Caterpillar

Cat 270

$90,000before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftWheels
Cat 270
Rated capacity of tipping load50%
3,557 lb rated7,114 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Cat 270 is rated to carry; the grey run past it is the rest of its tipping load. Bar length is tipping load drawn to the same scale on every machine on the site, so a short bar is a smaller machine and not a conservative rating.

One caveat on this machine: we could not find a published tipping load for it, so the figure above is its advertised capacity divided by the fraction its maker rates at. That makes the grey run arithmetic rather than a measurement, and it is the number worth asking a dealer to confirm.

Cat's 270 tops the next-generation wheeled skid steer line, replacing the 272D3 with a 100 hp C3.6TA and a 3,557 lb rated operating capacity at a 134-inch pin height. High Flow XPS is available at 34 GPM and 4,061 psi, and the 270 XE sits above it with a 40 GPM circuit for attachment-heavy work.

Suits: Pavement-based work that needs maximum power and lift in a wheeled machine Its vertical lift path reaches highest at full extension, for loading high-sided trucks and stacking.

Lifting and reach

Rated operating capacityWheeled rating convention
3,557 lbs
Tipping loadDerived from the advertised capacity, not published
7,114 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
134 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
10,441 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
100 hp
Engine
Cat C3.6TA
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
23 GPM
Flow type
Standard
Warranty
2 yr / 2,000 hr

Fitted or available

What this machine can be ordered with. Some of these are standard and some cost extra, and which is which moves between trim levels, so check them against the quote rather than against this list.

Vertical LiftHigh-FlowEnclosed CabTwo-SpeedSelf-LevelingA/C & HeatA/C

What owners report

Summarised from the sources listed below. Nothing here was tested by us.

Hard surfaces are where this machine makes its case. Sitting near the top of Cat's wheeled range, it pairs 3,557 lb of rated capacity and 133.5 inches of pin height with a C3.6TA making about 35% more torque than the 272D3 it replaces, and the whole point is that on pavement a wheeled carrier is still cheaper to run than a track loader. Milling, sweeping, demolition cleanup and yard work are its natural jobs, and tyres are a consumable you replace quickly and cheaply rather than a thousand-dollar undercarriage event.

The practical upgrades over the previous generation are real. Torque is up sharply and held across a broader rpm band, which is what operators feel pushing a loaded bucket or holding a wheel saw in the cut. Two-speed travel reaches 9.6 mph, making a large site quick to cross. The cab is 22% larger with 26% more foot room and a 59% bigger rear window, and telematics and a touchscreen come as part of the platform rather than as a premium upsell. Where care is needed is the paperwork and the weight: Cat's own published gross power figure of 100 hp disagrees with the 111 hp quoted at launch, and at 10,441 lb the machine is heavier than several compact track loaders, which quietly removes the transport advantage that normally makes a wheeled machine the easy choice. High Flow XPS at 34 GPM is available but is an option above the 23 GPM standard circuit, so attachment plans need to be settled before ordering.

Firm ground most of the time, lifting height and hydraulic capability wanted, and no undercarriage to feed: that is the buyer. If your work turns soft or wet with any regularity, the 275 track loader costs more but goes places this machine simply will not, and owners are candid about that gap. Against the 270 XE above it, the standard machine is the sensible default: the XE adds 40 GPM at 4,496 psi and around $15,000 to $17,000 to the price, which is only worth it if a high-flow attachment runs most of the day. Before signing, resolve the horsepower question with your dealer, specify High Flow XPS now if a planer or saw is in your future, and check your trailer against 10,441 lb plus attachment.

What owners like

  • 3,557 lb of rated capacity — 3,914 lb with the optional counterweight — on a 7,114 lb tipping load, with 133.5 inches of pin height that loads a tandem dump with sideboards without piling material at the tailgate.
  • 370 lb-ft from the C3.6TA is roughly 35% more torque than the 272D3 it replaces, and it holds output across a wider rpm range, which operators notice pushing a full bucket and running a wheel saw.
  • High Flow XPS at 34 GPM and 4,061 psi is available, among the strongest auxiliary packages offered in any wheeled skid steer — though it is an option above the 23 GPM, 3,500 psi standard circuit, not a standard fitment.
  • Two-speed travel takes it to 9.6 mph, so crossing a large site is quick in a way no track loader manages, and tyre wear rather than undercarriage wear is what pays for it.
  • On pavement it does what a track machine cannot: mill, sweep and work demolition all day, with tyre replacement instead of thousand-dollar track sets.
  • The next-generation cab is 22% larger with 26% more foot room and a 59% larger rear window, a night-and-day change from the 272D3's operator station.
  • Standard warranty is two years or 2,000 hours, dealer depth is the reason owners give for paying the premium — one branch citing 30 shop technicians and 15 field service people — and the 270 XE keeps a high-production buyer on the same platform and parts if hydraulic needs grow.

What owners complain about

  • Cat's spec sheets put gross power at 100 hp by SAE J1995 while the launch announcement said 111 hp. Both numbers are live on dealer pages, so confirm which one your quote and your production estimate reflect.
  • The C3.6TA carries the full Tier 4 Final aftertreatment with a 2.9 gallon DEF tank, which the 74 hp 250 and 260 skip entirely by running a diesel oxidation catalyst instead.
  • 3,557 lb is quoted at 50% of tipping load, the wheeled convention. Against a track loader's 35%-based number it flatters this machine — the 275 CTL lists 4,156 lb with 11,874 lb of tipping load behind it rather than 7,114 lb.
  • At 10,441 lb it is heavier than several compact track loaders, so the towing advantage that usually justifies choosing wheels at all is largely gone at this size.
  • Wheels stay on firm ground. Owners doing dirt work concede a track machine walks away from it the moment conditions turn soft or wet, and no hydraulic package changes that.

Drawn from westernstatescat.com, cat.com, machinerytrader.com, constructionequipment.com, redpowermagazine.com, compactequip.com.

What buyers ask

Is it 100 hp or 111 hp?
Both figures come from Caterpillar, which is why you see the disagreement. The current published spec sheets give 100 hp gross by SAE J1995 and 100 hp net by SAE 1349, while the launch announcement quoted 111 hp, and dealer pages carry whichever they were supplied. Ask your dealer to confirm the rating on the specific machine you are quoting, especially if you are sizing attachments against it.
When should I choose this over the 275 track loader?
When most of your work is on pavement or consistently firm ground. Tyres are far cheaper and quicker to replace than tracks, and on hard surfaces a wheeled machine turns and travels better. The moment conditions get soft, wet or muddy the comparison inverts completely — owners who do dirt work acknowledge the track machine simply goes where this one cannot.
Is its 3,557 lb capacity comparable to a track loader's rating?
No, and this trips people up. Wheeled skid steers are rated at 50% of tipping load while compact track loaders are rated at 35%, so identical numbers do not mean identical reserve. The 275 CTL quotes a higher 4,156 lb on an 11,874 lb tipping load against this machine's 7,114 lb, meaning the real gap is much wider than the headline figures suggest.
Do I need the High Flow XPS option?
Only if you are running demanding attachments, but decide before you order. The standard circuit is 23 GPM at 3,500 psi, fine for buckets, forks, grapples and augers. High Flow XPS raises it to 34 GPM at 4,061 psi, which is what cold planers and wheel saws require. Adding it at purchase is considerably cheaper than discovering later that your attachment is starved.
Does it need DEF?
Yes. The C3.6TA runs the full Tier 4 Final aftertreatment with a 2.9 gallon DEF tank, so there is fluid to buy and keep topped up plus the associated sensors and regeneration behaviour. Cat's 74 hp machines, the 250 and 260, avoid all of it by using a diesel oxidation catalyst, which is a genuine running-cost difference if your duty cycle is light and intermittent.
Can a three-quarter-ton truck move it?
Check carefully, because at 10,441 lb bare this is heavier than several compact track loaders. Add a bucket or an attachment and a suitable trailer and you are well into territory that needs a properly rated truck and trailer combination. The old assumption that a wheeled skid steer is the easy one to haul does not hold at this size.

Put the Cat 270 against

Cat 255Cat 265Bobcat S86-2

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Caterpillar line
Cat 270 XE

Caterpillar

Cat 270 XE

$104,779

Vertical Lift · wheels
4,015 lb rated50% of 8,029 lb
Engine
121 hp
Aux flow
23 GPM
Weight
10,847 lbs

Caterpillar's XE badge marks the top auxiliary hydraulic package rather than an electric drivetrain: 40 GPM at 4,496 psi behind a 121 hp C3.6, above both the standard circuit and High Flow XPS. It is built for a wheeled carrier that runs a flow-hungry attachment most of the day on hard surfaces.

Full sheet & owner reports
Cat 260

Caterpillar

Cat 260

$67,909

Vertical Lift · wheels
3,160 lb rated50% of 6,321 lb
Engine
74 hp
Aux flow
20 GPM
Weight
8,523 lbs

Anyone replacing a 262D3 wheeled skid steer gets the direct next-generation answer here. The Cat 260 lifts 3,160 lbs to a 132-inch pin height - both meaningful gains over the D3 - and pairs the 74 hp C2.8T with High Flow XPS hydraulics up to 34 GPM in Cat's new sealed, pressurized cab.

Full sheet & owner reports
Cat 250

Caterpillar

Cat 250

$60,493

Vertical Lift · wheels
2,689 lb rated50% of 5,378 lb
Engine
74 hp
Aux flow
20 GPM
Weight
7,829 lbs

Launched in late 2024 alongside the 260 and 270, the Cat 250 is the entry point to Caterpillar's next-generation wheeled skid steer line. The C2.8T engine delivers 74 hp with peak power held across a wide RPM range, and its 124-inch lift height is 3 inches taller than the outgoing D3 machines it supersedes.

Full sheet & owner reports