How To Safely Use A Bobcat

If you have decided that it is time to do some major landscaping around your property, there is going to be a lot of heavy work involved. For instance, you are going to need to move a lot of rocks, dirt and other debris, and these items are too heavy to move by hand. A better option is to contact a bobcat hire agency and rent one of these machines to make the work easier and faster. Before you can use the bobcat, you will need to learn how to operate it properly and safely. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Use Appropriate Safety Gear

When operating a bobcat, or any other type of machinery, it is important that you wear proper safety gear. Make sure that you are wearing a hard hat, as well as steel-toed boots. Never wear loose clothing around machinery, as it can get caught up in moving parts. It is also a good idea to wear work gloves and safety glasses.

Practice

You will need to understand how the levers work, how to operate the pedals and how to keep the bucket steady. Before you actually start working, you should practice operating the bobcat for a few hours, so rent it for longer than you need it to give yourself time to get the hang of it. Once you feel that you are proficient in its use, you can get to work on your landscaping project.

Moving The Bobcat

The first thing you will want to practice is moving around in different directions, which is done by moving the levers. Turn the engine on and use the throttle to begin. Pushing both levers ahead will allow you to drive forward, and pulling them back will allow you to reverse. If you want to turn left, push the right lever forward and the left one back, and vice versa when you want to turn to the right. To stop, allow the levers to go back to their original position.

Controlling The Bucket

The pedals are the bucket controls. One pedal will move the bucket up and down. The other pedal is used for scooping and dumping. Push on the front of the pedal to pick items up, and push the back of the pedal to dump them. Take your foot off the pedals to stop the bucket from moving.

For more information, contact a company like Miniquip Compact Equipment Hire.