Bobcat's MT100: The New Entry Point Now That the MT85 Is Gone From the Lineup

Check Bobcat's current mini track loader lineup page today and you'll find exactly two models: the MT100 and the MT120. That's worth flagging plainly, because the MT85, a genuinely popular machine that plenty of landscaping and rental fleets are still running, is no longer part of the current new-equipment lineup. Bobcat hasn't published the MT85 as a direct one-to-one replacement story the way it has with some other model transitions, so the honest way to frame this is: the MT85 has aged out, and the MT100 is now the entry point into Bobcat's mini track loader class, with the larger MT120 above it.

That matters for anyone shopping this size class right now, whether you're replacing an aging MT85 already in your fleet or comparing used MT85 units against a new MT100. The two machines aren't identical, and the differences are worth understanding before you decide which one actually fits your work.

MT100 vs. MT85: The Real Numbers

The MT100 carries a 1,000-lb rated operating capacity against the MT85's 850 lbs, a meaningful jump for anyone lifting and carrying pallets of pavers, mulch, or block on a landscaping or hardscape job. Operating weight runs close, 3,390 lbs for the MT100 versus 3,110 lbs for the MT85. Both machines use a similarly sized diesel engine in the mid-20s horsepower range, so the capacity gain isn't coming from a bigger motor, it's coming from structural and hydraulic changes elsewhere in the machine. Ground pressure on the MT100's standard tracks runs 5.3 psi versus the MT85's 4.9 psi on narrow tracks, so the MT85 still has a slight edge on the most sensitive turf if that's your primary concern, though both machines offer a wide-track option that lowers ground pressure further.

Height to bucket hinge pin is identical at 80.9 inches on both machines, so lift height isn't the differentiator. Auxiliary hydraulic flow is close too, 11 gpm on the MT100 versus 12 gpm on the MT85. The MT100 does carry forward design upgrades Bobcat introduced across its newer mini track loader generation: a dent-resistant hood with tool-free maintenance access, an integrated ride-on platform with optimized roller spacing for a smoother ride, and extra-soft hip pads with 30% more spacing than earlier iterations.

The MT85's Own History Is Worth Knowing

When Bobcat originally launched the MT85, it was itself a real step up from the smaller MT55 that came before it: a 35% higher rated operating capacity, a 12% increase in lift height, a 29% increase in lift-arm breakout force, and a 23% increase in forward travel speed. So the MT85 wasn't a minor refresh in its own day, and a used MT85 on the market today is still a genuinely capable machine for the work it was built for. It's just no longer the model Bobcat is building and selling new, which is the detail that should drive your buying decision today, not a judgment on whether the MT85 itself was ever a good machine.

• MT100 (current): 1,000 lb ROC, 3,390 lbs operating weight, 24.8 hp, dent-resistant hood and ride-on platform

• MT85 (no longer in Bobcat's current new lineup): 850 lb ROC, 3,110 lbs operating weight, 25 hp, slightly lower ground pressure on narrow tracks

• Both share an identical 80.9-inch height to bucket hinge pin

• Current Bobcat mini track loader lineup is two models: the MT100 (entry) and the MT120 (flagship, 1,200 lb ROC)

Who This Size Class Actually Fits

Landscaping crews, hardscape installers, and small-site excavation and utility contractors working backyards, fenced lots, and other tight-access jobs where a full-size compact track loader simply can't fit through the gate are the realistic buyers for either machine. If your jobs regularly need more than 1,000 lbs of lift capacity, the MT120 above the MT100 is worth evaluating instead; if you're primarily moving mulch, pavers, and small aggregate loads through narrow residential access points, the MT100's capacity bump over the MT85 is a real, usable upgrade.

Renting vs. Owning a Mini Track Loader

A mini track loader is exactly the kind of machine that gets used constantly once a landscaping or hardscape crew owns one, replacing hand carts and manual labor on practically every job. Renting one for an occasional job pencils out fine; renting one every week because you don't own one starts costing more than ownership within a single busy season. Owning also means the machine and your chosen attachments, whether Bob-Tach or common industry interface, are always matched and ready rather than whatever the rental counter has available that day.

Financing a Mini Track Loader

Whether you're replacing an aging MT85 with a new MT100 or buying into this size class for the first time, BFC structures equipment financing for landscaping, hardscape, and small-site contractors nationwide, startups and established businesses alike, across credit profiles. We can also finance good used equipment, including a used MT85, alongside new machines in the same package. As always, treat specific payment or rate figures as illustrative only until you apply, and confirm Section 179 or bonus depreciation strategy with your own tax professional.

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