Bobcat
Bobcat T450
The Bobcat T450 is the smallest compact track loader in the Bobcat lineup, a 55 hp radius-lift machine just 55 inches wide. It's built for backyard access, fenced-in jobs, and buyers who want a real steel-tracked Bobcat that a half-ton truck can still tow.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓At just 55 inches wide it slips through standard gates and side yards that stop every mid-frame CTL cold, which is exactly why fencing and pool contractors gravitate to it.
- ✓The 55 hp Tier 4 engine gets by without a DPF, so owners are spared the regen cycles, limp modes, and emissions headaches that plague bigger diesels.
- ✓At 6,424 lbs it's genuinely towable behind a half-ton pickup with a bucket and trailer, saving small operators from buying a bigger truck just to move the machine.
- ✓Bobcat's dealer network is the deepest in the industry, so parts, tracks, and service are almost always a same-day affair even in rural areas.
- ✓The radius lift path arcs out at mid-range heights, which operators say makes it a natural for backfilling, dumping over walls, and unloading flatbeds.
- ✓The swing-open tailgate and simple engine layout make daily checks and filter changes easy, and mechanics note there's far less to go wrong than on high-spec machines.
- ✓An optional 200 lb counterweight bumps rated capacity to 1,656 lbs, giving it a useful cushion for the occasional heavy pallet.
- ✓Resale demand for small Bobcat CTLs is strong because rental fleets and homeowners compete for used units, so clean T450s hold their value unusually well.
Cons
- ✗The 1,490 lb rated capacity means a full pallet of sod or pavers is over the limit, and owners doing material handling quickly wish they'd bought a T64.
- ✗There's no high-flow option, so the 16.7 GPM aux circuit rules out mulchers, cold planers, and other flow-hungry attachments entirely.
- ✗The short, narrow footprint gets tippy on side slopes and bouncy at travel speed, and operators consistently call the ride rougher than mid-frame machines.
- ✗The cab is genuinely cramped - taller or broader operators complain their knees hit the door and shoulder room is minimal on long days.
- ✗Pricing lands uncomfortably close to the larger T64, and plenty of buyers conclude the extra few thousand dollars for the bigger frame is the smarter spend.
- ✗The radius lift path gives up reach at full height, so loading tall dump trucks and stacking pallets high is harder than on vertical-lift rivals.
- ✗No self-leveling option means you're manually feathering the bucket on every lift, a tiring omission when moving palletized material.
- ✗Bobcat parts and dealer labor pricing run high, so ownership costs stay elevated even on this entry-level machine.
Compare the Bobcat T450
Related skid steers
More from Bobcat →
Bobcat
Bobcat T64
The Bobcat T64 is the tracked version of the small-frame S64, offering a vertical-lift path and 5-link torsion suspension undercarriage. It's aimed at contractors wanting a Bobcat CTL that stays under trailer weight limits and works on soft ground.
Bobcat
Bobcat T650
The Bobcat T650 is the mid-frame vertical-lift compact track loader that anchored Bobcat's M-Series for over a decade and now sells as a value-priced Classic model. With a 74 hp non-DPF diesel and 2,570 lb rated capacity, it's one of the most common CTLs on American jobsites and in rental fleets.
Bobcat
Bobcat T66
The Bobcat T66 is the mid-size vertical-lift compact track loader in Bobcat's R-Series, bridging the gap between the small-frame T64 and the best-selling T76. It pairs a 74 hp engine with a 2,450 lb capacity in a package light enough for a 10,000 lb trailer.