Bobcat T650 maintenance schedule: Tier 4 and Interim Tier 4
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
Per Bobcat's chart for the T650 with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine, change the engine oil and filter every 500 hours or 12 months (first change at 50 hours), check track tension every 50 hours, and replace the hydraulic filter and fluid every 1,000 hours or 12 months. Older T650s with an Interim Tier 4 engine typically change engine oil and the fuel filter every 250 hours, per Bobcat's chart for that version.
Which Bobcat T650 schedule applies to your machine
The Bobcat T650 is a mid-size, vertical lift compact track loader that shows up in landscaping, utility and rental fleets. It is light enough to haul with a pickup and trailer, so it moves between jobs a lot, which makes hour-based service easy to miss.
Two Bobcat charts cover the T650, and the engine decides which one you use. The Tier 4 Bobcat engine chart sets the engine oil and filter and the main fuel filter at 500 hours or 12 months and the coolant at 1,500 hours or 24 months. The Interim Tier 4 chart puts the engine oil, filter and fuel filter at 250 hours or 12 months, adds a 100-hour spark arrester cleanout, and replaces the coolant every 24 months. A machine moved between fleets can easily be serviced on the wrong one.
Both charts share the track loader items: track tension and drive sprocket nuts or bolts every 50 hours, the hydrostatic motor fluid every 500 hours or 12 months, the hydraulic charge filter and breather cap every 500, and the hydraulic filter, hydraulic fluid and fuel pre-filter every 1,000 hours or 12 months. Change the engine oil every 100 hours under severe conditions.
Typical Bobcat T650 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 when indicated; Clean the hydraulic cooler and radiator, fuel cooler, 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; Check horn, back-up alarm, lights, cab fasteners, safety signs; clean heater and A/C filters
- Every 50 hours: Check track tension and the track drive sprocket nuts or bolts; Check hydraulic hoses and tubelines; Check parking brake, pedals and hand controls or joysticks; 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; Interim Tier 4 chart: empty the spark arrester
- Every 250 hours or 12 months: Check the engine/hydrostatic drive belt and the accessory belts; Check the BICS lift arm bypass control; Interim Tier 4 chart: change engine oil and filter and the main fuel filter
- Every 500 hours or 12 months: Tier 4 chart: change engine oil and filter and the main fuel filter; Replace the hydraulic charge filter and reservoir breather cap; Replace the hydrostatic motor fluid; Clean the heater coil, A/C evaporator and plenum drains
- Every 1,000 hours or 12 months: Replace the hydraulic/hydrostatic filter and the hydraulic reservoir fluid; Replace the fuel pre-filter element
- Coolant: Tier 4 chart: every 1,500 hours or 24 months; Interim Tier 4 chart: every 24 months
Bobcat T650 daily inspection checklist
- Walk around for leaks and damage
- Engine oil, hydraulic fluid and coolant levels
- Air filter and fuel filter indicators
- Radiator, coolers and grille clean
- Undercarriage cleaned out
- Tracks: cuts, missing lugs, tension
- Rollers and idlers turning freely
- Lift arm, link, cylinder and Bob-Tach pins greased
- Seat belt, seat bar and BICS interlock
- Horn, back-up alarm and lights
- Attachment locked on the Bob-Tach
- Hour meter reading recorded
What fails on Bobcat T650 track loaders, and how to prevent it
- Engine oil on the wrong schedule: An Interim Tier 4 machine run to 500 hours between changes. Confirm the engine version and use the matching Bobcat chart
- Tracks and tension: Derailing, fast sprocket or roller wear. Check tension every 50 hours on a clean undercarriage
- Hydrostatic drive motors: Weak travel on one side, leaks at the motor. Replace the motor fluid every 500 hours or 12 months
- Cooling package: High temperature warnings. Clean coolers and grille every 10 hours
- Lift arm pivots: Pin and bushing play. Grease every 10 hours
Tracking Bobcat T650 track loaders in FleetZap
Set up T650 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. Name the engine version on the asset so the right schedule is used. 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 on a Bobcat T650?
On Bobcat's chart for the T650 with a Tier 4 Bobcat engine: first at 50 hours, then every 500 hours or 12 months. On the Interim Tier 4 chart: every 250 hours or 12 months. Under severe conditions, every 100 hours.
What are the Bobcat T650 service intervals?
Bobcat lists 10, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000-hour services plus coolant at 1,500 hours or 24 months (Tier 4) or every 24 months (Interim Tier 4), whichever comes first.
How often should I change the hydraulic fluid on a Bobcat T650?
Every 1,000 hours or 12 months, together with the hydraulic/hydrostatic filter, on both charts.
How do I know which Bobcat T650 schedule to use?
Bobcat publishes one chart for the T650 with an Interim Tier 4 engine and one for the Tier 4 Bobcat engine. Check the engine label or the service decal on your machine, or ask a Bobcat dealer with the serial number.