I am wanting to look at a D21S-5 for cleaning up a small piece of property (10 acres). Just wanting some pointers on what to look for. Machine shows a little over 600 hours. Thanks.
Ide bet next years pay that hour meter isn't anywhere near close.
I agree.
Get an excavator instead
I really think a loader would work better for me, but thanks.
what do you plan to do on the property and what is the terrain like?
Previous property pushed up several piles of rock, dirt, and tree stumps. Also started what looks like a pond, although there is nothing to feed it. I would dig the "pond" out some more and start filling it in with rock and stumps and cover with the dirt left over.
You might be better off with a larger skid steer or CTL. The loader in your pics. has way more than 600 hours and has been repainted. What kind of price are they asking? The other important thing is parts availability. I don't think the D21's were too popular in N. America.
Thanks for the input. They're at about 9500 on the price.
Seems pretty high for what it is. I'd look for something else.
Yes, thanks. It's hard to find a skid steer or especially a ctl in that price range, but doesn't cost anything to look.
The reason the hour meter isn't correct is that most of those that are in the USA were imported as used machines. Most of them got new hour meters when they arrived, I bet the hour meter looks nothing like the other gauges. A few were sold new here, but until recently small construction equipment wasn't popular here. I know a lot more about the -6 machines (1990s) than I do the -5s (earlier). They are good solid real dozers, not converted farm tractors like the chinese stuff from Northern Tool and others. Parts are readily available from Komatsu dealers and aftermarket for -6s, I don't know about -5s.
I have a pic of the hour meter only. The serial is is 51410. They have it listed as a 1990 model.
Yep, american hourmeter on a japanese machine. I am not near my books to see the exact year, but it doesn't matter on equipment, parts are ordered by serial number, not year. For buying it, what difference does it make if it is 28 y/o, or 35? Condition matters at this point. Condition of undercarriage is the big thing, then transmission, (that is a direct coupled powershift, btw), then engine, then everything else.
The owner says the undercarriage is 90%. He buys and sells farm equipment, not sure how much experience he has with dozers. He says it operates like it should. I'm trying to figure out what a fair price would be. Do you know if you can add a grapple to these?
My serial number source goes back to 1987 and starts there at 60033. Your machine is older than that. The tracks are on backward but they look decent. Ask the seller what 90% means. Anyone in the business would understand 90% in an ad as that much worn. A cold start would tell you a lot about the engine. It should steer freely which is always an issue on those old machines that have likely sat for a long time. Check the back side of the sprockets looking for oil that might be seeping down. The joints in the boom an tilt linkages will tell how hard it has been used and the slop in the control levers will tell you how much it has been used. There should be a panel on the right outside of the machine that has the hydraulic control valve under it. If so, remove it and look at the valve spools for leakage. It isn't a fun job to reseal those but it isn't that expensive. Problems with cylinders are self explanatory. Make sure the tranny works in all the gears. Good Luck!
I am always suspicious of percentages people pull out of the air, getting an actual measured percentage is a several step process. From what I could see, that sprocket looks decent (sprocket teeth should NOT be sharp), and the pin and bushing I could see didn't look like it had been moving around? Check all the oils, level, not milky, not dirty feeling. Think there are 2 dipsticks through the floor, plus the engine one. I would want to start it it's first time of the day to see how it starts cold, then run it enough to get it all hot. Check engine blow-by. Make sure steering clutches don't slip, disengage when they should, brakes work. You can add a grapple, but it will take welding and splicing into the hydraulics, not just buying one and plugging it in. I am seeing decent D21a-6s with a 6-way blade going for $10-12,000 around here, loader probably less?
John and I posted together. A 60000 serial number would be a -6, I thought they started in the late '80s. Look at JohnC's videos on undercarriage and some of his others before you go look at it, they are excellent. Looks like I see tilt cylinder seepage on the bottom of the bucket.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Gave me a lot of good information. I'm going to look at those videos.
Besides the tracks on backwards it has new sprockets a sign that the old ones were wore out. I gona guess the 90% is close--- to wore out , when the pad bolts are as tall as the grousers pretty much wore out . If you can get pictures of track pins and bushings could tell a little more. Bob
I watched a video on undercarriage, it showed a track on backwards, but did not specify why. Is it because the grouser should lead when on correctly?
If you look at the links you will see a big end on the outside and the small ends go to the inside at the back. The big ends go over the idler first. The other thing to look at is on the pads. A single grouser will have a flat spike in the middle the kind of goes over the bushing in the link. It should go over the idler first. On triple bar pads the front of the pad will fit under the pad in front of it. That should go over the idler first. The link below is my video on oval track dozers.
The grousers should lead when on correctly but there is more to it that that. See if some of the replies to this thread answer your question why the tracks are supposed to be installed the way they are by design, even if some people choose to put them on backwards.............. I would question if the seller is competent with this type of iron. Buying & selling farm equipment is a completely different thing to a dozer. It might be worth asking if he installed the new sprockets. Also ask where did he buy the machine from.? HeavyEquipmentForums
Great video John C. Nige, I don't think the seller installed the sprockets or tracks. He said he got the loader from his neighbor. I think he moved some dirt with it and it's just something else to sell. I have not yet gone to look at the machine and I'm glad I haven't because I would not have known what to look for. Thanks everybody.
The seller should be able to get the info from the neighbor if that's the case. I'm usually leery when someone says they got the machine from a friend or neighbor yet can't provide much info. but even more so from a guy that dabbles in used machines here. Someone from BC was looking at a JD track loader with a backhoe and the ad was very similar to ads I'd seen in the past from the same seller. Premium condition, undercarriage a year old, was left over from when his family closed the excavating business, etc., etc. I said in that case he should have the receipt for the undercarriage and the service history. Sorry all the service records got thrown out when they closed down and they bought it after the undercarriage was installed. Why would you buy another machine if you were closing the business? Might have been a decent machine but when it's obvious the seller is feeding you a bunch of BS, they might not be on the up and up with anything else about the machine.
Yes, I am going to keep looking. I will watch this one and see if the price starts dropping. If it was priced according to known condition and not just speculation, that would be different.