Head to head
Cat 232D3 against Cat 236D3
The Cat 232D3 saves $5,315; the Cat 232D3 carries 100 lb more once both are rated the same way; the Cat 236D3 moves 2.0 GPM more through the auxiliary circuit.
| Spec | Cat 232D3 | Cat 236D3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49,910 | $55,225 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 1,900 lbs | 1,800 lbs |
| Rated at | 50% of tipping load | 50% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 3,800 lbs | 3,600 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 1,900 lbs | 1,800 lbs |
| Engine power | 67 hp | 67 hp |
| Engine | Cat C2.2 CRDI | Cat C2.2 Turbo |
| Auxiliary flow | 18 GPM | 20 GPM |
| Lift height | 118.1 in | 122.9 in |
| Operating weight | 6,514 lbs | 6,567 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Radial Lift |
| Rubber tracks | No | 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
Cat 232D3
- Vertical lift at 1,900 lb rated capacity gives it 350 lb more than the radial 226D3 on the same frame and the same 67 hp engine - the cheapest capacity Cat sells.
- The 118-inch bucket pin height clears the sides of most single-axle dump trucks, which the 226D3's radial boom geometry makes awkward.
- The C2.2 CRDI sits under the 75 hp threshold, so there is no DEF tank, no SCR and no regen behaviour to manage.
- At 6,514 lb it still tows behind a half-ton-class truck on a 10k trailer, keeping the small frame's biggest practical advantage.
- Cat publishes a $49,910 starting MSRP for it, so the price conversation opens on a maker's number rather than a dealer's.
- 1,900 lb is still small-frame capacity, and contractors handling full pallets of block or wet material routinely report outgrowing this size.
- 18 GPM standard flow is the lowest in Cat's wheeled line, so hungry attachments need the 26 GPM high-flow option and the cost that comes with it.
- It is a D3-generation machine in a range whose upper half has already moved to the next-gen platform, so the newer torque, displays and telematics stop below it.
- Cat parts and dealer labour rates are among the highest in the industry, and a small machine does not get a small invoice.
Cat 236D3
- 20 GPM of standard auxiliary flow beats both the 226D3 and 232D3, so brooms, augers and small planers run properly without paying for a high-flow package.
- Radial geometry puts the boom's force low in the arc, which is exactly where trenching, backfilling and dozing use it.
- The 122.9-inch pin height is nearly seven inches taller than the 226D3's, so it is not the truck-loading compromise radial machines usually are.
- Under 75 hp means no DEF and no SCR - the simplest aftertreatment story Cat sells.
- Cat publishes $55,225 as the starting MSRP, a checkable figure rather than a dealer's opening bid.
- At 1,800 lb it rates below the vertical-lift 232D3 that lists $5,300 cheaper, so it only makes sense if the work is genuinely digging-led.
- Radial lift still reaches less at full height than a vertical boom, so loading a high-sided tandem means getting close to it.
- It is a D3-generation machine while the 250 and up have moved to the next-gen platform, and the newer cab tech does not reach down here.
- Cat dealer parts and labour carry the usual premium no matter how small the machine is.