I'm thinking of buying a wheeled loader and have found an older Cat 966B. I haven't looked at it yet. According to the owner, the engine and transmission are good. But he did mention a few problems that concern me. First, it leaks hydraulic oil from an unidentified source up in the bowels of the machine. The oil comes from near the center of the machine. Total hydraulic oil lost in a day might be two gallons or so. The owner has been running it this way and does not know the source of the leak. Is this likely to be coming from the hydraulic pump? If so, how difficult and expensive a fix is this? Second, it has a steering problem. The loader won't turn all the way one way (to the left I think); it won't reach the stops. But when one tries to turn the other way, it turns all the way to the stops and wants to turn more. The owner tells me it vibrates or shakes badly when it reaches the limit of the travel. He thinks something is bent somewhere. Any ideas of the cause, the fix, and the cost for this? Third, it has no front brakes. The pots are gone. What's involved in fixing this? Are these specialized Cat parts? Are they expensive? Fourth, it sounds as if the loader mechanism needs work. All pins are worn and loose, but especiallly at the bucket. The arms have been repaired and welded. The bucket is worn, with missing teeth and cracks. What's a loader like this worth? Is it worth fixing? Or should one keep looking?
How much would you be paying for the loader? What are you planning on using it for. The hydraulic oil, might be an o-ring off the hydraulic pump. The steering problem could be anything, I've never heard of that happening. Maybe one stop is missing? The brakes could run you a few thousand bucks depending on how bad they are. Line boring for a bucket can be costly so isn't welding to rebuild the bucket. Unless you get the loader for next to nothing, I'd look for something newer or at least in better shape. You could be looking at $15K-20K in repairs just to get going.
too me, it sounds like whoever had the machine before never took care of it very well. What's the year? Hours? Like Mike said, you could spend the money on the machine, spend a further 15-20K in repairs, and God know's what else you could run into that could cost thousands of dollars. Seems like the loader got neglected.
The problems you mention are typical of a loader of that vintage. Hydraulic leaks in "the bowels" are usually a combination of "O" rings, "D" rings (know the difference, I am pretty sure you wil find both on this vintage machine) and hoses seeping, as well as worn control valves, pump seals, and worn steel lines. The steering problem is probably a bent follow up linkage, which limits the steering valve when nearing the stops, to prevent slamming the stops when turning. They sometimes bind and get bent. You can adjust them like a tie rod. Sometimes, you will have to remove and straighten it, but it is hard, because they are a funny angle when right, so its hard to tell just where straight is. The shaking is the steering valve still trying to turn because the follow up link has not limited the valve. For brakes, If you are mechanically inclined, they are not too hard to repair, and parts are available still. As for the worn pins, these old loaders are pretty forgiving in that department. You would be amazed at how bad they can get and still function. It all comes down to what you need a loader for. If it is needed for high producftion work, and you have a lot riding on it working and being reliable, run away, and set your sights on a much newer machine, but if you need a rugged old workhorse to get the work done, but are tollerant of downtime for minor things on a regular basis, it would be fine. I would think you could get a machine like that for $15 to $20K If you want a tight loader this size, look for a 966E of F, and be ready to spend 75K for a decent one. I kept a 988 87A series for 14 years, and it started out in the condition you described. If I tried to use it as a production machine, it would constantly blow hoses, "O" rings, and have other problems, but if it was worked easy, it would just keep going. I could put 2 fingers in the hole along with the bucket pins, but it still worked, and it would cost more than the whole machine to fix. The oil leaks were bad, but it was paid for, and made a lot of money over the years. There is still a demand for these old Cat loaders in Mexico, and they seek out the 966 and 980 sizes for the small aggregate operations.
Thanks for the replies. It sounds as if the repairs would be costly, and I probably would not be content without at least dealing with the worst of the problems. So even if I pay $15,000 for the loader, I might have two or three times that much in it by the time it's ready to work. I need a loader for a small gravel pit operation - mainly to move fill and gravel for distances up to 100 yards or so. Something with a reasonably large bucket (3 or 4 yards) would make that fairly efficient. And I'd like to buy a screener and use the loader to feed the screener. It would not work every day; it might need to work about 500 hours a year.
You might get on the Cat board and check out this one...966A model. http://www.antiquecaterpillar.net/ACF_v2/showthread.php?t=13932 same machine, the "other" cat board... http://www.acmocbb.org/ACMOC_BB/showthread.php?t=4902 alan627b
If you don't have to have a cat, 20-30 g's will buy a nice machine in that class size and a fairly new one with a lot of hours tho. This machine sounds like a basket case to me i would pass, even if you want to spend only 15k, u could find nicer machines than this one
No, it doesn't have to be a CAT. I have long thought that the John Deere 544 and 644 models are OK, and they seem less expensive than the Cats. Any experiences with those models? Or other suggestions?
I would suggest checking the two pins /bearings that the machine articulates on . I would also suggest getting prices on each repair from an independant shop.
another thing to remember, i know this is my first post, but remember regardless of the condition of the machine, this is the absolute wrong time of year to buy a loader.....
I disagree there Dan. If you have work for it, prices are the lowest in years, and that tells me it is the right time to buy. Prices usually go up in the spring, so if you have a need, it is a great time to buy.
prices seem to have historically gone up, here in snowstorm country, beore the snowstorms start on the older loaders, maybe I should have been more specific.....and the prices dont seem all that low for the equipment Ive gotten prices on in the past few weeks. Interest rate is ridiculous, and the trade allowance is pitiful. I would think both would be better.