Bobcat CT2025 Tractor Powers Maryland Family’s Self-Sufficient Farm
Matt Hawkins knew immediately upon moving to his new 5-acre “fixer-upper” acreage in Frederick, Maryland, he’d need a compact tractor to help repair its debilitated barn and fencing and tackle other jobs related to running a self-sufficient farm. He chose a 25-horsepower (18.6-kilowatt) Bobcat CT2025. “I visited almost every compact tractor dealer out there,” he says. “When it comes to Bobcat equipment, I learned that I can get more tractor for my money.”
Paying Dividends
Hawkins’ acreage is double the size of the one his family moved from. Like his grandfather, Hawkins aims to make farming a lifestyle so that he never has to pay for food he doesn’t produce himself. He’s already used the CT2025 to remove and haul old fence posts away, set new posts with the front-end loader, and transport concrete bags in the bucket.
Hawkins points to the CT2025’s comfort-enhancing hydrostatic transmission, 8-foot (2.4-meter) turning radius, and compact dimensions as standout features. The latter lets him pull right up to pens in barn stalls, clean them out, and haul the waste away without lugging around a wheelbarrow. The tight-turn radius, meanwhile, helps navigate the trees, laundry lines, and other obstacles in Hawkins’ gated property area. “But no matter what tight spot I put myself in, I’ve never had to do a three-point turn,” he says. “I’m always able to get in and out without a problem.”
The CT2025 Up Close
The CT2025 is just 5.3 ft. wide by 10.1 ft. long (1.62 m x 3.1 m). It features a 5-ft. (1.5 m)-wide bucket, and has a 1,631-pound (740-kilogram) lift capacity at 24 in. (61 centimeters) behind the lift point. Manual 9x3 Shift, Manual 8x8 Synchro Shuttle, and Electronic Hydrostatic Transmission options are available, as are numerous Bobcat attachments and implements such as augers, bale forks, finishing mower, and tiller. “I see myself purchasing just about every attachment and implement Bobcat makes,” Hawkins says.
Source: Bobcat