John Scheafnocker of Grove City, PA, recently was named the grand-prize winner of the Bobcat 500K Skid Steer Loader Contest, winning a Bobcat 773 Limited Edition skid steer loader.

Scheafnocker was chosen from more than 30,000 entries, which included contractors, farmers, landscapers and other users, who described their toughest jobs that tested their personal endurance and their compact equipment. Entries were judged on the description of their toughest job story, comments on what they would do with a new Limited Edition 773 skid steer loader, and remarks on what attachment would give them the most productivity.

“My toughest job was to build a custom crafted log home from scratch without the aid of blueprints, on a budget of $35 a square foot,” said Scheafnocker. “I used my Bobcat loader for clearing the lot and moving dirt, gravel and stone. This job also required debarking, sizing and stacking a mile and half of timber — over 200 logs in all. My loader was instrumental in moving and positioning the logs around the lot.”

Scheafnocker said that he’ll use his new Bobcat skid steer loader for his newly formed sawmill operation, for which he’ll harvest 30 acres (12.1 ha) of prime northeastern hardwood for land management and lumber inventory. “My Bobcat loader is my only help!” he said.

“The toughest job stories were impressive,” said Chuck Hoge, president and CEO of Bobcat Company. “From animal rescue stories to tales about the impossible being made possible with compact equipment, the selection process was difficult.”

Winners in the 500K Skid Steer Loader Contest had a chance of taking home one of 500 prizes. The grand-prize 500K Limited Edition Bobcat 773 loader is equipped with a deluxe operator package that includes 13-in. (33 cm) super flotation tires, an enclosed cab with heat and air-conditioning, instrumentation with a keyless start security system, hydraulic Power Bob-Tach and a turbo-charged diesel engine. The machine also features the Limited Edition decal package, gold wheel rims and a gold tailgate. The formal presentation was made on December 6th at Scheafnocker’s home.

Other prizes awarded included $2,500 Bobcat attachment certificates for second place, $500 Bobcat attachment certificates for third place, radio-controlled Bobcat models for fourth place and Bobcat die-cast model collectibles for fifth place and monthly winners. A group of European-area winners will be announced separately. For a complete list of winners, visit www.bobcat500K.com.

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