Bobcat · Compact

Bobcat CT5555

~$52,436

MSRP, base build

Bobcat CT5555
Compact
55 hp engine · 43.1 PTO−22% to the shaft

43.1 PTO hp behind a standard cab, and the only 5000-platform model whose page lists a mid-PTO speed - 2,103 rpm - so a belly-mount attachment stays possible at 55 hp. $52,436 puts it $3,855 under the top CT5558.

Engine
55 hp
PTO
43.1 hp
Loader lift
2,346 lbs
3-pt lift
3,177 lbs

0.82 PTO hp per $1,000 of list price

As published by the maker

Specifications

Size class
Compact
Transmission
Hydrostatic
Engine
Daedong
Engine hp
55 hp
PTO hp
43.1 hp
Drive
4WD
Loader lift
2,346 lbs
Three-point lift
3,177 lbs
Hydraulic flow
17.8 GPM
Fuel tank
14.8 gal
Weight
4,685 lbs
4WD
Yes
Cab
Available
Turbo
Yes
Cruise control
No

On the price: The maker's own published starting figure for the base build. A dealer adds a loader, a deck and freight on top.

Lift figures are the maker's and are quoted at whichever point the maker chose; the about page explains why two loaders with the same number do not lift the same pallet.

Comes with

4WDHydrostaticFront LoaderPower SteeringDieselTurboCab

From owner discussion and long-term write-ups

What owners say

What they like

  • 43.1 PTO hp runs a 7 ft rotary cutter or a large snowblower without the engine falling off its torque curve
  • A 2,103 rpm mid-PTO is listed on this model, which most 55 hp cab tractors do not offer at all
  • Shares the platform's 2,346 lb loader, 3,177 lb hitch and 17.8 gpm hydraulics
  • $3,855 less than the CT5558 while giving up only 5.2 PTO hp
  • 14.8 gal tank and 4,685 lb of cab-equipped weight suit long sessions with a heavy implement

What they complain about

  • The other low-volume middle step on the platform, so it is the harder of the four to find on a lot
  • 43.1 PTO hp from 55 engine hp is a 12 hp drivetrain loss, the largest on the platform
  • No gear or shuttle build exists, so extended tillage is done on a hydrostatic pedal
  • A 9.8 ft turning radius on a 74.2 in wide machine makes it clumsy in confined yards
  • 13 in of ground clearance under 4,685 lb limits rough-ground work
  • Emissions hardware unstated and no warranty term on the page

Gathered from owner reports

What owners report

The useful thing owners point out about the CT5555 is what it actually is: people who know the Korean compact tractors identify it as a Kioti DK in white paint, assembled in North Carolina, with perhaps a different loader - and they mean that as a compliment, since the same commenter has run a Kioti CK for 1,200 hours without a problem. The only owner who speaks has had his several years without racking up big hours and reports no problems, a good purchase price, and the one thing the badge genuinely buys: Bobcat dealers are everywhere, because the brand sells across so many industries.

What comes up favourably

  • Owners identify it as a rebadged Kioti DK assembled in North Carolina, which means it inherits a platform people report running for well over a thousand hours without trouble
  • Dealer coverage is the real advantage of the badge - Bobcat's spread across construction and agriculture means there is usually one nearby, which is not true of the brand underneath it

What comes up as a complaint

  • Owner evidence is almost non-existent, and the one owner who speaks says himself that he has not put many hours on it and cannot say how others are holding up

Questions worth asking

Is it really a Kioti underneath?
That is how people familiar with both describe it - a Kioti DK in white paint, assembled in North Carolina, possibly with a different loader. They treat that as good news rather than bad, on the strength of Kioti compacts running well past a thousand hours without trouble. It also means the mechanical parts behind the badge are a known quantity even if the Bobcat-specific ownership evidence is thin.
Why buy the Bobcat badge instead of the Kioti?
Dealers. The owner here points to Bobcat's presence across construction and other industries meaning there is a dealer almost everywhere, which is the one thing the Korean brands are consistently criticised for lacking. He also bought his at a good price, so the badge is not automatically a premium.

Summarised from public owner discussion, not from testing. Nothing here was measured by this site, and a report that recurs is not the same as a defect rate.

Cross-shopped against

Line the Bobcat CT5555 up

vs Bobcat CT5550vs Bobcat CT5558vs New Holland Boomer 55

Same brand or same size, nearest in price

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Loader
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3-pt
3,177 lbs
Trans
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Drive
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Second of four horsepower steps on the 5000 platform, all of which share one chassis, one loader and one cab. Five more engine horsepower than the CT5545 buys five more at the PTO for $2,927, which is the whole argument for this middle step.

Spec sheet & owner notes
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Loader
2,346 lbs
3-pt
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Trans
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Drive
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Top of Bobcat's tractor range: 57.7 hp, 48.3 PTO hp and a standard cab for $56,291. It is also the only model on the platform that keeps most of its engine power at the PTO, losing 9.4 hp where the CT5555 loses 12.

Spec sheet & owner notes
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45 hp engine · 33.9 PTO−25% to the shaft
Loader
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3-pt
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Trans
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Drive
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Bobcat's 5000 platform starts here, where the enclosed cab is standard rather than an $11,000 option and the loader jumps to 2,346 lb at max height. 45 hp is the least power offered here, which is why it is also the cheapest cab tractor Bobcat lists at $46,887.

Spec sheet & owner notes
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