"I bought my CT230 new with a loader from Bobcat of Indiana at a great price when they first started selling them. I'm not sure if it was 2008. I can't remember without looking. I got a free front-end loader with the tractor and negotiated a great price. It did not have the features of a John Deere back then but was way cheaper so I did not care. I had 3 main problems: 1. When I would bush hog I would get dried up brush/hard stems stuck in the hydrostatic control lever which would not let the safety switch trip to restart it. After the first time, I knew what to look for. 2 I had a hydrostatic transmission so I did not use the brakes other than the parking brake. The brakes would not release eventually, I had to lightly tap the linkage under the tractor and if I ever hit the brakes they would drag until tapped. I tried lubing everything on the outside and it did nothing. 3. The injection pump rail locked up and it would not run. I took it to Bobcat of Indiana and the shop said it started fine for them but the office guys said they saw it not start and the shop guys towed it in. I looked it over and I saw marks where they hit the rail with a punch to get it unstuck. Needless to say that is not a fix. It ran for about 10 minutes and it happened again. They did not want to admit there have been tons of people with the same problem and my warranty was out. I decided to tear it apart myself and found 3 small round gears riding on the teeth of the rail. The round gears were totally square shaped. Gears should have a slight taper to them to allow them to travel freely. One of my gears had 2 broken teeth where they hit it to break it loose. I work at a machine shop, so I was able to make a new gear with the proper tooth profile and used a needle file to file the profile on the other 2. I put it together and never had another problem. Bobcat/Kioti need to admit there is a design flaw at least on the early tractors. I asked if the new injection pump part number had the proper angle on the gears upon tearing mine down and nobody could tell me for sure so I just proceeded to fix mine as opposed to spending money on a new pump that may have the same gear profile. I did like the tractor though. "

"I had some warranty issues with the seat and pedal safety switch initially. It was very frustrating, but under warranty. The local Bobcat dealer is aces! This machine helped grade around my new custom home, cuts 6+ acres of grass, grades gravel drives, plows snow, aerates, and moves stumps and rocks that amazes me. It does it all without a hiccup. The weight of this machine and some of the features make it a serious workhorse. The skid steer disconnect on the bucket is great. The loader controller is easy and very accurate to use. I wish I could have found a 235, as the hydro keeps you out of the high gear on grades. It is a very good 30 horsepower tractor. I wish Bobcat had understood how to market to the tractor segment. "

"Bought from a dealer at a county fair with a backhoe. Has a lot of power though high gear range. Seems a little weak but we hardly use it. Runs great, moves anything you put in front of it. Its weight is a plus for me. My son has buried it in muck and extricated it with the backhoe. Has strong hydraulics, splits wood easily. My haying tractor has broken down twice in the last 2 years---once while mowing and the CT230 pulled and operated a JD1209 haybine; not fast but it mowed the rest of the field then tedded (2 basket), it raked (4 wheel), and baled (JD 14T). It just doesn't have enough snot to pull a full hay wagon (oh well) up the hill to the barn (son chose steep side). This year it raked and baled when hay tractor had a brake seize. I love it."

"Has been awesome tractor. Saddened that Bobcat no longer offers the tractor line. It has been and is awesome for a mid size compact. I maintain 3 properties, finish mowing more than 10 acres. Just had problem w/injector pump. Tractor is currently at dealership, covered under warranty. If Bobcat were still selling, I would trade in a moment for a new tractor of same model."

"Really great tractor. For the first few months had to park it outside but seemed to make no difference to it. Used for bush hogging, clearing brush and other misc tasks. REALLY like the hydro-static transmission. Prior tractor had manual. Plenty of power for what I do. Added some tines and is really great for hauling/moving piles of brush. Would buy another one in a heart beat."

"I bought the unit for the great features and price. Bobcat is no longer selling compact tractors. At 14,500 out the door for this tractor with a front end loader, I considered it a great deal. "

"I was looking for a 30 HP or so tractor, and I couldn't pass up the deal on the Bobcat. Yes, I realize that bobcat is getting out of the CT market, but besides getting parts at bobcat, the identical tractor and parts is sold by Kioti dealers, so parts and service were not so much a concern. So far, the tractor has been fantastic. Easy to use, comfortable, well organized and good power. All in all, I'm thrilled with my purchase."

"It's a great little machine CT230 less power then I'd like but handles fine was using 5 ft. bush hog in heavy brush when the hydraulic filter met a stump. Putting the filter down low, dump place, because the stump was not that high. Parts are all dealer, and no fast replacement must be ordered 3-5 days and the filter replacement factory of course way over priced as compared to other equipment filters. Hope this is not an indication of my future experience may have just been a bad day for me."

"I bought my Bobcat CT230 in Dec. and have put over 50 hours on it. I use it for snow removal, grading, hauling mulch and firewood. I built an extension to the bucket out of wood and really pack it full. I also use a flail mower, and three point hydraulic log splitter. I use this tractor hard and it has never let me down. It fires right up in all weather. It works all day. I use a 16 ton log splitter and it splits fast using only the idle 1100 rpm's. This tractor uses the same amount of fuel as the tiny 22 hp Kubota I used to own."

"Bought tractor for clearing land and general landscaping. Repaired fuel pump (warranty) and replaced battery. Proven to be a good investment."