The Bobcat attachment starter kit: 7 attachments that earn their keep

Buying a used Bobcat skid steer or compact track loader is the easy part. The expensive part is the pile of attachments the previous owner kept in a barn and you now think you need. You don't. After watching small contractors, landscapers, and homesteaders outfit machines like the Bobcat T595 compact track loader and S650 skid steer, a pattern emerges: most owners use five to seven attachments for roughly ninety percent of their work.

This piece triages the starter kit. It ranks each attachment by real-world return on investment, pairs it with the hydraulic flow rating you actually need, and flags the one mistake that wrecks more new owners than any other — mismatching attachment flow to host machine. Retailers such as bobcatforsaleonline.com, which specializes in used Bobcat loaders with free US shipping, are one option for the host machine; the attachment logic below applies regardless.

Before you buy anything: Bob-Tach and hydraulic flow

Two specs decide whether an attachment will work on your machine. Get them wrong and you will own a very heavy paperweight.

The first is the Bob-Tach, Bobcat's quick-attach coupler. Bob-Tach is effectively interchangeable with the industry-wide Skid Steer Quick Attach standard, called SSQA or the "universal" mount, which is why almost every aftermarket attachment will click onto a Bobcat loader. Bobcat's product pages describe the Bob-Tach as a two-lever mechanical system; the Power Bob-Tach swaps the levers for a hydraulic cylinder triggered from the cab. Either way, the plate geometry matches SSQA, so a Stinger Attachments grapple and a factory Bobcat auger share the same interface.

The second spec is auxiliary hydraulic flow, and this is where beginners get burned. Bobcat and trade publications like Compact Equipment and For Construction Pros group machines into two tiers. Standard-flow loaders push roughly 17 to 23 gallons per minute through the auxiliary circuit — a T595 at about 17.5 gpm and an S650 at about 23.0 gpm are representative. High-flow machines push 30 to 40 gpm. Any attachment with a hydraulic motor lists a recommended flow range on its spec sheet. Feed a high-flow mulcher 18 gpm and it stalls; feed a standard-flow breaker 35 gpm and you cook seals. Match the number before you buy the tool.

The seven attachments that actually earn their keep

1. General-purpose bucket, low-profile variant

The bucket that ships with the machine is often a dirt bucket with a tall back. Replace it with a low-profile general-purpose bucket. Bobcat's catalog lists low-profile widths from 60 to 80 inches; the low back gives you visibility to the cutting edge every time you grade, backdrag, or load a trailer. No hydraulics needed. This is the single highest-ROI attachment in the kit and belongs on every machine. Expect $700 to $1,400 used.

2. Pallet forks

Pallet forks convert a loader into a rough-terrain forklift — sod pallets, block, bagged concrete, fencing, engines, firewood cribs. Look for 42 or 48-inch tines with rated capacity matching your loader's ROC; the T595 is around 2,000 pounds, the S650 around 2,690. Equipment World consistently flags forks as the attachment new owners undervalue most. Non-hydraulic, SSQA, $500 to $1,200.

3. Grapple: root grapple vs grapple bucket

Here people waste money. A root grapple is open-tined — like a rake with a clamshell lid — built for brush, logs, stumps, storm cleanup. A grapple bucket is solid-bottomed with a top clamp, for dirt, demo debris, rock, manure. Skid Steer Forum and Lawnsite threads are full of owners who bought one and needed the other. Homesteaders and land-clearing operators want the root grapple; demo and cleanup contractors want the grapple bucket. Both run on standard flow, both cost $1,800 to $3,500.

4. Hydraulic auger

A post-hole auger with 9, 12, and 18-inch bits turns a day of fence building into an afternoon. Bobcat sells a planetary-drive auger; Stinger Attachments makes compatible aftermarket units. Standard flow is fine — most augers are spec'd at 15 to 30 gpm. For a homesteader running fence, deck footings, or tree planting, it pays for itself in one project. $2,000 to $3,500 for the drive, plus $150 to $400 per bit.

5. Hydraulic breaker (hammer)

The breaker is the attachment people assume they need and often don't. If you pour concrete pads, remove sidewalks, or do demo work, it's transformative. If you're mowing a homestead, skip it. Breakers are sized by foot-pound class — a 500 to 750 ft-lb unit suits a T595 or S650 on standard flow. For Construction Pros coverage notes that oversizing the breaker past the host loader's flow rating shortens seal life dramatically. $4,000 to $8,000 used.

6. Brush cutter, rotary cutter, or mulcher

This is the high-flow attachment beginners shop for first and then can't run. A light-duty rotary brush cutter with a 60 to 72-inch deck operates on standard flow, cutting saplings up to about two inches. A true forestry mulcher with a drum head wants 30 to 40 gpm and a machine in the Bobcat T770 or S770 class. Compact Equipment's guides and Dirt magazine reviews hammer this point: if your loader is a T595 or S650 on standard flow, buy the brush cutter, not the mulcher. Brush cutters run $3,500 to $6,500; mulcher heads start near $10,000.

7. Snow pusher or angle broom (seasonal)

In the northern US, a loader that sits from December to March is money evaporating. A snow pusher is the simplest winter attachment — no hydraulics, 8 to 10 feet wide, $1,500 to $3,500 — and clears a commercial lot faster than a pickup with a blade. An angle broom is a hydraulic rotating brush for sidewalks, pavers, and light snow; standard flow, $3,500 to $6,000, and it doubles for spring cleanup. Landscape Management lists pushers and brooms as the quickest path to off-season cashflow. A full two-stage snowblower is a high-flow tool and a bigger commitment.

Matching the kit to the work

Landscaping and lawn care: low-profile bucket, pallet forks, root grapple, auger, angle broom. All standard flow. A T595-class machine handles this list comfortably.

Light construction and site prep: low-profile bucket, pallet forks, grapple bucket, breaker, snow pusher. Standard flow still covers it on an S650.

Farm and homestead: low-profile bucket, pallet forks, root grapple, auger, rotary brush cutter. Again, standard flow. The only reason to jump to a high-flow loader is if forestry mulching or a large snowblower becomes core to the work.

The mistake to avoid

The wreck is always the same: a new owner buys a high-flow mulcher or cold planer on a standard-flow loader because the price looked good. It runs for a week. Then cutters overheat, hydraulic oil cooks, and the warranty conversation gets short. Before you buy any hydraulic attachment, read two numbers off two spec sheets — the attachment's gpm range and your loader's auxiliary flow rating — and confirm they overlap.

Start with the bucket, forks, and the grapple that matches your work. Add the auger or breaker when a specific job demands it. Finish with a seasonal tool that keeps the machine earning year-round. Seven attachments, matched to flow, and your Bobcat becomes the most-used piece of equipment on the property instead of the most expensive.