Well after the D7F disappointment im looking toward a couple D6Cs. One is a 1972 standard shift and the other is a 1976 power shift. The 72 had the finals and rails done not long ago, not sure the hours of use since then but the owner said he has only used it around the farm for 3 years since. The lift cylinders need resealing and lights need to be fixed as well as a couple places built up on the track tensioners. Has full brush guards and wide pads and 14 foot angle blade The 76 has newer U/C with wide pads and a 14 foot angle blade, runs good and fully bush equipped as well and has winch. The power shift had a $5,000.00 work order 400 hours ago but the engine needs a front crank seal and water pump. Both machines were working last fall and owners just don't need them any more. Prices are both close to the same so I would be more worried just which machine is going to be better for general farm work and are there any areas of concern on either machine I should watch for. Thanks.
If priced similarly I'd definitely take the 76 and fix the oil seal and water pump. Others will confirm but it seems to me there were a few upgrades in later years. Fuel pump was one I believe. Been a few years since I looked a 6c's so u may be wrong too. Standards are okay and cheaper to fix if something goes south but the powershift is sure nice when working em all day long. Providing final drives are good there shouldn't be any real big areas of concern with either. The fact that they're wide pads is good for the soft spots you might be as they don't have allot of ground clearance. the bad is the 14' blade will work it pretty hard if you're pushing clay. It is only 35000 lbs +\- after all.
The 76 would be my pick, especially since it has a winch, which is very handy and expensive to buy separately. D6c is one of my favourite dozers.
I would go with the 76. I ran a 76 6C and must have ~1000hrs or more on it. GOOOOD machines. Mine was not a wide pad and I do not remember the blade being 14ft, close but not 14ft, most likely 12-12.5. The D7F would be a good machine if you were to get one,6C is just as good if not better and easier to move if you need to. Cheers L.D.
If it's in decent shape I'd choose the powershift. Fixing the crank seal isn't too bad. Hardest part is you'll have to raise the radiator to get access to pull the balancer. (Book says to pull the rad & whole rad guard as one piece but I'd just pull the rad by itself.) Doing that will give easy access to the water pump too. (Hopefully the water pump hasn't been leaking water into the oil pan) If it's anything like my 6c there will be 100 other things to fix once you get it home, but that's just part of having a 40 year old machine. Look up the serial numbers here: http://www.ironrecord.com/ to be sure of what year the machines are.... '76 would be a very late 6c
The radiator doesn't have to be removed to replace the front seal if the wear ring is okay, and if not, just seat the seal different to original. Remove the balancer ring and using it as a template, drill a plate with the bolt ring and one in the center for a pusher bolt. Install and put some pressure on the forcing bolt and strike the assembly with a appropriate sized hammer. My 6C pulley popped off surprisingly easily as it has a fast tapered snout. I then used a depth gauge to seat the seal. May not have been by the book, but definitely easier.
ive owned both and both are the benchmark of dozers everywhere i think,ive used them in the muddy ass ohio oilfield for years , im going to go against the grain and say id take the direct drivefor these reasons , less to go wrong ,easier and cheaper to fix tranny issues and for farming applications you can run steadt in higher gears without heating up your transmission.clumsy and slow but both have outlasted anything the competition has thrown at them.period