first off I am a novice, I have run a few odd pieces over the years as a wrench for contractors but never "Operated" a crawler to do real work. I am looking to buy a unit for the Brother in Law and my farm to clear areas of scrub trees too large to bush hog and have two in mind: First is a well worn Dresser 175 in need of chains and drive sprockets, may need to rework lower rollers, it is a loader track unit and runs strong; second is a 11B Fiat Allis, tracks are very good 80+% but missing shields at drive sprockets and adjusters, blade is straight, runs well but 1/3 again more than the Dresser and is dozer. Thoughts from you that have dealt with these? Either be good for brush/stump/cut road working
machines I tremble when I hear Dresser and Fiat Allis, I know there are people out there that likes them, but HUMMMM these old machines will cost you a bunch of money and you will still have a old machine. I have friends that had these machines and it made them get out of the business. I would try to find a older Cat, Komastu, Case, not an older JD. There are a bunch of older good machine out there for sale, with the economy like it is. Suggestion, call your local dealers and talk to the used equipment sales person, they may know someone that is trying to sell their machine, before it is reposed. Just my 2 cents worth
2 cents can be worth a fortune if you buy into something too odd. Thanks for the return comment and I will shy from at least the FA 11B; Dressta dealer by me has good listings for the 175C, he is writing up a estimate for me to see if it worth my while to get into. This will be a farm use unit for the foreseeable future so I can spend a little and not use it as a business. JD is pretty prevalent around here but very pricey for what you get and I am shying away from them. Should it look too bad I will look to a 977 or 955 Cat that isn't too beaten down as I really think a loader will do us best.
Any suggestions as to the better of the two machine styles: loader or dozer for general use and land clearance/dressing for ag use? Machine may sit for fairly long durations between uses, will the dozer handle that better?
machine This is kinda a remark or something I would think about if I was in your shoes. Would a track loader be the best choice of a machine? I almost bought a track loader years ago to clear 10 acres, Im glad I went with a D5 dozer, in my opinion the term loader means a machine that loads or moves dirt. I know you can clear land with a loader, but is it the correct machine for your project? Just a comment
If I were buying a machine for general farm use,the Crawler Loader would be the machine.It would have a 4in1 bucket & ripper/scarifier fitted. You can load dirt & tree stumps,excavate a shed site,trim the road,push trees & lift stuff around your yard .I believe they are a machine you'll get more use from over the longer term. If you need to do more heavy push work,like big trees & dams,get a dozer. Don't bother with anything that needs big $ spent upfront. The 175 are a well liked machine,but your one is worn out. As Wills B said,you'll find lots of good deals at present & I would think you will get more value if you buy privately.
I dunno, I like my deere 450c trackloader for clearing, stumping and other duties. It doesn't grade like a 6 way dozer though. But its easier to rake roots and stump then with a dozer. With my loader, rippers are unnecessary, I just use my teeth. A good winch is a great addition.
Just my $.02 here - I would take a track loader over a comparable size dozer anytime clearing and grubbing. A 953 with a good operator can out produce a D5 size dozer or a 200 size hoe in reasonably accessible ground. Of course in steep grade conditions and large trees the hoe can be more efficient. A loader can push, drag, rake, stack, grade and load - all with one machine. The track loader is a under utilized piece of equipment IMOP. If I had to choose one machine for the stable, it would be a TL. Track loaders are just a big skid steer and we all know how versatile they are.