Komatsu WA270-8 vs. Bobcat L285: Legacy Mid-Size Loader or New Large-Class Flagship?

Komatsu has been building mid-size wheel loaders since long before most of today's contractors were in business, and the WA270 has quietly earned a reputation in gravel pits and site-development yards as the loader that just keeps running. Bobcat's L285 is a much newer face in this weight class, the top model in Bobcat's first-ever large wheel loader lineup. Putting them side by side isn't about picking a winner so much as understanding what a legacy mid-size loader does differently from a brand-new entrant built with a clean sheet of paper.

Komatsu WA270-8: the generation-8 veteran

The WA270-8 is rated at 149 net horsepower (111 kW) at 2,000 rpm, or 153 gross horsepower (115 kW), and carries an operating weight in the 28,208 to 29,079 lb range depending on configuration. Bucket capacity runs 2.5 to 3.5 cubic yards. Top speed is 23.6 mph (38 kph) in fourth gear, the hydraulic cycle completes a bucket raise in roughly 6 seconds, and the machine holds a 38-degree steering angle in each direction with a 17 ft minimum turning radius — numbers that matter on tight yard layouts more than on open sitework. The "-8" designation marks the current generation in a line that's been through at least eight major revisions, each one bringing updated Tier 4 Final emissions compliance, improved hydraulics, and cab refinements, without ever reinventing the core machine.

Bobcat L285: the flagship of a brand-new lineup

The L285 sits at the top of Bobcat's L-series, rated at 189 horsepower (Tier 4 Final) and carrying an operating weight around 34,487 lb (roughly 15.6 metric tons) — meaningfully heavier and more powerful than the WA270-8. Bucket capacity runs 3.5 to 5.5 cubic yards. Tipping load reaches 27,364 lb in straight-frame configuration or 24,121 lb articulated, with rated operating capacity of 13,682 lb straight and 12,061 lb articulated. Top speed is 22.1 mph forward and 15 mph reverse, and overall length runs 219.3 inches. Like the L255, there's no prior Bobcat large wheel loader generation to compare the L285 against — this is a new category for the brand, not a successor to anything.

Spec by spec: a genuine weight-class gap

Unlike the closer L255-vs-938 matchup, the L285 and WA270-8 aren't really neck and neck — the L285 outweighs the WA270-8 by roughly 5,400 to 6,300 lb and carries meaningfully more bucket capacity and rated operating capacity. That makes this comparison less about "which is better" and more about whether your work has actually outgrown the WA270-8's class, or whether its agility and established service record still fit what you need.

• Operating weight: Komatsu WA270-8 — 28,208–29,079 lb vs. Bobcat L285 — ≈34,487 lb

• Rated power: Komatsu WA270-8 — 149 hp net / 153 hp gross vs. Bobcat L285 — 189 hp

• Bucket capacity: Komatsu WA270-8 — 2.5 to 3.5 yd³ vs. Bobcat L285 — 3.5 to 5.5 yd³

• Top speed: Komatsu WA270-8 — 23.6 mph vs. Bobcat L285 — 22.1 mph forward

• Minimum turning radius: Komatsu WA270-8 — 17 ft

• Rated operating capacity (straight frame): Bobcat L285 — 13,682 lb

The WA270-8's tighter turning radius and proven Tier 4 Final reliability record make it a strong fit for yards and sites where maneuverability matters as much as raw capacity — aggregate yards with tight lanes between stockpiles, or municipal and utility work where the loader is threading between obstacles as often as it's loading trucks. The L285's extra weight, power, and bucket range earn their keep on larger-volume material handling: big aggregate operations, large-scale site development, and bulk loading where fewer, bigger buckets per truck beats more, smaller ones.

Dealer network and the parts question

Komatsu's dealer network for wheel loaders has decades of depth in the construction and aggregate markets, with parts and service infrastructure built specifically around mid-size and large wheel loaders rather than extended over from a different equipment category. Bobcat's large-loader parts and service network is newer and still growing, leaning on the same dealer locations that already support Bobcat's skid steers and compact track loaders. For a shop with an existing Bobcat relationship, that's a real advantage in familiarity; for a shop that's never run Bobcat before, Komatsu's longer track record in this specific weight class carries real weight of its own.

Hydraulics and attachment versatility

Beyond raw lifting numbers, hydraulic cycle speed changes how many buckets you move in an hour, which matters more on high-volume days than almost any other spec. Komatsu's roughly 6-second raise cycle on the WA270-8 is quick for its class and has been refined across eight model generations, so the hydraulic response feels predictable to operators who've run earlier WA270 generations. Bobcat built the L285's hydraulic system to also run a growing catalog of large-loader attachments — forks, grapples, snow pushers, and multi-purpose buckets — extending the same attachment philosophy that made Bobcat's compact equipment popular into a size class where attachment versatility is less common among competitors. If your work regularly swaps between bucket work and other attachments, that flexibility is worth factoring in beyond the bucket-capacity numbers alone.

A Florida consideration: limerock and coastal duty cycles

Florida's limerock quarries and aggregate operations run wheel loaders in continuous duty cycles that are hard on undercarriages and hydraulic seals, and the WA270-8's long production history means parts and rebuild kits are widely stocked by independent and dealer parts networks across the Southeast — a real advantage when a machine needs to be back in service fast during peak season. The L285, being newer to the market, doesn't yet have that same depth of aftermarket parts availability, though factory-new parts support through Bobcat's dealer network is solid. Either machine needs more frequent seal and hydraulic fluid inspection in Florida's humidity and salt-air coastal zones than the same machine would in a drier inland climate, and that maintenance rhythm is worth building into your operating budget regardless of which brand you choose.

Rent vs. own in this weight class

Mid-size and large wheel loaders in this range are exactly the equipment contractors most often default to renting, because the upfront commitment feels large relative to a single job's payoff. But a loader that's earning its keep three or four days a week, every week, for a season or more is a loader that should be building equity for your business, not generating a rental bill with nothing to show for it once the job wraps. Financing structured around your actual cash flow — seasonal step-ups, deferred first payments during slow months, terms that match the equipment's working life — turns that same machine from an ongoing expense into an asset on your balance sheet.

Resale and used-market considerations

The WA270-8's long production run means there's a deep, well-documented used market to compare against when you eventually sell or trade — auction houses and used-equipment dealers have years of WA270-series sale data to price against, which tends to produce more predictable resale value. The L285 is too new to have that same used-market depth yet; early resale values will be shaped more by how quickly Bobcat's large-loader line builds a reputation in the field than by historical sales data. That's not a reason to avoid the L285 — new product lines from established manufacturers often hold value well once the market catches up — but it is a reason to go in expecting less price certainty if you're planning to trade the machine in a few years rather than run it to the end of its service life.

Who runs which machine

Aggregate and gravel pit operators, municipal public works fleets, and utility contractors working tighter yards tend to favor the WA270-8's maneuverability and established parts pipeline. Site development contractors, bulk material handlers, and larger general contractors moving high volumes of dirt, rock, or mixed material lean toward the L285 for its larger bucket range and higher rated capacity per pass. Both machines show up regularly on demolition and land-clearing sites, where the deciding factor is often simply which dealer can turn around a part fastest in your specific market.

Finance either loader through BFC

BFC Equipment Loans finances wheel loaders from both Komatsu and Bobcat, along with every other manufacturer on our approved list, for contractors nationwide. Review financing options on our wheel loader financing page or our broader construction equipment financing page, and see how we've broken down Bobcat's full large-loader lineup in our L205-L285 overview or the closer L255-vs-CAT-938 matchup in our earlier comparison.

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