Heavy Equipment Forums Heavy Equipment Community

Buying a john Deere 555b

Anthonyleuci · 2019-09-27 17:51

Found a John Deere 555B has 2100 hours on it The owner bought it new he is now looking to get rid of it it’s been sitting for about a year and a half I went and stopped and looked at the machine today pretty clean has one busted hose that I think it’s from the oil cooler which is leaking undercarriage is about 50% I would say what’s everyone’s opinion about these machines I don’t really know the last time the machine really worked just told it was moved into the spot where it is sitting at currently a year ago or so and the owner of the machine is pretty elderly and just wants out of it I made him an offer but have not heard anything

Replies9
  1. #1petepilot2019-09-27 18:17

    any pictures

  2. #2Anthonyleuci2019-09-27 19:27

    Here r some

  3. #3Anthonyleuci2019-09-27 19:28

    I hear good n bad things about the 555

  4. #4Welder Dave2019-09-28 02:35

    First thing, don't trust the hour meter. Check on parts availability. JD has obsoleted a lot parts from some 80's machines. Have heard if the trans. needs repairs it is very expensive(cost prohibitive) if parts are even available. Sitting outside and neglected for a year and half or more, should reflect a lot on the price. Was it parked because of the leaking hose and was any other damage done because the hose leaked, hence the reason it was parked? Don't think a track should be sagging like that with "only" 2100 hours. I'd proceed real cautiously. Could be a major money pit.

  5. #5Tyler d4c2019-09-28 08:07

    A big Ctl will do the same work. I'd avoid it personally.

  6. #6Anthonyleuci2019-09-28 08:14

    So supposedly The owner is he a very elderly gentleman and is just selling it because he doesn’t do any work with it anymore and supposedly where it was parked at to where they moved it to last year that’s when the hose went bad both the batteries were stone dead I put a jump pack on it and it fired right up I made him an offer of four grand on it rear sprocket’s look like they are really good shape and pins and bushings have some wear nothing crazy

  7. #7Welder Dave2019-09-28 11:19

    4K might not be a bad price. The 4 in 1 bucket is worth at least $1000. A CTL and a track (crawler) loader are 2 different machines. Each has their place. General work in dirt/clay, finish grading or loading a truck, A CTL would likely be faster. Heavy digging in clay, working with rocks or working in brush clearing a crawler is a much better choice. If I recall a 555 is around 18,000lbs. so has a bit of bulk for heavy pushing.

  8. #8Anthonyleuci2019-09-28 12:08
  9. #9Anthonyleuci2019-09-28 12:11

    N that’s what I am looking for bc my case 590 has to munch stiff under it something could hit n not like I am going to work the thing ever day hard