Head to head
Cat 285 against Cat 275 XE
The Cat 285 saves $20,446; the Cat 285 carries 256 lb more once both are rated the same way.
| Spec | Cat 285 | Cat 275 XE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $122,000 | $142,446 |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 4,461 lbs | 4,205 lbs |
| Rated at | 35% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 12,745 lbs | 12,015 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 4,461 lbs | 4,205 lbs |
| Engine power | 111 hp | 122 hp |
| Engine | Cat C3.6TA | Cat C3.6 TA |
| Auxiliary flow | 23 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 147 in | 134.4 in |
| Operating weight | 13,497 lbs | 12,705 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.
Cat 275 XE
- The 40 GPM XE circuit at 4,496 psi outruns the standard 275's High Flow XPS by a wide margin, holding large mulching heads at rotor speed instead of bogging them.
- 4,205 lb of rated capacity at the conservative 35% convention, on a 12,015 lb tipping load, means it lifts as well as it runs attachments.
- XE is the highest of Cat's three flow tiers, above standard and High Flow XPS, which is what lets it hold a large mulching head at rotor speed rather than bogging it.
- Cat publishes a $142,446 starting MSRP, unusual at this end of the market where flagship machines are normally quoted only on request.
- The 134.4-inch pin height matches the standard 275, so nothing about truck loading is traded away for the hydraulic upgrade.
- At $142,446 before options it is the most expensive machine in this catalog, and it only makes sense as a dedicated attachment carrier.
- 122 hp brings the full Tier 4 Final aftertreatment package with DEF and regens, unlike the sub-75 hp Cats.
- Cat's own spec page for this model is unreliable - its 50% capacity cell repeats the 265's 4,033 lb and its counterweight figure reads lower than the base capacity - so cross-check anything quoted from it.
- At 12,705 lb plus a mulching head, moving it legally needs a 20k-class trailer and the truck to match.
- Undercarriage wear on a machine this heavy working brush is the dominant running cost, and Cat parts pricing sits at the top of the market.