Head to head
ASV RT-25 against Cat 285 XE
The Cat 285 XE carries 3,855 lb more once both are rated the same way; the Cat 285 XE moves 11.7 GPM more through the auxiliary circuit.
| Spec | ASV RT-25 | Cat 285 XE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $34,000 | Dealer quote only |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 665 lbs | 4,520 lbs |
| Rated at | 35% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 1,900 lbs | 12,915 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 665 lbs | 4,520 lbs |
| Engine power | 25 hp | 122 hp |
| Engine | Perkins 403J-17T | Cat C3.6 TA |
| Auxiliary flow | 11.3 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 101 in | 146.6 in |
| Operating weight | 3,755 lbs | 13,669 lbs |
| Lift path | Radial Lift | Vertical Lift |
| Rubber tracks | Yes | Yes |
| High flow available | No | Yes |
| Enclosed cab available | Yes | Yes |
| Two-speed travel available | No | Yes |
| Self-levelling available | No | Yes |
| A/C and heat available | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 yr / 2,000 hr | 2 yr / 2,000 hr |
What owners say about each
ASV RT-25
- At 48 inches wide it's the only sit-in CTL that fits through a standard residential gate, opening up backyard jobs that otherwise mean wheelbarrows or walk-behinds.
- The 3,755 lb weight tows behind nearly any half-ton truck or even a large SUV, making it the easiest CTL in the industry to move.
- Ground pressure is minimal, so it crosses finished lawns and irrigation lines leaving marks a rake fixes rather than ruts a crew rebuilds.
- The Posi-Track suspended undercarriage rides smoother and climbs better in mud than the rigid mini-loaders it competes with.
- The 24.7 hp Perkins diesel stays under emissions thresholds that require complex aftertreatment, keeping the machine mechanically simple.
- A 101-inch lift height is remarkable for the size - it genuinely loads landscape dump trailers and small trucks.
- The 665 lb rated capacity is genuinely tiny - a pallet of sod or wet retaining-wall block is already over its limit.
- The 11.3 GPM auxiliary circuit only runs light attachments; augers and trenchers work, but anything hungrier stalls.
- A 5.1 mph single-speed drive makes any significant ground move feel glacial.
- The small cab is tight for big operators, and all-day comfort trails the larger frames.
- The 1,900 lb tipping load means careful load placement - it gets light in the rear quickly with the arms extended.
- Dealer coverage for parts is thin in many regions, which stings more on a machine bought for quick-turn rental work.
- Price per pound of capacity is steep - you're paying for access, not lifting power, and buyers who don't need the 48-inch width get more machine elsewhere.
Cat 285 XE
- 4,520 lb rated at the conservative 35 per cent convention means it genuinely out-lifts everything else in this catalog once the ratings are levelled.
- The XE circuit at 40 GPM and 4,496 psi holds a large mulching head at rotor speed instead of bogging it.
- 146.6 inches to the hinge pin is the tallest reach here, which matters when you are loading a walking-floor trailer.
- 12,915 lb of tipping load gives it more reserve than any other machine on the site.
- Cat publishes no MSRP for this one, unusually for the range, so budgeting means a dealer conversation first.
- At 13,669 lb plus a mulching head it needs a 20,000 lb class trailer and the truck to pull it.
- The XE hydraulics only pay for themselves if a flow-hungry attachment runs most of the day; for bucket work it is money spent on nothing.
- Undercarriage wear on a machine this heavy working brush is the dominant running cost, and Cat parts sit at the top of the market.
- 122 hp brings the full aftertreatment package with diesel exhaust fluid and regeneration cycles.