Continuing to utilize a program that has saved the county money over the years, the Barton County Commission Monday morning approved exercising the municipal buy-back option on two Bobcat track loaders used by the Road and Bridge Department.

The 2019 T650 T4 Bobcat track loaders are being replaced with 2020 models from Bobcat of Salina. The cost to utilize the roll over is $4,550 for each machine and includes a one-year warranty, County Works Director Darren Williams said. 

“This is really advantageous for the county,” Williams said. One of the current machines has 259 hours on it already, and the other 457 hours.

“The older they get, the more costly they are,” he said. Most repairs are covered by the warranty.

Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz said they have had “lengthy discussions” over whether this is the most economical way to go and if it is really in the county’s best interest. But, they continue to see the benefits.

“This is a no-brainer,” Commissioner Jim Dailey said. The cost of a new loader outright would be between $55,000-60,000. 

Williams it costs the county about $7.59 per hour to operate the loaders under the buy-back program. “That’s pretty cheap.”

“It’s a pretty well-rounded piece of machinery,” he said of the Bobcats, adding they see a lot of action. They are used for dirt and asphalt work, among other tasks.

In 2014, Road and Bridge purchased a loader from Bobcat of Salina under a municipal contract. In 2017, Road and Bridge purchased another loader under the same arrangement.

The rollover option has been utilized for both Bobcats ever since, Williams said.