Caterpillar
Cat 255
The Cat 255 is the first of Caterpillar's ground-up next-generation compact track loaders, replacing the hugely popular 259D3. The new C2.8T engine holds peak power across a wider RPM band, and versus the 259D3 it delivers 24% more rated operating capacity, 36% more tilt breakout force, and class-leading lift height in a sealed, pressurized one-piece cab.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The 24% jump in rated operating capacity over the 259D3 (2,499 vs 2,000 lbs) is immediately noticeable when handling pallets of sod or block, and owners say it finally matches what competitors offered in this frame size.
- ✓The all-new sealed and pressurized one-piece cab is a genuine step change - operators report it's noticeably quieter and keeps dust out far better than the D3, making full-day mulching and brush work much less fatiguing.
- ✓Every standard-flow machine ships from the factory 'High Flow ready', so you can unlock 30 GPM later with a dealer enablement instead of regretting a spec decision at purchase time.
- ✓Tilt breakout force is up 36% and lift breakout 26% versus the 259D3, and operators digging in clay or prying out stumps say the machine feels like a size class bigger than it is.
- ✓The 124-inch bucket pin height is class-leading, and vertical lift with dual-direction self-leveling makes loading dump trucks and stacking pallets genuinely easier than the outgoing radial competitors.
- ✓The optional 8-inch touchscreen with standard rearview camera integration and Bluetooth is a big usability upgrade, and Product Link telematics come standard for tracking hours and location remotely.
- ✓The C2.8T stays under the 75 hp emissions threshold, so there's no DEF tank to fill - a running cost and complexity advantage owners specifically call out over 100+ hp machines.
- ✓Cat's dealer network and parts availability remain the benchmark, and the switch to a common next-gen platform means many wear parts are shared across the 255/265, simplifying fleet stocking.
Cons
- ✗Pricing jumped roughly 15% over the outgoing 259D3, and owners on equipment forums grumble that a well-optioned 255 now quotes well past $90k before attachments.
- ✗Standard auxiliary flow dropped to 20 GPM (the 259D3 had 23 GPM), so buyers running hungrier attachments are pushed into the High Flow enablement or XPS package to compensate.
- ✗At 9,578 lbs it's nearly 600 lbs heavier than the 259D3, which pushes some existing trailer setups over their rated capacity once you add a bucket and a second attachment.
- ✗Early-production machines had their share of software and touchscreen gremlins, and some owners report waiting on dealer flash updates to resolve monitor freezes and sensor faults.
- ✗The new electronics-heavy design worries buyers who keep machines 10+ years - there's simply more that can only be diagnosed and fixed at a Cat dealer.
- ✗There's no radial-lift option in the next-gen mid frame anymore, and operators who preferred the radial path's mid-lift reach for grading feel the lineup lost something.
- ✗Resale on the next-gen platform is still unproven, and some contractors are holding onto D3s because used-market pricing for the new series hasn't stabilized yet.
- ✗Cat dealer parts and service pricing runs at a premium, and the sealed one-piece cab, while excellent, makes some repairs like glass replacement pricier than the old two-piece design.
Compare the Cat 255
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