Gord,
I have just gone back and looked at the photographs - the third one is of interest.
The drive sprocket for the steel track (3rd photo) should not have the pointed teeth - that is what I was told. They get pointed when the are very worn - indicating also, that the track chain (what the track plates bolt onto with 4 bolts) will also have similar corresponding wear or worse. If what I think is accurate, the tracks and drive sprocket are possibly 60% worn or more. The track plates don't look too bad in the photo. However the drive sprocket and track chain could set you back maybe $3,000 or more to replace both side - that is just for the parts !!!
:confused2::confused2:
What is the rest of the machine like ? What about the engine - did you check lube oil condition ? Has it been started cold ?
These engines have (diesels anyway) wet cylinder liners that are replaced due to wear. On my engine I had leaking liner seals and what looked to be liner cavitation - when I pulled the engine apart. It cost me around $4,000 to rebuild using mostly John Deere parts - could have done it for $2,000 if I had gone aftermarket on parts. I did the labour so the total cost to me was around $4,000 plus my time.
My machine cost me $7,000 which I thought could be ok - but needed a lot of work. As it turned out my JD450 was not such a good deal as I have to do something about the undercarriage (tracks and running gear) as my drive sprocket is like the one in your photo and the track chain is well worn. Also the top rollers need replacing on my machine too.
The point of all this is the one you are looking at may not be that good of a deal at $5,000. It depends on what you are willing to put up with and how much money you have to spend.
Spend time on those websites - especially the JDCrawlers.com enthusiast site (
JDCrawlers.com - The Enthusiasts Site for John Deere Crawlers). There is hours of reading there, a lot of wisdom and hard earned knowledge too.
The other website is very good too, but deals in all makes of crawlers - not just John Deere
Crawlers, Dozers, Loaders & Backhoes Discussion Board
It too has a wealth of information that you can learn from.
When I bought my JD450 - I went in completely ignorant and although mechanically inclined, I was still too uninformed and ended up paying too much - I actually should have walked away from the deal. That is all history now and yes we have to pay for our mistakes and knowledge.
Anyway, just spend time and look and read - there is a wealth of info out there on the internet. It is there to learn from and there should be no reason to jump in and buy without being informed.
Hope you do get to find a good deal - they are around, you just have to be patient and look hard enough.
On keeping your tracks open in the woods - if you have a rotary cutter you can put on your tractor TPH, with the FEL bucket low down and the cutter working, you should be able to do the work keeping the tracks clear. It might be worth putting a blade or a bsnow blower on the tractor for the winter time snows, once you know the tracks are pretty clear.
Cheers
Jim
