My nephew asked me a question last week that has nothing to do with construction equipment: 'What is a good PSAT score for a 9th grader?' It sounds simple. It isn’t. If you’re a freshman taking it for the first time, a 1200 is a strong sign. If you’re a junior hoping for National Merit, a 1200 is just a starting point.
That’s why I don’t give a simple yes or no when people ask whether they should buy OEM Bobcat mower parts or aftermarket parts for their Bobcat E42 excavator. The answer depends on the machine age, who’s turning the wrench, and how much downtime costs. I’ve been a procurement manager for a site-development contractor for the past eight years, so these aren’t abstract questions for me. I’ve watched cheap parts turn into expensive repairs, and expensive parts turn into wasted money.
Before walking through scenarios, I should define what I mean by OEM and aftermarket. OEM means a part with the original manufacturer’s number and fitment, usually sourced through a Bobcat dealer. Aftermarket means a third-party product designed to fit Bobcat machines. Sometimes aftermarket suppliers make a component exactly like the OEM version, and sometimes they don’t. The label alone doesn’t tell you enough.
Start with total cost, not the invoice
I compare total cost, not shelf price. Total cost includes the part price plus shipping plus my labor plus the cost of the next failure if the part is weak. It’s tempting to compare a $220 aftermarket AC compressor with a $450 OEM unit and stop there. But that’s like judging a PSAT score without knowing the student.
From the outside, OEM parts look expensive. What you don’t see is the fit confirmation, warranty support, and dealer backup that come with the part. That support matters more in some scenarios than in others.
Scenario 1: The machine is still under warranty
If your Bobcat E42 excavator is new enough to qualify for warranty protection, use OEM parts and keep the repair on record at the dealer. This isn’t because dealerships are magical. It’s because a warranty is a contract.
Earlier this year, a friend nearly replaced the AC compressor in a 2022 E42 with a cheaper unit he found online. On paper he saved about $260. But if that aftermarket compressor caused a secondary problem, like damaged the belt or put debris through the system, the dealer could trace it back to a non-OEM part. The warranty claim would get complicated, or worse, denied. The $260 savings wasn’t worth the risk of losing thousands in repair coverage.
Scenario 2: You own the machine and you’re turning your own wrenches
Once the warranty is gone and the machine is older, the cost equation shifts.
Take Bobcat mower parts for example. I maintain a skid steer with a mower deck attachment for light land-clearing jobs. The deck sees maybe 20 hours a week during growing season, but not much in winter. Blades, belts, and spindles wear out. In that situation, aftermarket parts can be a smart buy if I verify the dimensions and material quality.
Last spring I needed a spindle for our mower deck. The OEM version was $185. Two aftermarket suppliers had the same part for $95 and $60. The $60 unit looked right in the product photo, but the reviews said the bearings burned up after a dozen hours. The $95 unit came from a company that could tell me exactly which bearing brand the spindle used. I chose the $95 unit because the total cost over a season was lower. It’s still going after 200 hours.
The dangerous part is the hidden cost of a bad guess. I remember ordering a well-priced AC compressor for an out-of-warranty excavator. The unit was a generic replacement and looked right in the photo, but the connector didn’t match. I lost two weekends. Shipping and restocking fees ate the savings, and I eventually bought the OEM unit. Looking back, I should have called the parts supplier before ordering. A thirty-second conversation about the machine serial number would have prevented the whole mess.
So my rule for Scenario 2 is simple: if you can afford to wait and you know how to verify parts, aftermarket is worth considering. If you can’t verify fitment or return policy, you’re not saving money. You’re just shifting risk.
Scenario 3: Downtime is the real cost
For commercial operators, the part price often matters less than whether the machine can work tomorrow.
Let’s say you use a Bobcat E42 excavator for utility work. The cab AC compressor fails in July. You can buy a generic compressor online for $220 and wait three days for shipping. Or you can pay $650 for an OEM unit from the local dealer and be working in two hours. If the machine earns $150 an hour, the three-day wait costs you $3,600 in lost billable time. Even if the generic part works perfectly, it isn’t cheaper. It’s more expensive.
That math is why I pay more in certain situations without complaining. Dealer support is not free, but it’s not wasted money either when the alternative is a machine sitting idle in a gravel lot.
How to tell which scenario you’re actually in
Instead of searching for one universal answer, ask yourself these four questions:
- Is the machine covered by a warranty or lease that could be voided by non-OEM parts?
- Am I comfortable doing the repair myself if the part doesn’t fit or fails early?
- What does one full day of machine downtime cost me?
- Which option can get the right part to me before it creates a problem?
If your answer to number one is yes, OEM is usually the right call. If yes to number two, aftermarket can work. If number three is a big dollar amount, dealer support wins for critical repairs. If number four favors the cheap option, that’s still a valid reason to go there.
One more thing that overlaps with this decision: check the total picture before you buy a used machine. A Bobcat E42 can be an excellent investment, but only if you can transport it safely and legally. I once watched a contractor pull a used E42 onto a rented trailer, then realize his GMC Denali truck was close to its payload limit with tools and extra attachments on board. The bed was full, the trailer was heavy, and the axle ratings were tight. He rented a heavy-duty truck for the day instead of risking a failure. That was a smart call, but it added $300 to the purchase cost. The lesson is the same as with parts: the advertised cost is only the beginning.
Final word
So, what is a good PSAT score for a 9th grader? If the student is using it to understand where to improve, almost any score is useful. If the student is chasing a single number without understanding its context, the number doesn’t mean much.
That’s how I look at Bobcat parts now. OEM or aftermarket isn’t a moral choice. It’s a practical decision built on the warranty, your own skills, your tolerance for risk, and the real hourly cost of downtime. Run the total-cost calculation, and the right answer usually becomes clear.
