610 Bobcat

flying belgian · May 3, 2019

Is this machine a hydro or belt drive?

Kow Farmer · May 3, 2019

Belt driven. They have what I call a centrifugal clutch system like snowmobiles to run the belt for driving. Make sense?
Kow Farmer Kurt

Keith True · May 3, 2019

The engine end of that belt drive is hydraulicly controlled.While it is running you push a lever for a hydraulic valve on your right side,that will close up the sheaves to get the ground speed you want.It's all mechanical from there.There are two clutches on each side,one for forward and one for reverse.Those are good tractors,but they are the ones that gave skidsteers the reputation for being jumpy.If you get to bouncing one of those things,they will pitch you right out the front.Those machines can do a huge amount of work and are balanced much better than other skidsteers of the time.

Donald in MN · May 3, 2019

Belt driven. There is a variable speed lever behind the left directional lever forward fast back slow. The driven shaft also drives the alternator. So if you watch the amp guage it will charge faster if the variable is in the faster position

Ray · May 3, 2019

Belt driven and hard to steer. Mechanical levers,the more load the harder to turn. The variable speed usually leaks and you need three hands to run it. A good one to stay away from.

flying belgian · May 3, 2019

Thanks guys. I guess I will keep looking. My old JD. 70 crapped out about a year ago and I thought I could get by with my large tractor loader and I also have a forklift. But there are to many times I wish I had a skidder.

jfreed · May 3, 2019

Ray, your experience is 180* from mine, one of the better machines I have run,and I've been on a few-1530B case(the WORST), a N/H and that ridiculous T-bar Gehl.

Keith True · May 4, 2019

I've worked on dozens of those,and have owned a half dozen of them.If things are right,you can drive those tractors with one finger of each hand.Now if the fiber facings are gone off the cams,(clutches)they will still work fine,but you have to manhandle the levers to make them do the job.If the clevis pins are worn you will have to work hard to run them too.If things are right and properly set up there is less lever resistance than a hydro machine.You have to work pretty hard to get an old 500,600,610,etc.stuck.The old Cases from that vintage would get stuck in a heavy rain.To this day I can't run a Case with the flipper hand controls.When I worked at a JD dealer we had a little JD skidsteer.I think it had an Onan engine in it,but it was real handy.It had the T handle drive,but with the foot bucket/boom controls it did work nicely.It was jumpy like the Bobcats though.That is the only bad thing I will say about those old machines,as much as I like the way they are built,I think they are very dangerous if you are not used to running machinery.

Keith True · May 4, 2019

Is your 70 the old style with the two cylinder engine and T bar drive? If it is,and you can keep it from hopping around like a mexican jumping bean a 610 shouldn't present much of a challenge to you.As far as smoothness there is nothing like a hydro.

Bret4207 · May 5, 2019

I own a 444 which is the same system as the 610. My variable drive clutch died, so I on'y have one speed, but I can do a lot of work with it. They are decent machines within their limitations. No, you won't have a cab and A/C and heat and a stereo, but you also won't pay more than $3 or 4K for a good running example, and probably a lot less!

IowaJohn · May 5, 2019

We had 1 for 35 years, got to be a chore keeping it going. We also had an 1816b case that is a hydro. The reason we had 2 loaders was we had hogs at 2 different farms, 1 place we needed a smaller loader hence the 1816, also we needed something to back up the 610. After we got rid of the hogs didn't need both loaders. Kept the case just way more dependable.The 610 got hauled to a consignment auction. Felt pretty good I netted $2700.

jfreed · May 5, 2019

Bret, there is NO way a 610 is in the same class as a 444 LOL!! We had both ourselves, An Onan in the 444 and a Wisconsin in the 610, NOT apples to apples!!

Bret4207 · May 6, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:37:05 05/05/19) Bret, there is NO way a 610 is in the same class as a 444 LOL!! We had both ourselves, An Onan in the 444 and a Wisconsin in the 610, NOT apples to apples!!

Why don't you try reading what I wrote instead of making things up. I said they use the same drive system- belt with a variable speed pulley. I never said they were the same machine. I realize reading comprehension is tough for some people, but my post seemed abundantly clear to me.

610 Bobcat

flying belgian

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Kow Farmer

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Keith True

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Donald in MN

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Ray

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flying belgian

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jfreed

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Keith True

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Keith True

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Bret4207

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IowaJohn

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jfreed

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