OEM vs Aftermarket Bobcat Undercarriage Parts: Are They Worth It?

The question is not whether aftermarket parts are as good as OEM - it is which parts on a Bobcat undercarriage you can safely buy from outside the dealer network, and which ones you should not. On a tracked machine the wear parts are consumables: rollers, idlers, sprockets and tracks are designed to be replaced, and the dealer's markup on a consumable buys you a warranty path rather than a better part of its own. Where that trade is worth taking depends on the machine and the consequences of failure.

Last updated: October 5, 2026

This guide covers where the OEM premium actually goes, which undercarriage parts are safe to buy aftermarket, how to judge the difference between a good aftermarket part and a cheap one, and what to confirm before ordering.

Where the OEM premium goes

An OEM undercarriage part costs more for several reasons, and only one of them is the part. Research and development is amortised across the catalogue; the brand carries licensing and warranty exposure; the dealer network has to be funded; and the part arrives with a guaranteed fitment and a documented warranty route. None of that is waste - it is what you are buying at the premium.

An aftermarket supplier avoids most of those costs, which is the honest source of the price difference. It also, in the worst case, avoids the inspection - which is why the useful distinction is not OEM against aftermarket, but documented against undocumented. A part with a stated specification, a cross-reference and written warranty terms is a known quantity whatever badge it carries.

Where aftermarket is safe

On a Bobcat undercarriage, the wear parts divide reasonably clearly.

Rollers, idlers and sprockets. These are consumables with published dimensions and defined wear limits. A documented aftermarket part of the right fitment and material performs its job, and the price difference is real money on a fleet. The risks are fitment and material, both of which are checkable before you order - as the front idler in the photograph illustrates, these are listed by part number and machine rather than by a general fitment claim.

Rubber tracks. The same logic applies, with one addition: the cord construction and compound are the two things that decide life, and they are the two things a cheap belt does not want to discuss. Ask for both, plus the compound's published temperature band - in a Canadian winter that is a specification, not a detail.

Seals, bearings and hardware inside a component. Here the case for the OEM part is stronger, because these are the parts that fail invisibly and take expensive assemblies with them. Where a seal or bearing is available as a documented equivalent, fine; where it is not, the OEM part is the lower-risk purchase.

Anything inside the machine's own systems - hydraulics, engine, electronics - is a different conversation, and usually one where the dealer's diagnostics and warranty matter more than the part price.

What makes the decision, in order

Four factors, and the price comes last.

Consequence of failure. A failed roller costs a roller; a failed hydraulic component can cost a machine. Spend the OEM premium where failure is expensive, and buy aftermarket where failure is cheap and detectable.

Warranty position. If the machine is under warranty, check how a non-OEM part affects coverage on the components it touches. That question is answered by reading the terms, not by asking a supplier.

Availability. An OEM part arriving in three weeks and an equivalent in three days are not the same purchase on a machine that is earning. On a consumable, downtime usually exceeds the price difference.

Documentation. Material, treatment, dimensions and warranty terms in writing. Where a supplier cannot state them, the price is the only information you have - which is not enough to make a decision on.

What to confirm before ordering

Four items, whichever route you take: the part-number cross-reference against your machine's model and serial number; the specification as supplied - bearing and seal design for rollers and idlers, material and treatment for sprockets, cord and tread for tracks; the warranty terms as a period plus an operating-hours cap, whichever comes first, with freight responsibility named; and the stock position with a delivery date.

Then think about the assembly rather than the part. A new idler or track running against a worn sprocket wears early, and on a machine where one component has failed the neighbours are usually close behind - which is why a set of parts is often cheaper than the sequence of single replacements it replaces.

Run the arithmetic once with your own numbers and the decision becomes routine. Take the OEM price and the documented equivalent, subtract one from the other, and divide by the hours each is expected to give. Assume, for the example, a $700 OEM idler against a $420 equivalent, and 4,000 hours from either: the difference is $280, or about seven cents an hour. Then add the two costs that sit outside the part - the labour to fit it, and the days the machine stands if the cheaper part arrives late or fits badly. On a machine working a full season, those two lines decide the purchase far more often than the price on the invoice.

One habit makes that comparison reliable over time: keep a simple record for each machine - the part, the date it went on, the hours it ran, and what ended its life. After two replacements you are no longer comparing a supplier's claim with another supplier's claim; you are comparing them with your own history. On a fleet, that record is also what tells you which machines are worth buying OEM parts for and which are not, because it separates the machines that fail from the machines that simply wear.

This article is part of our excavator undercarriage parts guide, which covers the five wear components, the order they fail in and how to confirm fitment.

FAQs

Are aftermarket Bobcat undercarriage parts worth it?

On wear parts such as rollers, idlers, sprockets and tracks, often yes - they are consumables with checkable dimensions, and the OEM premium buys warranty process more than it buys performance. Where failure is expensive or invisible, the OEM part is the safer purchase.

Why do OEM parts cost more?

Research and development amortised across the catalogue, brand and warranty exposure, dealer network costs, and a guaranteed fitment. Those are real costs, which is why the honest comparison is documented versus undocumented rather than OEM versus aftermarket.

Will aftermarket parts void my Bobcat warranty?

That depends on the terms of your machine's warranty and on which components are involved, so read them rather than assuming. Keep the fitment cross-reference, the installation date and any service records - documentation is what supports a warranty discussion.

How do I tell a good aftermarket part from a cheap one?

By what the supplier will put in writing: the part-number cross-reference, the material and treatment or the cord construction, the wear limits, and the warranty terms with freight responsibility named. A supplier who can produce those is selling a comparable part.

Should I mix OEM and aftermarket parts on one machine?

You can, provided both meet the same specification, but expect the newer part to do more than its share of the work against a worn neighbour. Where a whole side of the undercarriage is being renewed, doing the set together is usually cheaper than returning to it.