give it a test run.
You want to check all the parts are working correctly and there is not any obvious damage. You don’t want to be paying out for expensive repairs as soon as you have made your purchase.
It is also important to check that the Bobcat has had regular maintenance work – if you are buying from a dealership, they will be able to provide you with this information. You are much less likely to encounter problems if you carefully select a Bobcat that has had all of its regular maintenance work completed.
Knowing the year of a Bobcat is important, whether you are planning on selling your own or are thinking of buying one secondhand. Whatever model Bobcat you have, you will easily be able to find out what year it is with the help of the serial number.
To find out the model and year of a Bobcat, all you need to do is to get in touch with a Bobcat representative. Once you have shared the serial number, you will then be told the year of your Bobcat, the model, and any other specifications information that you require.
