I am looking for a first dozer to work on my farm and do some work for hire on weekends. I have found a couple of dozers locally that might fill my needs. 1) 1997 Case 550G..... 600 hours......80% undercarriage. Is there anyway a dozer would have 600 hours at 12 years old and if it does is there any way that it would only have 80% undercarriage with that few hours. The Case dealer is asking $25,000 2) 1988 450C.....4400 hours with only 900 since complete overhaul. The owner says it has a "newish" undercarriage. He wants $17600 with a 20+4 trailer included. Will these do what I am wanting? Which one is more worth the money? What is the difference in "C" and "G" models?
the G is a newer machine...we have a 550 G longtrack...great little machine for its size, I would go with the 550 G...i could be wrong on this but the 450C will have the controls in the middle of the floor right between your legs with a 2 stick blade control, not as fun to operate if you are on it for a day because your left arm gets tired from supporting itself...that should be the case because the 850D I ran had those center controls the 550G will have the movement controls on your left arm rest and the blade control in one lever, much more comfortable to run, plus it is a little larger machine they are not strong heavy pushing dozers, they are more for finish work, but will push a good deal...plus if you go with the 550G you will be getting a turbo which is a definite plus
I don't have a lot of time on them, but I ran a 450 for a little bit. It was similar to what digger was talking about, 2 levers to control the blade. One did the angle if I remember correctly, and the other took care of the other 2 functions. This was a pain in the butt. I also suggest the 550 if it is in good condition, as the 450 will leave you asking for more, even on small jobs. One other thing that took some getting used to for me, the 450 I ran had an accelerator pedal instead of a decel.
the 550 will have an accel pedal too
Biggest difference in the two machines are the brakes. The 450c will have the older mechanical brakes, the 550G will have the internal spring applied, hydraulic release brakes. You will notice a lot less effort is required to brake a 550G than the older 450C. Drive the 550G straight forward, a slight pressure on either brake pedal will declutch that side just a slight bit more pressure it will brake that track. Yes the 450C did the same but way more effort required. The transmissions are rock solid in both these units. I believe the 550G also has a higher volume hydraulic pump to increase blade response.
1) 1997 Case 550G..... 600 hours......80% undercarriage. Is there anyway a dozer would have 600 hours at 12 years old and if it does is there any way that it would only have 80% undercarriage with that few hours. The Case dealer is asking $25,000 I would still try and haggle the price...