Looking for some advice on buying my first dozer. I’ve got a farm that needs a new entrance and some cleanup, and I’m also planning to buy another property that will need similar work. So, I’m thinking about getting a dozer to tackle these projects and then sell it when I’m done. (And let’s be honest, it’ll be a fun toy too.) I found a 650H LPG with a winch and fairly low hours. It’s been gone through by a reputable shop and has 80% aftermarket undercarriage. The machine was originally used by a government forester. The only thing I’m unsure about is that it has a 96” blade. I’ve heard that might be an issue since the blade won’t fully clear the tracks when angled. Since I don’t have much experience with dozers, I’m wondering if this is a big drawback. Will the narrower blade affect its ability to do the work or hurt resale value down the road? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, and God bless!
Welcome to the Forums UK! Glad to have you. I'm a Cat guy but I've been in the seat of a couple of Deere dozers one being a 650H and I was very impressed with the power and balance the dozer has. Not sure what you are describing with the blade angled not clearing the tracks. Are you saying the blade will hit the tracks fully angled left or right? Any pics of the machine? Oh yeah War Eagle. We suck and we travel to your home this year for what will probably be another loss. Can't remember the last time AU played UK in Lexington. Have several friend groups coming up for the game - Wife and I are headed to Biloxi..
@CM1995 Thanks for the welcome and help! Glad to hear you’ve had good experience with the 650H. I’m not brand-specific, but Cats tend to come with a hefty price tag, even used, and they’re hard to find. That said, I’d consider picking one up if I found one that had been gone through by a reputable dealer. Apologies for the confusion earlier regarding the blade. The standard 650H LPG dozer typically comes with a 115-inch blade, but the one I’m looking at was a government forestry machine, and it was ordered with a 96-inch blade to clear paths more quickly, from what I understand. https://www.deere.com/assets/pdfs/common/products/dozers/dozer-crawler-dozer-650h-dka450h.pdf Looking at the Deere specs from the link above, it appears the dozer is 97 inches wide (Measurement “O”). With the blade angled and being only 98 inches wide, the tracks will end up running over the material that was just moved. In a straight push, that’s not an issue, but since the six-way blade is meant for grading, I’m a little concerned this could be a problem. Hopefully, that clarifies my question. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures yet. The dealer I’m working with has been in touch since I started looking for one, and they’re getting it ready to be sold. I’m planning to go see it at the end of this week. I’m sure your friends will have a great time in Kentucky, no matter who wins! If they come early, they should check out Keeneland for horse races and enjoy some good bourbon.
I spent a lot of time on many different brands and sizes of angle blade dozers. I cannot imagine the running a narrow blade like the one you are asking about. It will greatly limit the versatility of what you can do with it compared to one with a wider blade. Especially if you ever want to cut ditches with it. I would advise you to pass on buying it and get one with the proper blade on it. One with LGP tracks would be my preference.
Thank you for the feedback!
Yeah, I think the narrow blade defeats the purpose of having a 6 way blade. It sounds like a good machine otherwise though. I wonder if it might be possible to find a good used LGP blade, from a damaged machine, maybe the dealer could help locate one and switch it over? Maybe could look on Machinery Trader under dismantled machines.
Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback!
Gotcha on the blade. Since it was a fire service machine it probably had a very good service record the seller could supply. I'm with WD on a blade swap. Reach out to the salesman on the machine and see if the dealer has a used/dismantled machine yard. There could very well be a used blade out there that will fit the tractor properly. If the dealer doesn't have a used blade search the parts and attachments tabs on Machinery Trader.
Thank you for the info! We’ll see if they can do a swap. If not, I’m just gonna keep waiting to find one. Luckily I’m not in a rush. Thanks again for all the information. God bless.
Have you seen the machine? Some of the specs list 9.6 feet for blade width for a 650, which is 115.2 inches. Could it be a typo that reads as 96 inches?
I’ve not personally seen it, but I’m confident the dealer I’m working with is accurately represent it. I’ve been in conversation with him on the phone for sometime trying to get one of their machines that they clean up. Thanks for info though!