I took a three-day trip to Bismarck, N.D., in mid-June to test-drive Bobcat’s new equipment. I got to operate a lot of heavy-duty machinery—skid-steer loaders, compact tractors, utility work vehicles—and while it was all very impressive, I was blown away by the new line of M-series excavators. The E32, E35, E60 and E80 excavators are amazingly simple to operate. After five minutes, I felt like a pro (by contrast, I never did figure out how to program the Sleep Number bed in my hotel room). The excavator controls are intuitive—joysticks control the boom instead of foot pedals. I’d never operated an excavator before, but I was able to climb in the cab and immediately start digging holes and trenches. It was a lot of fun too. I felt like a kid in a sandbox with these machines and could have easily spent all day digging holes.

An angled blade along the front of the excavators makes backfilling faster—you can push the dirt into the hole. The E32 and E35 models are equipped with an “auto-idle” feature. When you let go of the controls for four seconds, the engine automatically idles, saving you fuel and decreasing the noise level. When you start working again, the engine automatically throttles back up.

If you have any serious digging to do, make life easier (and a lot more exciting) by renting one of these machines. They’re available in a range of sizes, from compact models to 8-ton monsters. Expect to pay about $200 for a half day for a small excavator. Check with a local rental center to rent one. If you want to buy one, find a dealer on the company’s Web site.

Bobcat, bobcat.com

--Brett Martin, Associate Editor

Associate Editor has fun operating the new Bobcat E35 excavator.