Bobcat
Bobcat S86-2
The Bobcat S86-2 is the second-generation version of Bobcat's flagship wheeled skid steer, bumping the 3.4L engine to 115 hp and rated capacity to 3,500 lb. It keeps the S86's unique standard/high-flow/super-flow hydraulic lineup while adding the redesigned electrical system, 8-inch touchscreen, drive modes, and available Bobcat Sense object detection from the -2 platform refresh.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓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 132-inch hinge-pin vertical lift still clears the tallest trucks and hoppers, a real advantage for aggregate and demolition loading.
- ✓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.
- ✓Four drive modes and precision drive software let operators tune the big frame from delicate pallet work to aggressive digging - flexibility the one-personality S86 never had.
- ✓Optional Bobcat Sense radar and camera detection can automatically stop the machine near obstacles, a meaningful safety upgrade on busy sites for a machine this large.
- ✓Bobcat's unmatched dealer network and the S86's proven resale strength carry over, softening the premium purchase price over the ownership cycle.
Cons
- ✗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.
- ✗First-model-year electronics on the -2 platform are unproven, and early adopters are effectively field-testing the new architecture on a flagship-priced machine.
- ✗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.
- ✗Resale for the brand-new -2 generation is unproven while clean used S86s undercut it by five figures on dealer lots.
Compare the Bobcat S86-2
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