Hi guys, Its been awhile since I have been on HEF and I have a delima. I am going to retire my D6H from my fleet and replace it with a smaller machine. The old girl has 22,000ish hrs on her and gives me very little trouble. I am a land improvement contractor and will be using this tractor from everything from backfilling around houses to clearing brush and building ponds, also I have a D6RXL2 and a 320C for the bigger work. I have ran a D6K, 700J, and the D51PX all in lgp form for about an hour apiece and was not at all impressed with the cat, so its out of the question for me. Now I'm asking for your opinions. 700J LGP or D51PX-22 Which tractor do you prefer and why? What can I expect for fuel economy? How long can I expect the Hydrostatic system to run before a rebuild? Pros and cons with either tractor? If you have purchased either did you have regrets on this size of tractor? Thanks again
I can only give a perspective from a serviceman's standpoint which is......Both are decent machines until you have to work on them . I have a customer that has a 700J with close to 5000 hours and the only thing I have done to it so far is an idler replacement, and a wiring issue at the implement joystick. I also have a customer that has several Komatsu dozers (not a 51, but bigger and smaller) and it seems even the simplest of jobs can be a pain in the ass. Sometimes a hydraulic hose replacement can be a bitch because for some reason, Komatsu likes to use a metal band hose clamp every 16" throughout their equipment. Ive had to take the entire floor out of a dozer just to get to one dam clamp holding a hydraulic hose. Its gotten so bad that every time they call with a hydraulic leak, I just know I'm in for a fight! I would consider what kind of dealers you have for both brands. That can be HUGE for parts and service.
700J has had the same transmission the past 15 years. Might be easier to get parts. 700H, 700J, and 700K. Theres a reason this machine hasn't changed much, people like em. Agree 100% with Vetech, dealer support can make a big difference. People really like the visibility out of the D51, and it has a good ride. The coolers are in the back of the machine, so careful backing up or you can put a branch through your coolers. Harder to work on for sure. Check the condition of the 700J hydrostatic system before you buy, dealer can run an efficiency test to check the system.