Price Check Price Check: Early 80's 450C crawler

[CannonFodder]

Hi everyone, I have a neighbor selling his JD 450C crawler, with a 4-in-1 loader and a backhoe. I don't have a lot of details on the age (he said he bought it used in the 80's), but it's in fair shape I'd say. Here's the Flickr photoset with images from my first visit to the machine.

Tractor - a photoset on Flickr

He's asking $10k, and I'm curious if that's a good price. I'm thinking of offering $7k because of its condition and the fact that I'm taking it off his hands in effect (he's selling his property and moving to Panama!)

I know this is a bit bigger than a compact tractor (and it's a crawler besides), but I'm hoping someone here might be able to take a look at the machine and give some indication as to whether this is a good deal.

Thanks!

 

[DrRick]

I have a 450c dozer with a 6-way blade. I rebuilt the engine and got a good deal on it at the time. That said, I would not take less than 14 K for it now. Loaders usually bring less ,however the detachable back hoe and the 4 in 1 bucket are desirable. If the engine starts and runs well, the HLR transmission operates well, and it steers OK, it appears to be priced in the ballpark. It would sell easy here in west texas for 8 to 12 K. Problems in any of the above mentioned areas would affect the price accordingly.
rick

 

[CannonFodder]

Thanks DrRick,

I was also curious about the backhoe. If it's detached, are there other things you can attach in its place (i.e. 3 point hitch?). We're trying to determine what else the crawler might be used for (other than say excavation).

 

[IH3444]

Most important is inspection of wear of the undercarriage. The drive sprokets shouldn't be pointed, and the pins and bushings should have some good life left in them. Usual lifetime for pins and bushings is approximately 2000 hours til they need turning, or replacement. This of course depends on soil condition, and user. Sounds like a keeper to me for $10K, especially with the backhoe. The sprocket I looked at in the picture seemed to be fine, but some closer pictures would be better, and with some of the soil, and mud cleaned off. If it starts, and runs fine, and has life left on the undercarriage, looks to be a good buy. Him moving to Panama may hasten the sale also on his side.

 

[CannonFodder]

I'm a little neutral. I took another look today, my neighbor claims that the hour meter is broken, and it never worked even when he bought it. He also mentioned many (if not all) of the bushings are worn. But, it starts and runs, he had just dug a generous hole to burn stumps in before I showed up.

I offered 8K, figured that's my walk-away point. He says he has someone else taking a look at it this week and if that party doesn't buy it, he'll sell it to me for 8. I need what it can do (esp. the backhoe and dozer aspects), but I will have to buy another compact tractor to do the farm implements that we also need, and the 2k difference is basically one or more implements for that tractor.

Tell me I'm crazy.

 

[CannonFodder]

I ended up getting lucky. The seller didn't find another buyer, and sold it to me for $8k cash today before he leaves for Panama. The good news is that he drove it from his property to mine (about 1/2 mile), so I'm now at least somewhat assured that it functions. He even gave a big 5 gallon bucket of hydraulic fluid, which tells the story of the hydraulics.

It even came with a well-used operator's manual (officially left out in the rain). But at any rate, I now own a big-*** crawler.