Head to head
Cat 285 XE against Cat 299D3 XE Land Management
The Cat 285 XE carries 180 lb more once both are rated the same way.
vs
| Spec | Cat 285 XE | Cat 299D3 XE Land Management |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Dealer quote only | Dealer quote only |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 4,520 lbs | 4,340 lbs |
| Rated at | 35% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 12,915 lbs | 12,400 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 4,520 lbs | 4,340 lbs |
| Engine power | 122 hp | 110 hp |
| Engine | Cat C3.6 TA | Cat C3.8 DIT |
| Auxiliary flow | 23 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 146.6 in | 126.3 in |
| Operating weight | 13,669 lbs | 12,764 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 XE
- 4,520 lb rated at the conservative 35 per cent convention means it genuinely out-lifts everything else in this catalog once the ratings are levelled.
- The XE circuit at 40 GPM and 4,496 psi holds a large mulching head at rotor speed instead of bogging it.
- 146.6 inches to the hinge pin is the tallest reach here, which matters when you are loading a walking-floor trailer.
- 12,915 lb of tipping load gives it more reserve than any other machine on the site.
- Cat publishes no MSRP for this one, unusually for the range, so budgeting means a dealer conversation first.
- At 13,669 lb plus a mulching head it needs a 20,000 lb class trailer and the truck to pull it.
- The XE hydraulics only pay for themselves if a flow-hungry attachment runs most of the day; for bucket work it is money spent on nothing.
- Undercarriage wear on a machine this heavy working brush is the dominant running cost, and Cat parts sit at the top of the market.
- 122 hp brings the full aftertreatment package with diesel exhaust fluid and regeneration cycles.
Cat 299D3 XE Land Management
- 4,340 lb rated is 780 lb above the standard 299D3 XE, from the heavier counterweight the clearing spec carries.
- Guarding is built for brush work rather than added afterwards, which is where aftermarket kits usually disappoint.
- The 40 GPM XE circuit is the right match for the mulching head this configuration exists to carry.
- 12,400 lb tipping load gives it the reserve to work a head at reach on uneven ground.
- No published price, and a specialised configuration is harder to cross-shop than a standard machine.
- It is a niche build of an outgoing generation, so resale is thinner than a standard large-frame loader.
- At 12,764 lb before the head it is one of the heaviest machines here to move between sites.
- Everything about it assumes clearing work; for general construction it is the wrong machine at the wrong price.