Head to head
Cat 285 against Bobcat T86-2
The Bobcat T86-2 saves $1,414; the Cat 285 carries 536 lb more once both are rated the same way.
| Spec | Cat 285 | Bobcat T86-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $122,000 | $120,586 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 4,461 lbs | 3,925 lbs |
| Rated at | 35% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 12,745 lbs | 11,215 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 4,461 lbs | 3,925 lbs |
| Engine power | 111 hp | 115 hp |
| Engine | Cat C3.6TA | Bobcat (Doosan) 3.4L |
| Auxiliary flow | 23 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 147 in | 144 in |
| Operating weight | 13,497 lbs | 12,083 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Vertical Lift |
| Rubber tracks | Yes | Yes |
| 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 285
- The 146.6-inch bucket pin height is in a class of its own - operators can load silage trucks, hoppers, and full-size dump trucks with sideboards that force every other CTL to build a ramp.
- With a 12,745 lb tipping load and 4,461 lb ROC at the conservative 35% rating, it handles loaded pallets and grapple work that previously required a small wheel loader.
- The 111 hp C3.6TA with High Flow XPS at 34 GPM runs the biggest mulching heads and cold planers at full production, and land-clearing outfits report it holds RPM where the 299D3 sagged.
- Stability at full height is remarkable for a tracked loader - the long undercarriage and 13,497 lb operating weight mean craning heavy loads doesn't produce the pucker factor of smaller frames.
- The pressurized one-piece cab, heated/ventilated air-ride seat, and 8-inch touchscreen make 10-hour days genuinely comfortable, which matters most on exactly this kind of production machine.
- Cat sized it to compete directly with the Case TV620B, and early comparisons favor the 285's cab, controls, and dealer support network by a wide margin.
- At well over $120k typically equipped, it costs as much as a used dozer or wheel loader, and buyers have to be honest about whether they need this much CTL.
- The 13,497 lb operating weight plus attachment puts the transport package beyond a standard 14k trailer - many owners need a 20k+ trailer and CDL-class towing to move it legally.
- The C3.6TA's Tier 4 Final aftertreatment means DEF, DPF regens, and sensor complexity - the running-cost simplicity of the 74 hp models is gone at this tier.
- Ground disturbance and turf damage are real - despite tracks, this much weight tears up finished lawns and soft ground that a mid-frame machine would cross cleanly.
- It's simply too big for tight residential work, backyard access, or interior demolition, so it only makes sense as a production machine with consistent heavy work.
- Early-production units saw the same touchscreen and software teething problems as the rest of the next-gen line, with fixes arriving via dealer flash updates.
Bobcat T86-2
- The bump to 115 hp makes the T86-2 the most powerful loader Bobcat has ever built, and paired with super-flow hydraulics it runs mulchers and planers that stall smaller flagships.
- Rated capacity climbs to 3,925 lb with an 11,215 lb tipping load, keeping it among the strongest vertical-lift CTLs on the market.
- The three-tier hydraulic lineup - standard, high-flow (36.6 GPM), and super-flow (42 GPM) - remains unique in the class, letting one machine cover every attachment a fleet owns.
- The redesigned -2 electrical architecture with the 8-inch touchscreen, operator profiles, and Machine IQ telematics directly targets the harness and sensor gremlins reported on R-Series machines.
- Four drive modes with precision drive software let operators soften the 12,000 lb machine for grading passes or sharpen it for aggressive production work.
- The 144-inch hinge-pin height gives a full 12 feet of vertical lift for loading the tallest trucks, and the optional 5-link torsion suspension keeps a load stable over rough ground — at the cost of 225 lb of rated capacity, which drops from 3,925 to 3,700 lb when it is fitted.
- Optional Bobcat Sense object detection and available Jobsite Companion voice controls bring genuine safety and convenience firsts to the flagship CTL class.
- Six-figure territory once super-flow, tracks, and Sense options are added - the T86-2 costs more than some compact excavators.
- First-model-year -2 electronics are unproven, a real risk on a machine bought for maximum-production work where downtime is expensive.
- The 115 hp 3.4L keeps its DPF emissions system, which frustrates owners during light-duty cycles and extended idling.
- At over 12,000 lb it demands a heavy-duty truck and trailer combination, and many crews need a CDL to move it legally.
- Rubber tracks on a 12,000 lb machine running super-flow attachments wear fast, and replacement sets are a four-figure recurring cost.