Head to head
Bobcat S86-2 against Bobcat T66-2
The Bobcat T66-2 saves $7,000; only the Bobcat T66-2 runs tracks, so their advertised capacities are not measured the same way; the Bobcat S86-2 moves 5.4 GPM more through the auxiliary circuit; only the Bobcat T66-2 runs rubber tracks.
These two are rated differently on purpose. A wheeled skid steer is rated at half its tipping load and a track loader at 35 per cent, because the track machine holds back more reserve. So the capacity rows below are not a like-for-like contest, and the tipping load row is the closer thing to one.
| Spec | Bobcat S86-2 | Bobcat T66-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $86,000 | $79,000 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 3,500 lbs | 2,400 lbs |
| Rated at | 50% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 7,000 lbs | 6,857 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 3,500 lbs | 2,400 lbs |
| Engine power | 115 hp | 74 hp |
| Engine | Bobcat (Doosan) 3.4L | Bobcat (Doosan) D24 |
| Auxiliary flow | 23 GPM | 17.6 GPM |
| Lift height | 144 in | 120 in |
| Operating weight | 10,098 lbs | 8,560 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Vertical Lift |
| Rubber tracks | No | Yes |
| High flow available | Yes | Yes |
| Enclosed cab available | Yes | Yes |
| Two-speed travel available | Yes | Yes |
| Self-levelling available | Yes | Yes |
| A/C and heat available | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 yr / 2,000 hr | 2 yr / 2,000 hr |
What owners say about each
Bobcat S86-2
- The engine bump to 115 hp makes the S86-2 the most powerful wheeled skid steer Bobcat has ever sold, and the extra torque shows up exactly where the S86 ran out of breath - heavy planing and mulching.
- It remains the only wheeled machine offering standard, high-flow (36.6 GPM), and super-flow (42 GPM) hydraulics in one platform, so one machine covers everything from pallet forks to cold planers.
- Rated capacity rises to 3,500 lb with a 7,000 lb tipping load, extending its lead as the strongest lifter in the wheeled class.
- The 144-inch hinge-pin height is a full 12 feet of vertical lift, clearing the tallest trucks and hoppers and out-reaching every other wheeled machine in this comparison.
- The redesigned -2 electrical architecture with the 8-inch touchscreen, 20 operator profiles, and Machine IQ telematics directly answers the harness and sensor complaints from R-Series machines.
- Bobcat's unmatched dealer network and the S86's proven resale strength carry over, softening the premium purchase price over the ownership cycle.
- Pricing starts in the mid-$80k range and rockets past $95k with super-flow and Sense options, putting it squarely in large compact-track-loader money.
- The 115 hp 3.4L keeps a DPF emissions system, which draws complaints during heavy idling and light-duty cycles.
- At nearly 10,000 lb it needs a heavy truck and trailer, and the big frame gives up maneuverability on tight sites.
- Bobcat dealer parts and labor rates are among the highest in the industry, and the electronics-dense -2 platform deepens dependence on dealer diagnostics.
- As a wheeled machine it lacks CTL flotation, so soft or muddy ground still pushes buyers to the T86-2 despite the higher cost.
- Tires wear quickly under 7,000 lb tipping loads on abrasive surfaces, and a premium set is a steep recurring cost.
Bobcat T66-2
- The T66 was already Bobcat's bread-and-butter CTL, and the -2 keeps everything owners liked - the 2,450 lb vertical-lift platform and DEF-free 74 hp D24 - while fixing the electrical harness issues that were the R-Series' biggest gripe.
- The new 8-inch glove-friendly touchscreen supports 20 operator profiles and split-screen camera views, so mixed crews can each store their own joystick response and drive-mode preferences.
- Four drive modes (Balanced, Agile, Dynamic and Charged) with precision drive software genuinely change the machine's character, letting the same loader do delicate finish grading in the morning and aggressive dirt work in the afternoon.
- Optional Bobcat Sense radar detection can slow or stop the loader for a person or obstacle behind it, with camera-based 360 detection alerting separately — a real differentiator for utility and municipal work. Both are options, and North America only.
- Machine IQ telematics come standard with basics coverage, giving owners fault codes, location, and hours from a phone - handy for fleets that used to pay extra for third-party trackers.
- Dealer pricing starts around $80k before high-flow or Sense options, a meaningful jump over outgoing T66 stock that has budget-minded buyers hunting R-Series leftovers instead.
- It's a first-model-year machine that only hit dealers in summer 2026, so the new electrical architecture and touchscreen software are unproven in the field.
- Power and hydraulics are unchanged - 74 hp and 17.6 GPM standard - so anyone hoping the new generation would close the gap with Kubota's SVL75-3 on grunt will be disappointed.
- The added sensors, cameras, and software-defined drive modes mean more systems that require dealer diagnostics, chipping away at Bobcat's owner-serviceable reputation.
- Running mulchers, planers, or snow blowers still requires the extra-cost 26.9 GPM high-flow option because the standard flow is modest for the class.
- The 6,857 lb tipping load with torsion undercarriage trails heavier competitors like the Cat 265, so operators handling max-weight pallets at full reach need to mind stability.