Joe said: I have sat in some Bobcats and my 6'6", 265 pound (120 kg) frame does not go in them well and the foot pedals are bear to operate when you have size 14 feet. Both the Bobcat and the swinger are not built for a man of your size. You will need to drive the swinger sitting at an angle due to your size. The clearance between the seat and the dash is too close for a big person such as yourself. My partner is your size and he can not drive sitting correctly which is very tiring for him.. I sit at a slight angle myself while driving the swinger. My partner said to me while in California. "We have got to make a trip into town as I have broken off the swinger key with my knee". The placement of the key has changed on the new swingers for the above reason. Does anyone use swingers that would be willing to let me drive one? I would contact Dean Voss of Apiaries and Orchard Forklifts and ask Dean to point you to a beekeeper using the swinger forklift in your area . No need to travel a great distance as I am sure there are many swingers in the Georgia and north Florida area. www.swingerforklift.com Swingers will be on display at the ABF convention in Jacksonville in January if you are not in a hurry. Dean always invites beekeepers to test drive the forklifts. I believe Dean is the most knowledgeable person on the swinger forklift I ever met and freely provides a wealth of swinger information. Talk to dean *before* you buy used. Joe asked: I am also curious what people that move hives on pallets think of their current and/or former equipment choices. The swinger forklift is the most popular choice by far with the beekeepers I met in California. The old 610 bobcat is still very popular with beekeepers . Especially with the added back wheel. According to my friends at Kansas City Bobcat most of the old 610 hydrostats are worn so bad now that repair is not advised. If you can find a 610 in excellent working order the 610 will work for many migratory applications but most serious migratory beekeepers prefer the swinger forklift in my opinion. Many still use the newer bobcats and love the Bobcats but they are in my opinion harder for people not familiar with their use to use. A few dumped hives and a couple hundred stings and the education is *usually* complete. Both will turn over if not careful. Always haul with skids close to the ground. My partner believes the Bobcat is easier to turn over as he turned his last Bobcat over and moved up to a swinger. I almost turned my swinger over last week and admit seeing a wheel with over a foot of air between the wheel and the ground did make me remember how easy it is to turn both over. In my opinion the swinger beats the bobcat in every area except price but many beekeepers with Bobcats which have never driven the swinger might argue differently. I prefer the swinger for these reasons. 1. hydrostat 2. wider wheels and better in serious mud (in my opinion). 3. articulating which makes loading in close quarters easy 4. Comes standard with sliding forks don't like: 1. With the articulating frame you wear front tires if working on concrete by turning the wheel. Bobcat: 1. Easy to get parts 2. used Bobcats are plentiful Don't like: 1. hard to find used Bobcat with sliding forks ( many beekeepers feel these are unnecessary but help when going four skids high on a semi in my opinion) 2. easier to turn over in my opinion. 3.foot pedals are not as handy as hand pedals. You can However buy the Canada version of the Bobcat with standard hand controls on certain models. Choose wisely when buying a used Bobcat or Swinger. Parts are available for both but repair is expensive and time consuming. Go by number of hours and not year when choosing. Both are usually for sale in the American Bee Journal and every once in awhile a *swamper* which is similar to a swinger which I have never seen or used but are popular with beekeepers. Bob :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::