Cat 246D3

Radial lift is the whole argument here. At 2,200 lb rated and 74 hp this is the same size class as the 242D3 sitting next to it, but the arms pivot on an arc instead of tracking straight up, which trades reach at the top of the stroke for prying force in the middle of it. Crews that spend their day backfilling trenches, pushing material and grading pick this one; crews that spend their day loading trucks pick the 242D3.

Model-specific long-term reporting on the D3 version does not exist yet in any readable form, but the 246D it updates shares its engine, cab and service layout, and owners of those machines are candid. The good news is the machine itself: one operator who rented a 246D with 800 hours on it for playground grading found it did the work without complaint, and buyers inside the Cat line consistently choose the 246 body over the shorter 236 because the longer wheelbase rides better under load. The bad news clusters around the fuel and air side of the C3.3B, with reports of hard cold starts and engines that surge on their own, usually chased through injectors and fuel supply. Service access is the other running theme: the engine bay is tight and the oil filter is in an unhelpful place.

This is a sensible buy for a dirt-moving crew that wants a Cat and does not need top-of-stroke reach, particularly if the High Flow XPS circuit is on the unit. That circuit is the thing to verify on the actual machine, because 32 gpm at 4,061 psi is what separates this from the 242D3 in any attachment-heavy future. Then ask the dealer directly how long they intend to stock D3 wheeled parts now the 260 has arrived, and price the 260 alongside it. If the discount is thin, buy the current generation instead.