Bobcat

Bobcat S590

$53,934before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftWheels
Bobcat S590
Rated capacity of tipping load50%
2,000 lb rated4,000 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Bobcat S590 is rated to carry; the grey run past it is the rest of its tipping load. Bar length is tipping load drawn to the same scale on every machine on the site, so a short bar is a smaller machine and not a conservative rating.

A 68 hp vertical-lift skid steer that sits between the S450 and the S650 in Bobcat's Classic line, with 2,000 lb of rated capacity and a 26.7 GPM high-flow option. It is the value pick for landscapers who need vertical lift but not a 74 hp frame.

Suits: Landscape and site crews who want vertical lift and high-flow without stepping up to the 650 frame Its vertical lift path reaches highest at full extension, for loading high-sided trucks and stacking.

Lifting and reach

Rated operating capacityWheeled rating convention
2,000 lbs
Tipping load
4,000 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
119 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
6,649 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
68 hp
Engine
Bobcat (model not published)
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
17.1 GPM
Flow type
Standard
Warranty
2 yr / 2,000 hr

Fitted or available

What this machine can be ordered with. Some of these are standard and some cost extra, and which is which moves between trim levels, so check them against the quote rather than against this list.

Vertical LiftHigh-FlowEnclosed CabTwo-SpeedA/C & HeatA/CHigh-Flow Available

What owners report

Summarised from the sources listed below. Nothing here was tested by us.

Entry-level vertical lift is the niche, and it is a useful one. Contractors who need to load a dump trailer and stack pallets but do not need 2,700 lb of capacity end up here, because the alternative at this price is a radial-lift machine that cannot reach over sideboards. Since Bobcat's March 2026 realignment it sits in the Classic line, which means proven hardware and a deliberately plain specification rather than a technology showcase.

Owners talk about this machine warmly and specifically. One contractor doing council civil work and domestic landscaping in parallel called it powerful, comfortable, durable and versatile, and after a year reported it had not missed a beat - notable because the machine spent that year alternating between trench digging for water mains, concrete removal, topsoil spreading and driveway repairs. The cab gets consistent praise for being quieter and roomier than its predecessor, with seat-mounted joysticks that move with the suspension seat. The maintenance-free chaincase is a quiet advantage over higher-hour wheeled Bobcats, where fluid finding its way into the chain case is a known failure. The one specific fault worth knowing about is electrical: owners have traced a repeatedly blown 100-amp main fuse to a wiring harness rubbing through on cast flashing at the edge of the engine block, a cheap fix that is much cheaper done before it happens.

Vertical lift for the least money, with no use for a touchscreen, is what an owner-operator or a small landscape and civil outfit gets here. Against the S650 it gives up 690 lb of capacity and nearly 6 GPM of standard flow for about $7,000 less, which is a fair trade if you are not lifting full block pallets. Before signing, price the high-flow circuit and the rear camera into the build rather than discovering them afterwards, check the harness routing near the engine block on any used example, and be honest about whether 2,000 lb is really enough, because stepping up later costs far more than buying up front.

What owners like

  • Vertical lift to a 119-inch hinge pin on a 6,649 lb machine loads dump trailers and stacks pallets that radial-lift loaders of similar weight cannot reach.
  • The chaincase on this machine is maintenance-free, which removes one of the recurring service jobs and one of the leak paths that shows up on higher-hour wheeled Bobcats further up the line.
  • At $53,934 published it is the cheapest vertical-lift wheeled Bobcat in this class, more than $7,000 under the 74 hp S650, and Bobcat publishing a starting price on every model page gives you a number to hold a quote against.
  • Owners report genuine long-term satisfaction: a contractor running council civil work and domestic landscaping described his as powerful, comfortable, durable and versatile and said it had not missed a beat after a year in service.
  • The cab is a real strength - seat-mounted joysticks that move with the suspension seat, markedly quieter and roomier than the machine it replaced, and good visibility in every direction from the cab-forward layout.
  • The 26.7 GPM high-flow option runs vibrating rollers, mulching heads and cold planers, and owners specifically report running rollers and laser levelling gear off it successfully.

What owners complain about

  • 2,000 lb of rated capacity taken at 50 percent of a 4,000 lb tipping load is modest for a 68 hp machine, and the S650 lifts 690 lb more for roughly a fifth more money.
  • 17.1 GPM standard flow is on the low side, so anything demanding really wants the extra-cost high-flow build and the real price is not the published one.
  • Bobcat publishes a horsepower figure but not an engine model for the North American machine, so that spec cannot be verified against the maker.
  • Classic positioning means no touchscreen, no drive modes and no operator profiles, and the integrated rear camera is an option on the deluxe display rather than standard equipment.
  • Owners have traced a repeatedly blown 100-amp main fuse on this model to a harness routed over cast flashing on the edge of the engine block, which cut through the insulation and shorted the starter exciter wire - cheap to repair, but worth inspecting and rerouting before it strands you.

Drawn from farmmachinerysales.com.au, iseekplant.com.au, redpowermagazine.com, heavyequipmentguide.ca.

What buyers ask

S590 or S650 - is the step up worth it?
The S650 lifts 2,690 lb against 2,000 lb, carries 23 GPM standard flow against 17.1, and costs roughly $7,000 more. If you handle full pallets of block or sod, or you run flow-hungry attachments, the S650 is the machine and the extra money is well spent. If your loads are soil, mulch, gravel and light pallets, the S590 does the work for meaningfully less.
Why choose this over a cheaper radial-lift machine?
Reach at height. The vertical lift path takes the bucket up and out to a 119-inch hinge pin, which clears a dump trailer's sideboards and lets you place a pallet on a stack. A radial-lift machine of the same weight arcs the load in toward the frame at full height, which is fine for digging and grading but awkward for truck loading. That single difference is usually what decides it.
What is the known electrical fault on the S590?
Owners have reported a 100-amp main fuse blowing repeatedly, most often when starting before the glow plugs finished. The cause traced to the wiring harness routed over cast flashing on the edge of the engine block, which wore through the protective layer and shorted against the starter exciter wire. The fix is to repair the wire, insulate it properly and reroute the harness away from that edge - worth doing proactively.
Do I need the high-flow hydraulic option?
Standard flow is 17.1 GPM, which handles buckets, forks, augers and grapples. The 26.7 GPM high-flow option is what you need for mulching heads, cold planers and vibrating rollers, and owners do report running rollers and levelling gear off it. Order it with the machine if there is any chance you will want those tools, because adding the circuit afterwards is expensive.
What does the Classic designation mean for this machine?
It means the simpler build. You get selectable joystick controls or optional hand and foot controls, two-speed travel, automatic ride control, keyless ignition and a deluxe display with an optional rear camera. You do not get the 8-inch touchscreen, the four selectable drive modes, operator profiles, the heated air-ride seat or the detection systems - those are reserved for the Pro -2 models.
Is the chaincase really maintenance-free?
Yes, on this machine the chaincase is designed as a maintenance-free unit, which is a genuine advantage. On higher-hour wheeled Bobcats further up the line, hydraulic fluid working past tired boom cylinder seals into the chain case is a documented failure that leaves the loader arms unable to work under load. Removing a service point and a contamination path from the machine is worth more than it sounds.

Put the Bobcat S590 against

Bobcat S450Bobcat S650Case SR210B

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Bobcat line
Bobcat S450

Bobcat

Bobcat S450

$52,618

Radial Lift · wheels
1,370 lb rated50% of 2,740 lb
Engine
49 hp
Aux flow
16.7 GPM
Weight
5,370 lbs

At 49 hp and just over 5,000 lbs, the S450 is the smallest radius-lift wheeled skid steer in Bobcat's lineup. Its non-DPF Tier 4 engine and low price make it a favorite entry point for homeowners, farms, and rental fleets that don't need mid-frame muscle.

Full sheet & owner reports
Bobcat S650

Bobcat

Bobcat S650

$61,101

Vertical Lift · wheels
2,690 lb rated50% of 5,380 lb
Engine
74 hp
Aux flow
23 GPM
Weight
7,901 lbs

The wheeled half of Bobcat's 650 frame, with 74 hp, 2,690 lb of rated capacity and a 23 GPM standard circuit that already runs most attachments. It is the Classic-line workhorse for contractors who want the T650's capability without tracks.

Full sheet & owner reports
Bobcat S64-2

Bobcat

Bobcat S64-2

$62,918

Vertical Lift · wheels
2,300 lb rated50% of 4,600 lb
Engine
68 hp
Aux flow
17.6 GPM
Weight
6,855 lbs

Entry point to Bobcat's Pro line, a 68 hp vertical-lift skid steer carrying the same premium cab, drive modes and integrated tech as the bigger -2 machines. It suits operators who want the Pro cab and controls in the lightest, cheapest frame that offers them.

Full sheet & owner reports