Head to head
Bobcat T66-2 against Wacker Neuson ST45
The Wacker Neuson ST45 carries 750 lb more once both are rated the same way; the Wacker Neuson ST45 moves 4.5 GPM more through the auxiliary circuit.
| Spec | Bobcat T66-2 | Wacker Neuson ST45 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79,000 | $79,000 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 2,400 lbs | 4,500 lbs |
| Rated at | 35% of tipping load | 50% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 6,857 lbs | 8,999.3 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 2,400 lbs | 3,150 lbs |
| Engine power | 74 hp | 74 hp |
| Engine | Bobcat (Doosan) D24 | Kohler KDI 2,504 |
| Auxiliary flow | 17.6 GPM | 22.1 GPM |
| Lift height | 120 in | 134.8 in |
| Operating weight | 8,560 lbs | 10,315 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Vertical Lift |
| Rubber tracks | Yes | 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 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.
Wacker Neuson ST45
- A 4,500 lb rated operating capacity and 9,000 lb tipping load put it in genuine large-frame territory - it forklifts pallets of sod and block that mid-frames refuse.
- The 134.8-inch hinge pin height is one of the taller lift heights in the class, clearing high-sided dump trucks and hoppers with ease.
- The 74.3 hp Kohler KDI needs no DPF and no DEF, so a big machine stays refreshingly simple to run and maintain.
- Kohler's 4-year/4,000-hour engine warranty on top of 2-year/2,000-hour machine coverage means the expensive bits are covered longest.
- This platform has been in production longer than the uni-body models, so it has more accumulated field hours and known reliability.
- It typically prices well below 100 hp flagship rivals while lifting just as much.
- With only 74.3 hp moving a 10,267 lb machine, it's tuned for lifting rather than aggressive dozing - operators who push hard wish for the ST50's extra power.
- Standard 22.1 gpm auxiliary flow is modest for a large frame, and even the 31.4 gpm high-flow option is midpack.
- The Series-II design predates the uni-body machines, so service access and cab refinement feel a generation older.
- Resale values trail the big four brands by a wider dollar margin at this price point.
- At over 10,000 lbs it needs heavy trailer capacity, a cost some step-up buyers underestimate.
- Limited factory tech - no grade control and basic displays - for contractors accustomed to flagship-level electronics.
- Brand-name attachment packages and dealer-installed options are fewer than what Bobcat or Cat dealers can spec.