looking to buy a 1650k. Can anyone tell me if I would be better off with a l series. Hydrostatic transmission came on the l as did emissions on the engine. What is it like to run the k series transmission. I don't particularly care for all the electronic controls on the hydrostatic transmission. This dozer will be for mountain work, fire line work. I know everyone thinks cat is the best but I don't really think so. I'm after either Komatsu 61ex-15, John Deere 700h, or this case 1650k. I know there not all exactly similar size wise but I have reasons I pick those 3. I've always thought that case dozers weren't really up to heavy mountain work but I have seen them used in some ridiculous abusive operator environments in the mountains with rocks and there still going. Beat looking but still there. Any first hand experience with a 1650k would be appreciated. It's not that I don't like cat equipment. I just don't like to pay the premium to buy it. Also not a fan of high track. Modified track frames can be done but the cost is to high. Are these 1650k as good a deal as they look. Resale is terrible on them. Is it justified or not. I probably will put 3-500 hours a year on the tractor. Want low hours on the machine and simple and mechanical as you can get these days. Electrical does need to be done right. With good protection from corrosion and wear.
The case 1850 and 1650 never really caught on in the market. Deere and Cat have the market cornered in my area. My experience is from working at a case dealership. K series had the cummins, L series had Iveco. L series is only tier 3 emissions, so no real problems. K series is getting hard to find parts for. Check and make sure you can get some of the basic parts still. Others with the 1850K cant get some parts, undercarriage for example, idlers I think were discontinued. The 1850K and 1650K were a fiat-hitachi machine, rebranded for case. (hence why it has a hitachi key) The 1650K is relatively basic, and not to bad to work on. Definitely less electronics than the L series. Minimal amount of electrical issues on the 1650K. Some transmission issues, where the paint comes off in the transmission, and plugs the suction screens. That takes out the transmission bearings (input bearing fails first). Overall not a bad machine, just not as much support as Cat and Deere, or Komatsu.
Sounds kinda scary not able to get parts for a 10 year old machine. What about the 1150k. Looks to be a similar size as a Deere 700h. Are parts a issue with them also.
Almost prefer the obsolete hard to find parts for Allis I have, these sound horrific and not that old. What I keep seeing and hearing is stick with Cat/Deere/Older by a long shot Case.
1150K (and everything smaller) was a made by Case. The 1650L was also made by Case. I have not ran into parts issues with these units as of yet. There is better support for the models actually made by Case.
61 Komatsu is almost a 20 ton machine. They are pretty solid. The Deere is a good machine , depending on budget a 6N diff steer machine is a contender. If I were going to buy a Case it would be the L model. Listen to Gary on this. I do like the looks of the M series. I would steer clear of the finger tip control machines from cat . Just my opinion.
In 2005 we bought a low hour 1650K to help with building well pads. The dozer will push great but you have to wind the motor all the way up. Seems like the drive system robs a lot of power. It has never really given us fits besides the transmission problem mentioned above. I can attest to the transmission getting hot and we took the filter element off and found paint inside. Cleaned it but haven't bulked enough dirt to know if it's fixed. It's not near as nimble as a hydrostatic L series dozer will be. It has counter rotation that helps but only works in neutral. Being a powershift transmission it's not the best for hillside work. The brake is absolute horrible, it will put you through the windshield. There is no feathering it. Overall it is a good machine and I can finish grade with it a lot better than the new 850L we have.
Probably going to pass on a machine that's getting hard to get parts for.
I think the 1150 is a better size for me anyway.