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Billy NY
01-03-2004 09:08:32
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Re: Which Dozer : JD 450 or older Cat D6 ? in reply to Cliff , 01-02-2004 22:58:53
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Not too sure about JD, but have run a few, including the 450, seemed pretty reliable, not sure as far as working on JD's mechanically but by looking at them, don't seem too much different. I think both CAT & JD have good re-sale value, but CAT may have the better of the 2. Other crawler Mfr's. from the past have varying reputations for reliability and can be prohibitedly expensive to repair due to parts being scarce, so I'd be careful and re-search 1st. Grey market I'm not sure about, but I'd be wary, rather just have an old CAT to keep things simple. Depending on the work your doing, you won't regret having an older D-6 in good working order, oldest I've ran was the D-6D series. Not too big in case your in semi-tight quarters, but enough power to tackle bigger jobs than you'd want to do with a 450 or D-3. I've read that the older D-6B ( early-midle 60's I think ) series was a real reliable well balanced machine attesting to Caterpillar quality years ago. If the U/C is in decent shape, overall machine not been abused, sprockets tight on the hubs, no metal particles in the final drive housings, motor in good working order, steering clutches/brakes ok + maybe a few other things to check before buying, you will get some work out of them. Helpful to know the true history on a machine when possible, so if you see a potential one get the serial #, have read that CAT dealers used to keep records, you might find the history on it. I think it also depends on your budget, but it would seem wiser to spend a little more to get one in good condition and good working order, or you may have to deal with doing some hefty repair work, worn undercarriage issues like tracks coming off and the like. If you only have weekends and want to spend it in the seat, you will want to spend a little more. The key is looking for a good machine with an undercarriage (U/C) that is not worn out, they are expensive to repair. The only real way to know the condition of the U/C is by having someone who knows how to measure the components and compare the measurements to dimensions when the components were new. When you subtract the difference you should be able to come up with an accurate percentage worn, of all the U/C components. This is really not something you can measure by eye. It's not complicated, I think someone could learn how to do this well enough to determine the percentage worn pretty easily. If you do find a machine, do some research on getting undercarriage specs for it, see if you can get someone knowlegeable to help you look it over and measure the U/C. I'm under the impression that you could find a real decent machine for weekend work as low as 10,000. I found my D7 for $4500 and it was a low hour former military machine,with an excellent U/C but also close to 60 years old. I'm presently replacing the master clutch in it and have yet to complete other maintenance items, it will be a good runner, but it will also require some up front time turning wrenches. Anything still in demand is going to be more $$ and anything older will have to be checked thoroughly but may be less $$. Keep looking, I've certainly seen a lot of machines worth investigating even if not not in my area, I paid an extra $1600 to ship this D7 from 1200 miles away, it was worth it because of its condition, as anything in that condition around here, they would have tried to get double what I paid, so I think I did OK, + it helps a lot when the seller is honest and does not try to misrepresent the machine for sale. I remember seeing some nice late 60's or a little newer former military D-7E's( think they were E's) a couple of years ago that were low hour and had real good U/C's for $10,000. Sure seemed like a good deal, but even on former government ones like any used tractor you want to check them good. Keep looking is the key, good deals do turn up. It also depends on the work you have to do, but I'd prefer to have the bigger machine, just in case you do need the extra HP for some work or pulling etc. Its there if you need it etc. I can do all the finish work with my Ford 850's front end loader & other implements when necessary, saves hours on my U/C. I'm pretty satisfied with a 1945 D-7 I bought 1-1/2 years ago, a little big for the woods, but for clearing, pulling, and pushing snow, it's great. Hard digging and the like is another story, but loose material or soft digging, its pretty good. Still a lot of resources out there for CAT parts on those old 6's ,7's 8's and the JD tractors as well. Ask on the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club (A.C.M.O.C.) website, some very knowlegeable people over there who are very helpful. If you find a potential CAT machine, take some photos of it, especially the U/C components, will help with advising on what to look closer at in a lot of instances. And always consider Safety, especially if your working in the woods, you'll want a good R.O.P.S. and seat with seatbelt that is installed properly to hold up in case of a roll over or falling limbs. If not a certified one, at minimum some overhead protection from falling limbs and the like would be my 2nd choice if roll over is not a concern. Something to consider, mishaps happen more often than people think, no substitute for safety in my book. Hopefully this is of some help
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