JD 450 Dozer vs Case 450 Dozer

[MtnViewRanch]

Very nice! What is the coil of hose in the engine compartment in the 3rd picture?

All the hydraulic lines from the valves.

[Gale Hawkins]

Not to get side tracked, but one of the things that get me is how so many people call tracked machines money pits. If one was to take into consideration of how much work is done with a tracked machine, is it really any more that what a wheeled machine would cost to do the same amount of work? The money pits are the machines that are warn out and on the verge of breakdown. But then doesn't that apply to any machine? I suppose that yes the tracked machine costs more to R&R, but if you take into consideration of how much work has been done by that machine, is it really that costly? I think that they aren't any different than ANYTHING ELSE, if you happen to get it at the end of it's normal life, then it is going to cost you a bunch of money to get it back to good working order.

Buy a 50 year old house that has had minimal maintenance, you don't just move in and expect to live there for the next 50 years without spending some money.

Just my

I can tell you from personal experience "money pit" fits for a 50 year old house that has minimal maintenance.

There are times when my mind goes weak and I look at old dozers. Hopefully the kids will keep me from ever buying one.

If I were to buy one I would want to work it enough before I paid for it to know all the features worked long enough to get the engine to operating temp. I would not touch one that would not run/work. I think it was a tractor that I looked at once. The guy said it ran fine but just needed a starter. After that I knew it was time to test the starter on my truck.

[EddieWalker]

I think of my dozer as a money pit. It's older, well used and highly abused. I've caused some of the damage, and I've had to fix what others have done. The nature of how it's used causes it to break, but you know that when doing some things, you are risking some damage. To me, the term money pit just means that it's going to cost me a lot of money to use it. What I get out of it is worth the expense, so I keep doing it.

Best example is when my fan came off the engine and tore up the shroud. That was almost two grand for those parts because they just don't exist anymore and after months of looking, I was able to get them used from a salvage yard in FL. Shipping alone was a couple of hundred bucks!!!!

Eddie

[jenkinsph]

I think of my dozer as a money pit. It's older, well used and highly abused. I've caused some of the damage, and I've had to fix what others have done. The nature of how it's used causes it to break, but you know that when doing some things, you are risking some damage. To me, the term money pit just means that it's going to cost me a lot of money to use it. What I get out of it is worth the expense, so I keep doing it.

Best example is when my fan came off the engine and tore up the shroud. That was almost two grand for those parts because they just don't exist anymore and after months of looking, I was able to get them used from a salvage yard in FL. Shipping alone was a couple of hundred bucks!!!!

Eddie

The thing is you trade time and money to get the results you wan't. All the hard work along with the time and money and you have Lake Marabou, certainly well worth the trade. I think it looks great Eddie.

[crazyal]

I never looked for larger Case parts but the 450, 450a, and 450b were popular tractors and there's plenty of companies still making aftermarket parts for them. The local dealer (before they went out of business) never had a problem getting any part I needed.

[DavesTractor]

Thanks Steve, unfortunately it doesn't get used very much any more. but then nothing is getting used much these days.

Brian, you do very nice work. That looks so clean.

I just bought a JD 420 crawler with a Holt dozer from an estate. It had been in the shed for decades, used once or twice a year. But it has been "farmer painted" at least once in it's life. Of course it is a farm rig, not construction.

Your rig looks like it has an automotive grade paint job on it. Nice.

[MtnViewRanch]

[QUOTE=DavesTractor;3221987]Brian, you do very nice work. That looks so clean.

I just bought a JD 420 crawler with a Holt dozer from an estate. It had been in the shed for decades, used once or twice a year. But it has been "farmer painted" at least once in it's life. Of course it is a farm rig, not construction.

Your rig looks like it has an automotive grade paint job on it. Nice.[/QUOTE]

Rustoleum from True Value with a bit of hardener added. Sprayed with a Harbor Freight paint gun. But then this was not the first time that I've painted either.

[DavesTractor]

Brian, I guess that is just raw talent showing through!

[stathamj]

I'm kind of in the same fix. So,to speak. I too, am looking for a small dozer/loader. I want it to mainly clean and maintain fencelines and a few other tasks around the homestead. This may be the wrong way to look at it. But, I look at it as a novelty or "Toy" for big boy so to speak. Now, I've never operated one much. I have ran on a little years ago when I was looking earlier for one. But, and by no means and operator. Yes, it's more cost efficient to hire it done. Or, rent one and do it yourself.
I've never looked into repairing a dozer or loader though. I'm just giving examples so by all means please let me know as I'm looking for advice as well. I'm kind of using figures that I've seen around on these forums. So, they may not be exact.
But, if I bought a dozer/loader for 7,000 then spent 10,000 to have a new U/C put in. I have a pretty good dozer/loader for 17,000. That should last quite a while, using it only 100 hours a year. I compare this to restoring old cars 5,000 for a old car and 10,000-50,000 to restore it. This may not be the correct analogy. But, I could say I rebuilt it. But, I would not do this if I were going to use it for a buisiness. Any thoughts. The ones that I've bee looking at are the JD 350/450 dozer/loader, the Case 350/450 dozer/loader, or the Cat D2, D3, D4, 931,933,941,943.

James

[MtnViewRanch]

I'm kind of in the same fix. So,to speak. I too, am looking for a small dozer/loader. I want it to mainly clean and maintain fencelines and a few other tasks around the homestead. This may be the wrong way to look at it. But, I look at it as a novelty or "Toy" for big boy so to speak. Now, I've never operated one much. I have ran on a little years ago when I was looking earlier for one. But, and by no means and operator. Yes, it's more cost efficient to hire it done. Or, rent one and do it yourself.
I've never looked into repairing a dozer or loader though. I'm just giving examples so by all means please let me know as I'm looking for advice as well. I'm kind of using figures that I've seen around on these forums. So, they may not be exact.
But, if I bought a dozer/loader for 7,000 then spent 10,000 to have a new U/C put in. I have a pretty good dozer/loader for 17,000. That should last quite a while, using it only 100 hours a year. I compare this to restoring old cars 5,000 for a old car and 10,000-50,000 to restore it. This may not be the correct analogy. But, I could say I rebuilt it. But, I would not do this if I were going to use it for a buisiness. Any thoughts. The ones that I've bee looking at are the JD 350/450 dozer/loader, the Case 350/450 dozer/loader, or the Cat D2, D3, D4, 931,933,941,943.

James

I agree with your analogy, sort of. But, in my area anyway, not many crawlers for less than $10K that are even worth rebuilding. You wouldn't be putting 10k into it, more like 20 and for 30k you can buy a nice machine and go to work with it and not have to rebuild it at all. I personally have had GREAT luck with old worn out machines. Have gotten anywhere from 10-30 times my moneys worth.

When a person goes this route, some times they win, other time not. If you go into it knowing that it may not work out cost wise, and know when to give up on the machine, you should be fine. We have an old 1943 D6. Cost $1500 to buy it. It paid for itself the first time that I used it and has saved me over $20 in rental fees. The convenience alone has been worth the purchase. When it breaks, it most likely will be done. May even sit where it breaks, but until then, it is still pulling away.

Good luck with your decision.