Tyler Watts, owner of Ironside Forestry in Lincolnton, North Carolina, says the Cat 275XE compact track loader is “the machine everybody wants to be in.”
Watts was one of several field follow participants for the next-generation compact loader, putting over 1,000 hours on the machine earlier this year.
To hear about his experience with the 275XE, check out the video above.
The 275 and 275XE replace the 299 and 299XE in Cat’s next-generation lineup of compact track loaders.
As a vegetation management contractor, Watts received the Landscape Management package option, which includes added features such as a roof auxiliary hydraulic cooler, side-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks, a debris guarding package, XE hydraulic flow and pressure and a rear auxiliary winch option. He used an HM418 High Flow XHP Mulcher with the CTL throughout the trial.
The 275XE is powered by a Cat C3.6TA engine, rated at 134 horsepower. It has a lift height of 134.4 inches, plus a 37% increase in tilt breakout force and 19% increase in rated operating capacity.
Standard hydraulic flow is 3,500 psi and 23 gallons per minute. The High Flow XPS factory option increases hydraulic pressure to 4,496 psi and hydraulic flow to 40 gallons per minute.
“It’s a stout machine. It’s carrying a 3,000-pound mulcher around, lifting it up and down constantly and it’s exponentially more stable than any other truck loader setup that I’ve run with a mulcher,” Watts told customer, dealer and media attendees during a panel discussion at Cat’s Edwards Demonstration Center this August.
He also found the machine to be very maneuverable and responsive, despite its size and the size of the attachment. “Being able to work around in the woods, twisting, and not feeling like you’re losing power to the head or track system as you’re working – that’s been big for us,” he said.
Cab Comfort
The new, larger cab on Cat’s next-generation compact track loaders offers 22% more overall volume and 26% additional foot room. Additionally, units now have a 59% larger rear window with a 15% larger viewable area for better visibility of the jobsite. The cab and the new seat have heating and cooling options to keep operators comfortable no matter the conditions outside.
Watts is a fan of the upgrades, saying, “When you’re in a machine for 8 to 10 hours a day, you really need to be comfortable, and I think that made us realize how uncomfortable we were in prior machines.”
Two screen options are available. The advanced touchscreen offers integrated control with the new advanced joysticks, letting operators make machine adjustments while keeping their hands on the sticks.
“It feels like you’re in a lot more luxury piece of equipment,” he says, “Even down to being able to control the radio on your joystick. Stuff like that – it makes a big difference.”
Reliability
During the duration of the field follow, Watts experienced limited issues with the machine and zero catastrophic failures. He also noted that even on hot, dusty 90-degree days, the machine did not overheat.
“You’re taking that head from 2,500 rpms sometimes down to zero, hundreds and hundreds of times a day…I don’t think we’ve had a high temp alarm once,” he says.
“The only issue we had was that the same hose [on the coupler] broke twice, and they’re reworking that now. To put 1,000 hours on a machine in those conditions without any breakdowns is beyond impressive to me.”
To get a closer look at other compact track loaders in Cat’s next-generation lineup, check out Equipment World’s videos below:
- Coast 2 Coast Lawn Maintenance Offers Impressions of Cat’s Next Gen 255 CTL
- A Closer Look: Cat’s New 265 Compact Track Loader Revealed
- A Closer Look at Cat’s New, Largest Compact Track Loader, the 285
Quick Specs
- Engine: Cat C3.6TA (Turbo-After Cooled)
- Gross Power: 134 horsepower
- Engine Torque: 406 foot-pounds
- Operating Weight: 12,705 pounds
- Rated Operating Capacity at 35%: 4,484 pounds
- Standard Hydraulic Pressure: 3,500 psi
- Standard Hydraulic Flow: 23 gallons per minute
