Actual Bobcat DPF Cleaning Cost and When Replacement Is Right
Bobcat DPF cleaning cost depends on the filter’s condition: sound, ash-loaded filters clean off-machine; cracked or melted ones don’t. See how to choose.
Table of Contents
M8555 on your Bobcat: clean the DPF or replace it?
Rule out the cheap parts first, clean a sound filter, and replace only a damaged one.
| Option | Cost | Applies To | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure sensor or pipe | $48.99–$278.49 (parts) | Confirm by serial number | Filter never confirmed as the fault |
| Off-machine DPF cleaning | From $179–$199 per filter, plus labor | Any intact DPF | Filter sound, ash-loaded |
| New Bobcat DPF 7024315 | $3,513.99 list | A770, S750, S770, S850, T750, T770, T870 (varies by serial) | Filter cracked, melted, or contaminated |
Sources: Bobcat online parts store, US list prices, retrieved Sept 28, 2026; cleaning prices from two DPF service vendors (2025–2026). Removal and reinstallation labor not included.
Machine down right now? Read the next two sections. Budgeting the repair? Skip to the cost breakdown.
ℹ️ Safety Note: A DPF regeneration runs exhaust temperatures well above normal, so dry debris packed near the exhaust is a fire risk, and the filter housing stays hot after shutdown. Removing a DPF means handling a heavy, hot assembly. If service access requires raised lift arms, the OEM lift arm support must be installed; never rely on hydraulics alone. This article is for general understanding. Have a Bobcat dealer or qualified heavy equipment technician do the work per your machine’s service manual.
What M8555 is telling you before you spend money
M8555 is one of the Bobcat aftertreatment codes our guide to which Bobcat fault codes stop work ranks by severity.
Read the code the way Bobcat defines it
Third-party code lists tie M8555 to “DPF service required” and the related M8554 to a dealer-performed regeneration. We could not verify either definition against Bobcat service literature. Treat the description on your display, and your dealer’s reading, as the authority.
Codes can vary by serial range, so confirm the code against your serial number. The full regen code range is broken down in our guide to Bobcat DPF regeneration codes M8541–M8564.
Can you keep running it?
Bobcat’s severity rating for M8555 isn’t publicly verifiable. Treat it as a stop-and-diagnose code, not one to clear and keep working. Documented owner reports show what happens when it’s ignored:
- A 2015 S750 at about 2,200 hours showed M8555 with a particulate-matter warning. Regens kept failing, and the loader lost power and shut down after a few minutes of work.
- A 2014 T770 showed M8555 and M8554 together.
✅ Do This: Ask your Bobcat dealer to read the soot load, ash load, and pressure sensor values with their diagnostic tool before quoting a filter. Ask specifically whether the readings point to the filter or to a sensor.
Check these before paying for a DPF
A differential pressure sensor reads the filter’s restriction, and a bad sensor or line can call for DPF service on a filter that isn’t full.
| Part | Bobcat list price | Applies To | Why check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differential pressure pipe 7024323 | $48.99 | Confirm by serial | Cracked or plugged line skews the reading |
| Differential pressure sensor 7024374 | $278.49 | Confirm by serial | Failed sensor misreads soot load |
| Remote parked regeneration kit 7218446 | $152.49 | Confirm by serial | For machines that can’t finish regens on the job |
| Diesel particulate filter 7024315 | $3,513.99 | A770, S750, S770, S850, T750, T770, T870 | Last resort |
Source: Bobcat DPF parts listing, US list prices retrieved Sept 28, 2026. Dealer prices may differ. Fitment varies by serial number.
Differential pressure sensor and pipe
The parts in the first two rows total about 8% of the filter’s price. Have a technician confirm them with a scan tool before the filter comes off. See the sensor and pipe product pages.
Failed regens and idle-heavy work
🔍 Why It Fails: Regeneration burns off soot by raising exhaust heat. Machines that idle or run light for long stretches may not get hot enough to finish one, so soot builds until the system asks for service.
Parked regen kit
The 2014 T770 owner above fitted a manual regen kit, listed by Bobcat as the remote parked regeneration kit. Confirm fitment and procedure with your dealer.
⚠️ Hazard: Do not unplug or bypass the pressure sensor “to test” the filter. That renders an emission control inoperative and can count as tampering. Regenerations should be run only as your operation and maintenance manual or a Bobcat technician directs.
Can a Bobcat DPF be cleaned, or does it need replacing?
Cleaning works when the filter is structurally sound and loaded with ash.
Soot vs ash: what regen can’t burn
Onboard regeneration burns soot, but it cannot remove ash, the noncombustible residue from oil and fuel additives. Ash comes out only with professional off-machine cleaning.
Cracked, melted or oil-soaked: replace
Cleaning cannot repair a fractured or melted substrate, the ceramic honeycomb inside the filter. Heavy oil contamination can also point to an unresolved engine or turbocharger problem. Fix that first, or a new filter will fail the same way.
Service interval
One Canadian Bobcat dealer’s summary of the Bobcat schedule lists disassembling and cleaning the DPF every 3,000 hours. Confirm your machine’s interval on its service schedule decal or operation and maintenance manual.
Bobcat DPF cleaning cost vs replacement: the real numbers
| Item | Price | Region / date | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPF cleaning, hydrodynamic | From $199 | Las Vegas / Staten Island, Jun 2026 | Vendor price page |
| DPF cleaning | From $179 per filter | Ship-in vendor, region unstated, Jan 2025 | Vendor price page |
| DPF cleaning (Kubota skid steer) | $350–$650 | Owner report, Jan 2024 | Forum, cross-brand |
| New Bobcat DPF 7024315 | $3,513.99 | US list, Sept 28, 2026 | Bobcat parts store |
| New Bobcat DPF (2015 S750) | ~$3,000 quote | Owner report, 2020 | Forum |
Vendor starting prices exclude removal, reinstallation, gaskets, and shipping. Confirm current quotes locally.
Worked example: clean vs new
Labor to remove and reinstall the filter is the same either way, so call it L.
Cleaning path:
- $199 cleaning + L + gaskets and shipping.
- Plus downtime while the filter is out of the machine.
Replacement path:
- $3,513.99 + L.
Result:
- Cleaning saves about $3,315 before gaskets, shipping, and downtime.
- Even at the $650 high end of the forum range, it still saves about $2,864.
🧮 Run the Numbers: Enter the repair cost and expected downtime days in our Equipment Cost-Per-Hour Calculator to see what each option adds per operating hour.
Reman, used or aftermarket Bobcat DPF: what you give up
Options between cleaning and a new filter each trade away something.
Bobcat reman
Bobcat marks remanufactured parts with an “REM” suffix and backs them with a 12-month warranty, the same as new parts (Bobcat reman parts). We could not confirm a reman DPF for any model. Ask your dealer by serial number.
Used “as-is” assemblies
One salvage dealer listed a complete S770/T770 exhaust assembly, including the DOC (diesel oxidation catalyst) and SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalyst, at $1,500 as-is with no warranty. A used filter that turns out cracked means paying twice. Use the Bobcat code list by serial number to match your machine before buying.
Aftermarket and emissions certification
We could not verify the emissions compliance status of any aftermarket Bobcat DPF. Before buying, ask the seller in writing whether the part is approved as a replacement for your engine’s certified configuration.
DPF delete on a skid steer: what it costs you
Deleting the filter doesn’t remove the cost. It moves it into legal and resale risk.
Federal rule for nonroad engines
📜 The Rule: Removing or disabling emission controls on nonroad engines, including construction equipment, is prohibited under 40 CFR 1068.101(b). Civil penalties under 42 U.S.C. 7524(a), inflation-adjusted in 40 CFR 19.4, reach $59,114 or $5,911 per violation depending on who commits it, for penalties assessed on or after Jan 8, 2025. Verified Sept 28, 2026.
What changed in 2026 and what didn’t
On Jan 21, 2026, the Justice Department said it would stop bringing criminal tampering charges, but civil enforcement continues. EPA’s Jan 30, 2026 letter to nonroad engine manufacturers covers temporarily disabling controls during a repair, not permanent removal. A buyer who wants a compliant machine will price in the $3,513.99 filter.
🗺️ State Check: The federal rule is the baseline everywhere. EPA’s tampering enforcement alert notes many states add their own bans, some covering operating, selling, or registering tampered equipment. Look up your state air-quality agency’s anti-tampering rule (in California, the Air Resources Board).
Regulatory currency note: tampering enforcement changed twice in 2026.
Bobcat DPF cleaning and replacement FAQ
1. Can a Bobcat DPF be cleaned?
Yes, if the substrate isn’t cracked, melted, or heavily oil-contaminated. Cleaning removes ash that regeneration cannot burn off. Have a technician inspect it first.
2. How much is a new Bobcat DPF?
Bobcat listed DPF 7024315, fitting the A770, S750, S770, S850, T750, T770 and T870, at $3,513.99 on September 28, 2026.
3. How much does Bobcat DPF cleaning cost?
Vendors quoted DPF cleaning from $179 to $199 per filter in 2025–2026, before removal labor, gaskets, and shipping.
4. What does Bobcat code M8555 mean?
Third-party lists and owner reports tie M8555 to DPF service required. Confirm the definition on your display or with a Bobcat dealer.
5. Can I keep running a Bobcat with M8555?
Treat M8555 as stop-and-diagnose. Owner reports describe failed regens, low power, and shutdowns when it’s ignored. Have a dealer read it.
6. Is it the DPF or the pressure sensor?
Check the sensor first. Bobcat lists it at $278.49 and the pressure pipe at $48.99, against $3,513.99 for the DPF.
7. How often should a Bobcat DPF be cleaned?
One Bobcat dealer’s schedule summary lists DPF cleaning every 3,000 hours. Confirm the interval on your machine’s service schedule decal.
8. Does Bobcat sell remanufactured DPFs?
Bobcat reman parts end in “REM” and carry a 12-month warranty. Ask your dealer whether a reman DPF exists for your serial.
9. Is a used Bobcat DPF worth it?
Used DPF assemblies sell as-is, like a $1,500 S770/T770 listing with no warranty. A cracked used filter means paying twice.
10. Is a DPF delete legal on a Bobcat?
No. Federal rules prohibit tampering with nonroad emission controls. Criminal charges stopped in 2026, but civil penalties up to $59,114 per violation remain.
Next step on your M8555
You likely have a machine that won’t hold power and a dealer quote on the table. The right order is: sensor and pipe first, cleaning for a sound filter, and replacement only for a damaged one.
If the question now is whether you can keep working, our Bobcat DPF regeneration codes guide covers the regen code range. Run the repair and downtime through the Equipment Cost-Per-Hour Calculator above before you approve a quote.
The one thing to hire out: have a Bobcat dealer confirm the code and the sensor readings before any filter comes off. Prices here are Bobcat list and vendor figures, dated and sourced. They reflect documented sources, not hands-on work on these machines.
