Charlie,
Having owned a Bobcat for over 12 years I'm well aware of the stability differences of keeping loads close to the ground rather than raised. Never got in a problem with the Bobcat but have had times where I needed to quickly adjust the bucket height to keep from tipping forward with it. Actually operating at the tipping point makes life more fun:rolleyes:
One of my first jobs out of high school involved operating a forklift frequently, plus for a few years I had a Toyota forklift that belonged to a friend going through an ugly divorce. So I've had a few forklift experiences well before getting my own.