Saw this while searching for something else. Worth the money or not? Curious what a Cat Certified rebuild would cost although it would have warranty? Used 1970 Caterpillar 977L Crawler Loader in LONGREACH, QLD (machines4u.com.au)
$110K AUD is roughly $85K USD - Umm no and I am a Cat track loader guy.
The purchase price for new equipment in Australia is more than twice that you folk in the US pay. Equally used machinery is more expensive.
Without a doubt but that 977 is not worth $110K AUD or $85K USD, regardless whether it's been rebuilt. So many more productive machines that can be bought for the same money.
And no warranty.
True enough but it looks like a machine thats been out in the bush (Scrub Pullers Territory) where it can take a bloody long time to get any repair or service more modern machines may need. But the seller can always lower the price.
$110 K barely buys a Toyota Landcruiser in Australia. That machine will probably end up in Western Queensland,on a farm. BTW,avarage house price in Sydney...over $1M.
I think it would take time to get $50,000 in the U.S.. Not really a collectable machine, and as cm1995 said if your going out to make money with it buy something newer. So the Cat folks can plug in their computer and fix it!
They don't say anything about tracks, rollers, idlers or sprockets...the pads look new or close to new. But the potential purchaser better take a close look, rather than assume. * I guess it depends on what the potential purchaser has in mind for it. What does the same money purchase on the (newer equipment) used market? * Good point on fixing: if it has to run, even when its broke down, today's wrench guys may be kind of lost without their computers. If it can sit for a while, well, not so important. *Parts will be getting scarce--How long has it been since the last 977 rolled off the line? *What is considered a more productive modern machine? A 300-series trackhoe? *I was facing the same dilemma (but not with a like-new 977 looking at me!) on my little stump ranch. Wanting to clear more land for fields; more time than money; up here in Canukistan, hoes pretty well have buried track loaders. JD 450's are about all you see. I found a 30 year old Hyundai 290-with a thumb. It will do most anything a track loader will do and the thumb is a lightweight equivalent of a clam (4-in-1) bucket. (Those that everyone loves to hate because they are heavy and break easily.) What I don't like about the big hoe is that it is slow to move. (doesn't help that one of the travel motors is tired.) And with a hoe, it can change personalities by changing what you have on the end of the stick--wide cleanup bucket, hydraulic hammer, compactor, screening bucket, brush cutter, feller-buncher, stump grinder, etc... *but, gul-darn it, I would still like to play with a big track loader!! Jon.
The 977 is being sold with a stickrake. A digger won't keep up with that on clearing work.
I stand corrected, didn't take into consideration that machine's value in the remote locations ya'll may operate in down under. A DEF sensor shutdown when the closest laptop is 500 miles away can throw a stick in the wheel for sure.
Track loaders serve a need that can't be compared to an excavator. A 977L is a good machine but quite a bit slower than a modern hydostat machine. The big question is this one worth the money being asked. It seems high but maybe the seller has complete documents and pics. of everything that was done. Hard to say if the seller is just trying to break even or make a big profit. If trying to sell as if it was similar to a certified rebuild would need a lot of paper work and receipts. Warranty is another issue. Is the seller going to cover any costs if something goes south soon after purchase. Has to be able to justify the price the same as the buyer would.
That machine wouldn't bring $30k in my part of the country.
I can see 30k real fast for a very good 977. Parts 977 can fetch 15k. The price of a contract d8 with ripper to clear trees and rocks in NorCal for vineyard is 200k per acre in high quality volcanic soil. I know a guy that cleared 7 acres in Napa and the job paid for his new d8. So for a machine like a 977 in very good condition 30k isn’t much. If you put a ripper on the back you have a 180+hp and that’s just the kind of equipment to do the job with maybe a small d4 with a root rake working alongside. Some of the rocks are the size of vw bugs but positioned right make good side slope support for new AB roads. Two guys on a 977 and a d4 can do some serious mountain work.
When you get into yours my friend don't forget the pictures!!! My L is still looking for some rails or a real steal on a parts machine. At the rate things are going I'll probably pull the tracks off one of the K's. One place said $6000 for new rails saying there getting real hard to find the 8" pitch, and they may quit making them. Kind of an odd ball, the only other machine that uses that pitch was an older D7 with fewer links.
Reading these threads tells me I’ve got a lot to learn. Gonna be quite the project.
The L has the 3rd valve for 4in1/ripper/grapple/ect. otherwise I'd sell it. Many a kind fellow on this forum willing to give some advise along the way. Sounds like you have some time to spend, in no hurry to put it to work. Take that time to do it right like Chris from the UK. Mighty big machine to be broke down in those California Hills! If I could do it over I would buy a newer 977L with the 8.5" pitch SALT rails making sure the undercarriage was real good (got to be $$). It would run smoother and quieter. 3306 engine and beefier than the 977K.
Yep about 15hp more than the k. I have seen some undercarriage repair work that has opened again and is leaking. I’ll start on it in a month and start a new thread with lots of pics. I’ve got a big ripper to put on. I have to keep it locked up in my building here in Ca because of all the meth rats. Space is tight in the building so I am anxious to complete it and get it to me secure properly in the mountains. Damn meth rats will pull parts and sell them for scrap steel at 320. per ton today’s price. Wasn’t that way around my shop 20 years ago. Nothing went missing in the yard… now metal won’t last a night.
Scrap Steel here only bringing $125/t, wonder why CA is so much higher. Ran a 977K, not very nimble nor speedy, rather clumsy for operator, followed by a 963B entire different world, speed, agile for size, comfortable in the seat, MUCH improved visibility.
I think the K was 170hp and the L 190hp. At # 11K5959 they went to a split master link I think it also began the SALT track at that time. Almost bought a K from a used parts guy in Chicago for $7300 last summer junk bucket but the mounts where good. Thinking of putting on forks/material bucket on or trying to build a quick tach. Excellent rails and like new double grousers. Flipped on me and said $9000 with scrap at $245 a ton drop off machine at the yard last June. Pox on the guy, a Deals a Deal! I think the pre 963C would be a good choice, "hinge over cab", counter rotatable tracks! Nimble and burns probably a lot less fuel I can see that. C lost the flip cab Pox on that too. I think once those newer ones Cs, Ds, ect. used the same sump for more hydraulic uses, more electronics I think also. When those newer ones get old they could be $$ to keep them running. I think for pulling a ripper the 977K/L wins I bet. Test drove a 973 good visibility but felt like a big tank.
Yep with steel prices inflated the scrap market has been lingering between 280 and 320 all year in NorCal. I took out a vineyard and will make more on the scrap than the dozer work.
Wish was that way here, still not over $140/t for any given rise then falls back
That has me curious, I thought they were only putting in more and more vineyards. What are they converting it to? Houses?
Not houses in 99% of the cases. The typical vineyard in California gets ripped out or cut to root and grafted to another variety within 14 years. There are very productive old vines (anything 25 or more years) but many things happen that calls for changes: Consumer demand of a new style, disease such as red leaf, low and declining tonnage per acre as the vine ages.
They do that here as well, MO Wine Country!!
I figured since you were ripping it up and pulling the trellis it was being converted to another use. Is it not practical to leave the trellis in place? I don't know about vineyards.
I was thinking about traction to pull that ripper. Double grousers would do well I think. Of course everything depends on on the ground you run in and how wet. I will also want to run in the winter in my hilly woods. For myself I have like new triple grousers on my 977L and if I only get new rails I was going to do something I've heard called "corking". Used up in snowy high country. It wasn't explained well. I see it as not just getting good side hill performance but adding a bunch more pulling power. I'll be getting some grouser weld on extension bar about 1 1/4" tall and thick as fits and doesn't try to pierce into the ground too easy, could even be wider at the top if they sell it. Two pieces 1/3 the width one on each side in front. One 1/3 wide on the rear grouser in the center. Don't forget more stress will be on everything after this modification. Best of Luck!
Corking is for ice and frozen ground. They are generally cut fairly short so they will penetrate. Cutting them too long would defeat the purpose. I'd guess around 2-2 1/2 inches long on a 977. They also have to have wide enough spacing. When used in summer conditions on harder ground they could put added strain on the drive train. Would be good to look at pics. of machines that have been corked. There are a few different patterns used. Also have to be careful welding them on and put the ground clamp on each individual pad so the current doesn't go through bearings or harm other components.
Cat977, Haven't heard the term "corks" for a while... The bush guys around here use them all the time but call them ice grousers. They are simply short sections of square bar, maybe 3/4 x 1 and about 2" long, welded kind of randomly to the tops of the grousers on just about everything with steel tracks in the woods. The bits of steel are kept small to ensure penetration into ice or frozen stuff. I've seen them for sale by the track rebuild peddlers and it seems to me they are short bits of grouser bar. But most guys just use bits of scrap steel. I had to get some ice grousers on my old farm D6D for doing my driveway--it's cut out of a sidehill and is sloped a little to the outside edge so is dynamite to anything on tracks when things are slippery. My son went over the edge a couple of winters ago but he was on the lower end and only went down about 20' so the only casualty was his underpants. We ended up welding a bagful of 5/8" hex nuts to every 4th grouser and that fixed the issue. We went so small because of the machine is run year round and we didn't want to tear up hayfield if we had to cross it. Your application sounds more like a traction issue so I'm sure you are on the right path. Steering will be tougher for sure and you will rip up anything you run over, especially when turning. I'm guessing it will be tougher on steering clutches and brakes. The BC Workers Compensation in my area dictates any tracked machine doing bush work must have single or double bar grousers--no TBG in the bush. I've got an old ex-bush excavator that is 70,000 lbs with 24" single bar grousers--its a rototiller wherever it goes, straight line or not. Jon.
The grouser bar for corks is much harder and longer lasting. It also has built in bevels for sufficient weld size and penetration. It costs more but lasts a lot longer. I believe you can buy pre cut ice lugs/corks.
Here is a chart to show what sizes are out there for grouser material. I got this from Brandt Tractor.
Hey some excellent comments all around! A bit of last to first. James if you can make it work as a farmer, that's just good old work Kudos! I think our friend Rigidarm may be doing the same thing, could be moving into grape farming! The letter T, bar on James chart is what I'm thinking of. Some of the "eventual" work is peeling off layers of limestone using some really super duty pallet forks. This would put you on bed rock grinding away strait on looking for traction. This makes Work Harding steel look real nice. I don't want to bite in too much, and I also want some sideways and diagonal grab for snow and loose rock. Putting roads in these side hills could use some I think. Call them Town and Country tracks, or maybe all terrain cause there going to stay on year round. Having the 3 point contact on each pad should keep the load even on the pads and rails. At least when conditions aren't right I can pull a retirement walk out strike! Or just use the 977K witch is an excellent machine. The 5/8" nuts sound good shouldn't put much load on things. In dirt they should just sink in and not bother much of anything. I've got a 1972 225 Cat ex. that's done a little in the winter woods, ex. bucket's are real good for pulling you out of a bad spot. Sawmilleng if I could sneak that rototilling monster onto my place I'd use that too! As long as you stay above ground it's a Good Day!