Head to head
Cat 242D3 against Cat 262D3
The Cat 262D3 carries 500 lb more once both are rated the same way; the Cat 262D3 moves 3.0 GPM more through the auxiliary circuit.
vs
| Spec | Cat 242D3 | Cat 262D3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Dealer quote only | Dealer quote only |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 2,200 lbs | 2,700 lbs |
| Rated at | 50% of tipping load | 50% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 4,400 lbs | 5,400 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 2,200 lbs | 2,700 lbs |
| Engine power | 74 hp | 74 hp |
| Engine | Cat C3.3B DIT | Cat C3.3B DIT |
| Auxiliary flow | 20 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 121.1 in | 124.9 in |
| Operating weight | 7,138 lbs | 8,296 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Vertical 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 242D3
- Vertical lift geometry keeps the load close and reaches highest at full extension, which is what loading a high-sided truck actually needs.
- At 7,138 lb it is the lighter of the two 2,200 lb D3 wheeled machines, so it tows behind less truck than the radial-lift 246D3.
- The 30 GPM high-flow option covers most attachments short of a large mulcher.
- Being an outgoing generation is the point: dealers discount D3 stock against the next-gen 250 sitting beside it.
- Cat publishes no MSRP for it, so there is no list price to negotiate against — everything depends on what the dealer has to move.
- It is the generation Cat is replacing, which will shorten how long dealers stock parts and attachments specific to it.
- 20 GPM standard flow is the lowest of the mid-frame D3 wheeled machines; the 246D3 and 262D3 both start at 23.
- Cat parts and dealer labour sit at the top of the market whatever generation you buy.
Cat 262D3
- 2,700 lb rated capacity on a wheeled frame handles most palletised material a landscape or masonry crew moves.
- High Flow XPS at 32 GPM and 4,061 psi runs planers and mulching heads that the standard circuit cannot.
- Vertical lift at 124.9 inches to the pin clears the sides of a tandem truck.
- Same 74 hp engine as the smaller D3 machines, so the parts and service knowledge is shared across a mixed fleet.
- No Cat MSRP is published for it, which makes it hard to tell a good deal from a bad one.
- At 8,296 lb it is getting heavy for a half-ton tow, so the trailer and truck have to be sized for it.
- It is the outgoing generation, and the 260 that replaces it is on the same lot.
- Cat parts pricing is the highest in the class and does not discount with the machine.