Caterpillar
Cat 285
The Cat 285 is the largest compact track loader Caterpillar has ever built, topping the next-generation lineup above the 275 and competing in a new class size against machines like the Case TV620B. Its 146.6-inch bucket pin height and 4,461 lb rated operating capacity let it load full-size trucks and hoppers that no previous Cat CTL could reach, with a 285 XE variant above it for maximum power.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓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.
- ✓Smart Attachment recognition and dual-direction self-leveling take real skill requirements out of grading and material handling, letting newer operators be productive quickly.
- ✓It gives dozer-adjacent pushing power with a Smart Dozer Blade while still swapping to buckets, forks, and mulchers - one machine covering what used to take two rentals.
- ✓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.
Cons
- ✗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.
- ✗Undercarriage, track, and roller replacement costs on the largest frame are the highest in Cat's CTL line and need to be built into any ownership cost model.
- ✗Fuel consumption under high-flow load is heavy, and several owners note that at this size the operating economics start to favor a purpose-built machine for single-task work.
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