Cat Unveils Its Next-Generation Skid Steers & Compact Track Loaders (Video)
The four new skid steers and four new CTLs feature more power, capacity and comfort over the D3 series.
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Caterpillar’s next generation of skid steer loaders and compact track loaders unveiled this week feature more power, capacity and comfort over the D3 series, the company says.
Cat's four new skid steers are the 250, 260, 270 and 270 XE. The four new CTLs are the 275, 275 XE, 285 and 285 XE. The new CTLs follow the 255 and 265 announced in late 2023.
Updated product lines now follow Cat's updated nomenclature, with all next-generation skid steers identified by an ending model number of 0, and CTLs now ending in 5. The middle number represents machine size – the larger the number, the larger the loader.
The 285: Cat’s Largest CTL
The 285 specifically represents Cat’s largest CTL to date at 13,669 pounds of operating weight and a 146-inch lift height.
When asked, Dante Thomas, skid steer and CTL marketing manager, said the company needed to do more research on whether the 285 is now the largest CTL in the industry.
“As jobsites have larger trucks, and trucks have larger and taller boards on the side, you want to try to fill that truck to the maximum capability,” he said.
He added that the theme of this next generation is “more” – more power, more capacity, more torque.
The 285 XE (front) features a notably higher lift height compared to previous generations.Equipment World
“How many times will I say ‘more?'” he said to media during a presentation. “You can take a tally. It might be more or less than 50. We have more performance. And the voice of customer and the voice of dealer that we've received is, ‘We want to be able to pick up more.’”
(Take a spin around the Cat 285 CTL by checking out our video below. And stay tuned for a full walkaround tour of Cat’s largest CTL in the coming weeks.)
New Engines for More Torque
New engines have been added to the lineup, along with a redesigned engine compartment that places the engine and cooling package lower into the frame for improved stability.
Contractors will find the Cat C3.6TA engine in all four new CTLs – rated at 111 horsepower in the 275 and 285, then bumped up to 134 in XE versions. The same is true for the 270 and 270 XE skid steers.
The 250 and 260 skid loaders, however, run on the Cat C2.8T rated at 74 horsepower.
As a result of these upgrades, operators will get more torque compared to the D3 series ranging from 13% more for the 250 and 260 to 50% more for the 275 and 285.
New to this generation of CTLs is an equalizer bar undercarriage. Caterpillar says this hybrid solution provides increased stability for grading and handling heavier loads, delivering the benefits of a rigid-style undercarriage when lifting heavy loads while still keeping the benefits of an oscillating undercarriage.
Landscape Package
Contractors looking at the 275 and 285 CTLs will have the Landscape Management Option to consider as well, which is designed for land and vegetation management. This includes:
- Roof Auxiliary Hydraulic Cooler
- Side-Mounted Auxiliary Fuel Tanks
- Debris Guarding Packages
- XE Hydraulic Flow and Pressure
- Matched with HM416 and HM418 mulcher attachments and the BRX418 brush cutter
- Rear Auxiliary Winch option
Tyler Watts, owner of Ironside Forestry, has been running a 275 XE for roughly 1,000 hours and has been impressed by the performance.Equipment World
Tyler Watts, owner of Ironside Forestry in Lincoln, North Carolina, has been running a 275 XE with this package for roughly 1,000 hours now and has been impressed by the performance.
“I think the only issue we've had was that the same hose broke twice, and I think that's something that they're already reworking now,” Watts said. “And to me, to run a mulch for 1,000 hours and never have any kind of failure is – it doesn't happen. I've never seen it.
“The machine is under tremendous stress from the time it gets warm in the morning to the time it goes on the trailer at the end of the day. And I've never had any other machine with that kind of longevity.”
More Lift, More Breakout
All new models additionally offer improved lift height, breakout forces and rated operating capacity compared to their predecessors.
For example, looking at the skid steers, the Cat 250 features a lift height of 124 inches, which is 3 inches more than the 242D3. This model also got a 36% increase in tilt; 26% increase in lift breakout forces; and 21% increase in ROC. Similar improvements are found on the 260: a 27% increase in tilt; 24% increase in lift breakout forces; and 17% increase in ROC.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Cat 285 and 285 XE – which have no predecessors – offer a lift height of 146 inches and tilt breakout force of 13,920 pounds. The 285 has an ROC of 4,719 pounds with counterweight, while the 285 XE has an ROC of 4,816 pounds with counterweight.
The 275 and 275 XE have a lift height of 134.4 inches plus a 37% increase in tilt breakout force and 19% increase in ROC.Caterpillar
The 270 and 270 XE deliver a maximum lift height of 133.5 inches and 11% and 5% increases in tilt and lift breakout forces, respectively. The 275 and 275 XE have a lift height of 134.4 inches – 8 inches higher than the 299D3, plus a 37% increase in tilt breakout force and 19% increase in ROC.
Christopher Maroun, owner of Miracle Farms Landscaping, was most impressed by the lift capacity.
“We do a lot of dirt work, and we have a masonry division where we build a lot of walls – big walls, with large, New Hampshire granite,” he said. “And when we had this equipment with us, it was unbelievable the lifting capacity. We used to be able to maybe move one of the blocks around at a time, and with the 275, we were easily moving two blocks, feeding the excavator that was placing those or the team of guys that were splitting the granite and sizing it.”
Hydraulic Upgrades & Options
Another new feature is a closed-center auxiliary hydraulic system to operate all Cat Smart Attachments with the standard hydraulics provided. Caterpillar also bumped up the standard system pressure by 5% to 3,500 psi and factory fit the 250, 260, 270 and 275 with standard hydraulic flow as “High Flow ready.” This function – which increases hydraulic flow to 30 gallons per minute for the 250, 260 and 270 and pushes it to 34 per minute for the 275 – can be activated on-machine or remotely via a new software-enabled attachment (SEA).
Contractors can also opt for the High Flow XPS factory option, which increases auxiliary hydraulic system pressure to 4,061 psi for the 250, 260, 270, 275 and 285 and bumps up hydraulic flow to 30 gallons per minute on the 250 and to 34 for the 260, 270, 275 and 285 models. For the 270 XE, 275 XE and 285 XE loaders, this upgrade pushes hydraulic pressure to 4,496 psi and hydraulic flow to 40 gallons per minute.
Increased Comfort in the Cab
Cat took several steps to make a long day in the cab more comfortable, with a space that now has 22% more overall volume and 26% additional foot room. Additionally, units now have a 59% larger rear window with a 15% larger viewable area.
Two screen options are available depending on the tech package contractors choose, with the advanced touchscreen offering integrated control with the new advanced joysticks, letting operators make any possible adjustment or perform any machine function while keeping their hands on the sticks.
For Matt Rushing with Asphalt & Concrete Repair Inc., this translated into a reduction in the amount of time his machines spent bogged down when trying to use all their power.
“The biggest thing with me, with this 260 is probably the workability of all the technology,” he said. “One of the biggest things was the optimal joystick. On the 262, you got to find that happy medium of how to hold the joysticks and finding to where it won't bog down.
“On this new unit, the 260, you can pretty much run full force, and it'll allow you to run as fast as the machine will go without bogging down. What that's doing is saving tires, because on our old machines, tires would be spinning. It'd be really working hard, burning more fuel. ... You save so much time with that.”
With either screen options, operators can run Cat Smart Attachments, and operation is now integrated into the joysticks. This loaders automatically recognize the type of attachment and the required joystick pattern.
The new seat offers both heating and ventilation, something contractors say has even led employees to fight over who gets to operate the new models on hot days.
Adjustments to the cab not only allow operators to open and close the door without fully lowering the arms, but a new two-step process on the touchscreen lets them quickly remove the door entirely.
Morgan Timiney, Cat senior sales support specialist, demonstrates how quickly operators can remove and replace the door on next generation skid steer and compact track models in the video above.
