Bobcat S650 maintenance schedule: service intervals by the hour
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
Per Bobcat's service chart for the S650 with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine, change the engine oil and filter at the first 50 hours and then every 500 hours or 12 months, replace the hydraulic filter, hydraulic fluid and chaincase fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months, and replace the coolant every 1,500 hours or 24 months. Earlier S650s with an Interim Tier 4 engine typically use a 250-hour oil change, so check the chart for your machine.
Servicing the Bobcat S650 by engine version
The Bobcat S650 is a wheeled skid steer loader in Bobcat's 600 frame size, and one of the most common skid steers on rental lots, landscaping crews and construction sites. It runs buckets, forks, augers and breakers through the Bob-Tach quick attach, often for several operators a week, so most of its maintenance is the daily walk-around and grease routine plus a handful of hour-based services.
What sets a skid steer like the S650 apart from a track loader is the drive: each side turns its wheels through a chain in the final drive transmission (chaincase). Bobcat has you check the chaincase fluid level every 50 hours and replace it every 1,000 hours. Wheel nuts get checked every 10 hours for the first 30 hours of a new machine, then every 50 hours, and tires are inflated to the maximum pressure on the sidewall.
Intervals depend on the engine version, so look at the decal or the chart for your serial range. Bobcat's chart for S650s with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine sets the engine oil and filter and the main fuel filter at 500 hours. The chart for S650s with an Interim Tier 4 engine puts both at 250 hours, adds a 100-hour spark arrester cleanout, and replaces the coolant every 24 months. All Bobcat charts say oil and filter life gets shorter in dust, extreme temperatures or with fuel from uncontrolled tanks: under severe conditions, change the engine oil every 100 hours.
Typical Bobcat S650 maintenance schedule
- Every 10 hours or daily: Check engine oil and hydraulic fluid levels; check coolant level cold; Check the display for air filter and fuel filter service, remove trapped water from the fuel filter when indicated; Clean debris from the radiator, hydraulic and fuel coolers, A/C condenser and rear grille; Grease lift arm, lift link, cylinder and Bob-Tach pivot pins and wedges; Test the seat bar, control interlocks and BICS (lift and tilt must not work with the seat bar up); Check tires and inflate to the maximum sidewall pressure; check wheel nuts daily for the first 30 hours; Check horn, back-up alarm, lights, cab fasteners, safety signs and treads; clean heater and A/C filters as needed
- Every 50 hours: Check hydraulic hoses and tubelines for damage and leaks; Check the final drive transmission (chaincase) fluid level; Check parking brake, pedals and hand controls or joysticks; Check wheel nuts and tighten to torque; First 50 hours only: change engine oil and filter, check the engine/hydrostatic drive belt
- Every 100 hours: Check battery cables and connections; Change engine oil and filter every 100 hours under severe conditions
- Every 250 hours or 12 months: Check the engine/hydrostatic drive belt and the alternator, A/C and water pump belts; Check the BICS lift arm bypass control; Interim Tier 4 S650 chart: change engine oil and filter and the fuel filter here
- Every 500 hours or 12 months: Change engine oil and filter (Tier 4 Bobcat engine); Replace the main fuel filter element; Replace the hydraulic charge filter and the reservoir breather cap; Clean the heater coil, A/C evaporator and plenum drains
- Every 1,000 hours or 12 months: Replace the hydraulic/hydrostatic filter; Replace the hydraulic reservoir fluid; Replace the chaincase fluid; Replace the fuel pre-filter element
- Every 1,500 hours or 24 months: Replace the engine coolant (Interim Tier 4 chart: every 24 months)
Bobcat S650 daily inspection checklist
- Walk around for leaks, damage and loose parts
- Engine oil level
- Hydraulic fluid level
- Coolant level, checked cold
- Air filter and fuel filter indicators on the display
- Radiator, coolers and rear grille clear of debris
- Lift arm, link, cylinder and Bob-Tach pins greased
- Bob-Tach wedges fully engaged on the attachment
- Seat belt, seat bar and control interlocks
- BICS: lift and tilt locked out with the seat bar raised
- Tires, pressure and wheel nuts
- Horn, back-up alarm and lights
- Cab fasteners, safety signs and treads
What fails on Bobcat S650 skid steers, and how to prevent it
- Chaincase (final drive): Low fluid at the 50-hour check, noise from one side, slow or jerky travel. Check the level every 50 hours and replace the fluid at 1,000 hours or 12 months as the chart says
- Engine/hydrostatic drive belt: Squeal, glazing, loss of drive power. Check it at the first 50 hours, then every 250 hours, and adjust or replace as needed
- Cooling package: High coolant or hydraulic temperature warnings. Clean debris from the radiator, coolers and grille every 10 hours, more often in mulch, hay or dust
- Lift arm and Bob-Tach pivots: Play in the pins, worn bushings, attachments that rattle. Grease every 10 hours and check the wedges seat fully on every attachment change
- Tires and wheel nuts: Cuts, uneven wear, loose wheel nuts. Inflate to the sidewall maximum and keep to the wheel nut checks, especially on a new machine
Tracking Bobcat S650 skid steers in FleetZap
Set up S650 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. The checklist can mirror Bobcat's 10-hour list, from engine oil to the BICS interlock test. 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
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 S650?
Per Bobcat's service chart for the S650 with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine, change the engine oil and filter at the first 50 hours, then every 500 hours or 12 months, and every 100 hours under severe conditions. S650s with an Interim Tier 4 engine use a 250-hour interval on Bobcat's chart for that version. Check the chart or decal for your serial range.
What are the Bobcat S650 service intervals?
Bobcat lists checks every 10 hours, then services at 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 hours, with a calendar limit on each (12 months up to 1,000 hours, 24 months for coolant), whichever comes first.
How often should I change the hydraulic fluid on a Bobcat S650?
Bobcat's chart says replace the hydraulic reservoir fluid and the hydraulic/hydrostatic filter every 1,000 hours or 12 months. The hydraulic charge filter and the reservoir breather cap are replaced every 500 hours or 12 months.
How often do you check the chaincase oil on a Bobcat S650?
Check the final drive transmission (chaincase) fluid level every 50 hours and replace the fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months, per Bobcat's service chart.
What is included in the Bobcat S650 500-hour service?
On Bobcat's Tier 4 chart: engine oil and filter, the main fuel filter element, the hydraulic charge filter and reservoir breather cap, and cleaning the heater coil and A/C evaporator. Do the 50, 100 and 250-hour items at the same time.