Head to head
Case TR270B against Case SR270B
The Case TR270B saves $1,000; only the Case TR270B runs tracks, so their advertised capacities are not measured the same way; only the Case TR270B runs rubber tracks.
These two are rated differently on purpose. A wheeled skid steer is rated at half its tipping load and a track loader at 35 per cent, because the track machine holds back more reserve. So the capacity rows below are not a like-for-like contest, and the tipping load row is the closer thing to one.
| Spec | Case TR270B | Case SR270B |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $65,000 | $66,000 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 2,700 lbs | 2,700 lbs |
| Rated at | 50% of tipping load | 50% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 5,400 lbs | 5,400 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 1,890 lbs | 2,700 lbs |
| Engine power | 74 hp | 90 hp |
| Engine | FPT | FPT |
| Auxiliary flow | 24.2 GPM | 24.2 GPM |
| Lift height | 125.1 in | 125.1 in |
| Operating weight | 8,270 lbs | 8,117 lbs |
| Lift path | Radial Lift | Radial Lift |
| Rubber tracks | Yes | No |
| High flow available | Yes | Yes |
| Enclosed cab available | Yes | Yes |
| Two-speed travel available | Yes | Yes |
| Self-levelling available | Yes | Yes |
| A/C and heat available | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 yr / 2,000 hr | 2 yr / 2,000 hr |
What owners say about each
Case TR270B
- The 74 hp FPT engine meets Tier 4 Final with just a maintenance-free DOC - no DEF, no DPF regens - so owners skip the emissions headaches that plague competitors in this class.
- At 8,270 lbs it's one of the few tracked machines a 3/4-ton truck and 10k trailer can legally haul with a bucket, which small operators call the deciding factor over a TR310B.
- The narrow frame and 12.6-inch tracks squeeze through backyard gates and side yards where mid-frame CTLs simply can't go.
- Case's cab is unusually wide and easy to enter for a small-frame machine, and bigger operators say it's noticeably less cramped than a Bobcat T450 or Cat 239D3.
- The 24.2 GPM standard flow is generous for the size class and runs augers, trenchers, and grapples that starve on competitors' 17-18 GPM small frames.
- Purchase price undercuts equivalent Bobcat and Cat small-frame CTLs by a wide margin, making it a popular first machine for new businesses.
- The one-piece welded chassis and simple radial linkage mean fewer wear points, and long-term owners report the loader geometry stays tight.
- The narrow 12.6-inch tracks put ground pressure at 5.9 psi - the highest in the B-Series - so it ruts soft lawns more than wider-tracked rivals it competes against.
- Radial lift limits reach and dump height at the top of the arc, so loading full-size dump trucks over the side is a stretch at 100.6 inches of dump height.
- The seat-bar and 'operator present' sensor faults common to B-series machines can lock the machine until sensors are cleaned or replaced.
- The 2,700 lb rated capacity sounds bigger than it works - the 1,890 lb 35% rating means a full pallet of sod or pavers is at the machine's limit.
- Resale values trail Bobcat and Cat small frames, so the lower purchase price is partly given back at trade-in time.
- Small-frame CTL track and undercarriage replacement still runs thousands of dollars, a cost wheeled-machine buyers underestimate.
- Owners report display glitches and electrical gremlins on B-series electro-hydraulic machines that usually mean a trip to the dealer for software updates.
Case SR270B
- The 90 hp FPT's 282 lb-ft of torque is the most of any B-series Case, and operators say it pushes and digs with machines well above its weight class.
- The enhanced high-flow option delivers 35 GPM at 4,000 psi, enabling cold planers and rock saws that standard 3,050 psi systems can't run properly.
- Radial geometry with up to 8,677 lbs of breakout force makes it a true excavating machine - the pick of the big Cases for below-grade work.
- The DPF-free DOC/SCR emissions package means no regen cycles ever, just DEF top-offs, which owners prefer to particulate-filter headaches.
- The 8,117 lb operating weight gives it a planted, stable feel pushing heavy piles that lighter mid-frames can't match.
- It undercuts a comparable 90 hp Bobcat S86 or Cat 270 build on price while matching them on standard flow.
- Unlike the 74 hp B-series machines, the 90 hp engine needs SCR - so you're buying, storing, and dosing DEF, plus risking dosing-system faults.
- Radial lift limits dump height and reach at full lift, so buyers loading tall trucks all day are better served by the SV280B or SV340B.
- Case's dealer network is thinner than Bobcat's, Cat's, or Deere's, and parts delays are the most common ownership complaint.
- B-series electrical and sensor gremlins - especially the operator-presence system - show up regularly in owner forums.
- At over 8,100 lbs it demands a heavy trailer and at least a 3/4-ton truck, adding real transport cost for small outfits.
- Enhanced high-flow, ride control, and cab upgrades are pricey options that push a loaded unit into large-frame Bobcat money.
- The 2,700 lb rated capacity trails the cheaper vertical-lift SV280B by 100 lbs, so pure material handlers get better value elsewhere in the lineup.