Bobcat E35 maintenance schedule: mini excavator service intervals
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
Per Bobcat's service charts for the E35, grease the pivots daily and the swing bearing every 50 hours, check the travel motor fluid every 250 hours, and replace the hydraulic fluid, hydraulic filters and travel motor fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months. Engine oil is typically every 500 hours or 12 months, and every 750 hours on Bobcat's 2021 chart for 3 to 6 t machines with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine.
Bobcat E35 service: swing bearing, travel motors and chart versions
The Bobcat E35 is a 3.5 t class compact excavator used for utility trenching, foundations, landscaping and demolition, and it is a rental fleet staple. It works in tight spots, often in water or mud, and many operators swap buckets and breakers on the X-Change coupler during the day.
Its maintenance centers on grease and hydraulics. Bobcat has you grease all pivot points every 10 hours and the swing bearing and swing pinion every 50 hours, or every 10 hours when the machine works in water. The travel motors (final drives) get a fluid level check every 250 hours and new fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months. The hydraulic filter, case drain filter and reservoir breather cap are replaced after the first 50 hours and then every 500 hours.
Bobcat publishes several E35 charts by generation and engine, so match yours to the serial number. The 2015 and 2018 charts (E32 to E55, and the R-Series E32 to E60) change the engine oil every 500 hours or 12 months and the coolant every 24 months; both adjust the engine valve clearance at 1,000 hours, and the R-Series chart replaces the fuel filter every 250 hours. Bobcat's November 2021 chart for 3 to 6 t excavators with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine moves the engine oil to 750 hours or 12 months and the coolant to 2,000 hours or 24 months.
Typical Bobcat E35 maintenance schedule
- Every 10 hours or daily: Check engine oil, hydraulic fluid and coolant levels; Check the air filter and fuel filter indicators; drain water from the fuel filter; Check track tension; Grease all pivot points and the clamp or blade pivots; Check the seat belt, control console lockout, motion alarm and horn, lights and canopy or cab; Check the X-Change attachment coupler; clean cab and HVAC filters; Working in water: grease the swing bearing and pinion every 10 hours
- First 50 hours: Replace the hydraulic filter and case drain filter; Replace the travel motor (final drive) fluid on the 2021 chart; Check alternator and starter connections
- Every 50 hours: Grease the swing bearing and swing pinion; Drain water and sediment from the fuel tank (2015 and 2018 charts)
- Every 250 hours or 12 months: Check the travel motor fluid level; Check battery cables and connections; R-Series chart: replace the fuel filter
- Every 500 hours or 12 months: Replace the hydraulic filter, case drain filter and reservoir breather cap; Clean the radiator, fuel cooler, hydraulic cooler and A/C condenser; Check alternator and A/C belts and alternator and starter connections; clean HVAC housing and coils; Change engine oil and filter (2015 and 2018 charts)
- Every 750 hours or 12 months: Change engine oil and filter (2021 chart, Tier 4 Bobcat engine)
- Every 1,000 hours or 12 months: Replace the hydraulic fluid and filters; Replace the travel motor (final drive) fluid; Replace the fuel pre-filter and the fuel tank vent filter (2021 chart); Grease the swing cylinder base end (2015 chart); Adjust engine valve clearance (2015 and 2018 charts)
- Coolant: 2021 chart: every 2,000 hours or 24 months; 2015 and 2018 charts: every 24 months
Bobcat E35 daily inspection checklist
- Walk around for leaks and damage
- Engine oil, hydraulic fluid and coolant levels
- Air filter and fuel filter indicators
- Water drained from the fuel filter
- Track tension and track condition
- Boom, arm, bucket and blade pivots greased
- Swing bearing greased if working in water
- X-Change coupler locked, pins in place
- Bucket teeth and cutting edge
- Seat belt and control console lockout
- Motion alarm, horn and lights
- Canopy or cab mounting hardware
What fails on Bobcat E35 excavators, and how to prevent it
- Swing bearing and pinion: Clunk or play when swinging, dry or contaminated grease. Grease every 50 hours, every 10 hours in water
- Travel motors (final drives): Low fluid, leaks at the seal, weak travel. Check the level every 250 hours and change the fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months
- Pivot pins and bushings: Play in the boom, arm or bucket linkage. Grease every 10 hours, more often in wet or abrasive digging
- Hydraulic filters: Slow functions, contamination in the oil. Replace after the first 50 hours, then every 500 hours, and the fluid at 1,000
- Tracks: Derailing or fast wear on rocky ground. Check tension daily and clear packed material from the undercarriage
Tracking Bobcat E35 excavators in FleetZap
Set up E35 services as hour-based PM schedules (50, 250, 500, 1,000 hours and up) and FleetZap opens the work order automatically when the hour meter gets there, with the task list from the chart attached.
Put a QR label in the cab for the daily check. Put the swing bearing grease and coupler check on it so they are signed off every shift. A failed item opens a repair work order for that machine.
Hours come in from meter readings in the field app or from an optional GPS tracker, and the filters and oil you use go on the work order as parts, so each machine keeps its own service and parts history.
Sources
- Bobcat service schedule SS EXC 3-6T T4-B (Nov 2021): 3 to 6 t compact excavators with Tier 4 Bobcat engine
- Bobcat service schedule SS EXC E32 to E55 T4-B-0815: E32, E35, E42, E45, E50, E55
- Bobcat service schedule SS EXC E32 to E60 T4-B-K-0418: R-Series compact excavators
- Bobcat: Service Schedules and Maintenance Intervals (download page for every model's chart)
FleetZap Maintenance Essentials
Work orders, PM, inspections and the field app. Explore FleetZap Maintenance Essentials.
Frequently asked questions
How often do you change the oil in a Bobcat E35?
Every 500 hours or 12 months on Bobcat's 2015 and 2018 E35 charts, and every 750 hours or 12 months on Bobcat's November 2021 chart for 3 to 6 t excavators with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine. Check which chart matches your serial number.
What are the Bobcat E35 service intervals?
Bobcat lists daily (10-hour) checks, then 50, 250, 500, 1,000-hour services (plus 750 hours on the 2021 chart), each with a 12-month limit, and coolant every 24 months or 2,000 hours, whichever comes first.
How often do you grease a Bobcat E35 swing bearing?
Every 50 hours, or every 10 hours when operating in water, per Bobcat's charts. The other pivot points are greased every 10 hours.
How often should the hydraulic fluid be changed on a Bobcat E35?
Every 1,000 hours or 12 months, together with the hydraulic filters. The hydraulic filter, case drain filter and breather cap are also replaced every 500 hours.
How often do you change the final drive oil on a Bobcat E35?
Check the travel motor fluid level every 250 hours and replace it every 1,000 hours or 12 months. The 2021 chart also replaces it once at the first 50 hours.