Komatsu CK35-1 vs. Bobcat T76-2 Compact Track Loaders: A New Challenger Arrives

Bobcat basically invented the compact track loader category, and for a huge share of contractors it's still the default name that comes to mind. But Komatsu just gave the class a genuine new entrant worth a serious look: the CK35-1 (Komatsu's current US-market flagship compact track loader in this class — this generation was originally cited here under the EU/UK-market model designator CK50-8, which Komatsu America does not sell), unveiled at Bauma 2025 as part of a fully redesigned SK/CK skid steer and track loader lineup. For a contractor comparing the established leader against a legitimate new option, here's the honest, spec-by-spec breakdown.

The Established Player: Bobcat's T76-2

The Bobcat T76-2 runs roughly 74 hp and a rated operating capacity in the 2,900-3,100 lb range, depending on configuration, in an operating weight of approximately 9,700 lb. It's the mid-size workhorse of Bobcat's Pro lineup, and it benefits from the deepest dealer and attachment network in the compact equipment business — nearly any bucket, grapple, mulcher, or auger you'd want is available same-week through a Bobcat dealer almost anywhere in the country.

The New Entrant: Komatsu's CK35-1

Komatsu's CK35-1 is part of a genuinely new-generation redesign, not a facelift — Komatsu previewed it alongside the SK40-8 skid steer at Bauma 2025 as a full platform replacement for the brand's compact loader line. It runs 72 hp (53.7 kW), a 1,630 kg (about 3,593 lb) rated operating capacity — one of the highest operating capacities in its category, per Komatsu — in a 5.21-metric-ton (about 11,487 lb) operating weight, with a 0.5 m³ standard bucket. On paper, the CK35-1 actually out-capacities the T76-2 on rated operating capacity while carrying meaningfully more operating weight, a combination that should translate to real stability advantages on uneven or soft ground.

Where the Real Difference Shows Up

Komatsu built its reputation in this category on a vertical-lift boom design that most competitors in the class don't offer — a genuine mechanical advantage for high-dump work like truck loading, since a vertical-lift geometry keeps the bucket's reach consistent through the entire lift arc instead of dropping back toward the machine the way a radial-lift design does. Bobcat's T76-2 uses a more traditional lift geometry across most of its Pro lineup, trading some high-reach dump performance for a simpler, more field-serviceable linkage. For a contractor doing a lot of truck loading or stockpile work, that vertical-lift difference is worth testing in person before deciding.

Dealer Network and Parts Availability

This is the honest trade-off in Komatsu's favor on capability and Bobcat's favor on convenience. Bobcat's compact equipment dealer network is the deepest and most geographically dense in North America, which matters enormously for parts turnaround and attachment rental when something breaks mid-project. Komatsu's dealer network is real and well-established for its excavators and larger iron, but the SK/CK compact loader line is new enough that not every Komatsu dealer stocks a full attachment inventory yet — something worth confirming with your local dealer before committing, especially if you're financing on a tight project timeline.

Undercarriage and Ground Conditions

Because a CTL's whole value proposition is working ground a wheeled skid steer can't touch — wet turf, loose fill, freshly graded soil — undercarriage design matters as much as horsepower. Komatsu's heavier CK35-1 operating weight spreads more mass across the track footprint, which combined with the vertical-lift geometry should give it an edge on soft or saturated ground where flotation is the limiting factor. Bobcat's lighter T76-2 trades some of that flotation advantage for easier trailering and a lower overall machine weight, which matters on jobs where the CTL has to be moved between sites frequently on a smaller trailer setup. Neither trade-off is wrong — it comes down to whether your typical ground conditions favor maximum flotation or easier mobility.

Who Should Actually Buy Which One

Contractors who already run a Bobcat-heavy fleet, or who prioritize maximum attachment availability and the fastest possible parts turnaround, are well served sticking with the T76-2 — it's a proven, thoroughly field-tested machine with the broadest support network in the category. Contractors who do a lot of high-dump truck-loading work, or who already run other Komatsu iron and want to consolidate parts and service relationships, have a genuinely compelling reason to look hard at the CK35-1's vertical-lift geometry and higher rated capacity. Neither is the wrong answer — this is a real two-horse race, which is new for this size class.

The Rent-vs-Own Case for a Compact Track Loader

A CTL in this size class is one of the highest-utilization machines on almost any construction site — landscaping, demolition cleanup, material handling, grading, and dozens of attachment-driven tasks all run through the same machine. That utilization is exactly why renting one regularly is the worst financial move available: every rental dollar disappears the moment the truck picks the machine back up, while a financed CTL builds toward outright ownership with every payment, stays sized to your actual work instead of whatever's on the rental yard's lot that week, and is available the morning you need it instead of whenever the rental counter has one free.

BFC's approach is built around exactly this kind of growth. Rather than making a contractor wait years for one machine to be fully paid off before financing the next, BFC can help fund your next CTL, skid steer, or attachment purchase while your current equipment is still being paid down — so a growing operation isn't stuck choosing between paying down debt and bidding the next job that needs more iron.

What a Down Payment Actually Looks Like

Down payment on a compact track loader depends on your credit profile and deal structure, not a fixed percentage. Contractors with strong, well-established credit can sometimes structure a deal with little to nothing down — sometimes just a first payment to get started. Others fall in a 20-30% range, and in some higher-risk profiles as high as 40%. There's no single number that applies to every buyer, which is exactly why the right move is to apply and let BFC work up real terms for your specific business.

The Bottom Line

Bobcat's T76-2 remains the safe, well-supported, field-proven choice in this size class. Komatsu's CK35-1 is a legitimately new, well-engineered challenger with a real capacity and lift-geometry advantage on paper — the first genuinely competitive alternative Bobcat has faced in this exact weight class in a while. Either way, financing beats renting for a machine this heavily utilized, and both brands are on BFC's approved manufacturer list, so the financing decision doesn't have to be the reason you pick one over the other.

Explore More Compact Track Loader Financing Guides

Read our full breakdown of the Komatsu SK and CK lineup, see what changed with Bobcat's Pro T76-2 over the previous R-Series T76, or check the 2026 skid steer and track loader buyer's guide for everything else that's changed across the category this year.

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