I might look at buying a John Deere 650H with around 7,000 hours on it. Are there any common problems with this model I should be aware of especially at these hours...mostly to do with the computer crap and the hydrostatics? Does the "H" have any emissions on it? I'd appreciate any feedback.
I wouldn’t be too scared of a 650H with 7,000 hours if it’s been maintained. Purchased several with more hours than that. For transparency I am Regional sales rep for Liebherr and I own my own equipment brokerage so I take equipment in on trade and find equipment and resell do it all and seen most of it all lol. So here my thoughts. The H series is old enough that you don’t have all the newer emissions stuff to deal with. No DEF, DPF or regen system. The hydrostatic drive would be the main thing I’d pay attention to. They are electronically controlled, so there are sensors and a controller involved, but nothing like the amount of computer stuff you get on the newer machines. If you go look at it, make sure you run it long enough to get everything good and hot. Push with it, run it forward and reverse several times and make sure both tracks pull evenly. Watch for any hesitation, surging, weak steering, warning lights or one side acting different than the other once the oil is hot. At 7,000 hours I’d also want to know how often the hydrostatic oil and filters were changed. A well-maintained hydrostat can go a long time, but if somebody neglected the oil and filters, repairs can get expensive in a hurry. I’d also look hard at the undercarriage because that can be just as big of an expense as anything else on a dozer. Overall, the 650H has a pretty good reputation. At those hours I’d be more concerned with how that particular machine was maintained than I would be worried about the model itself. If the hydrostat is strong hot, the undercarriage is decent and there’s some service history with it, I wouldn’t be afraid of one.
They are good solid tractors.
C&C Equipment on youtube has allot of goode Deere dozer repair videos. They show the good and the bad.
I agree with Grizz_Equip The 650H is generally a good, smooth 90-hp hydrostatic dozer. It has an electronic transmission controller and sensors, but it predates DPF, regeneration and DEF; emissions equipment is not the major concern. At 7,000 hours, measure the undercarriage, sample the hydrostat and final-drive oils, retrieve all stored codes, and work it long enough to get the powertrain completely hot. Test straight tracking, full-power turns and counter-rotation in both directions. Any weakness or unequal response when hot deserves pressure and case-drain testing before purchase. A worn undercarriage or hydrostatic system will matter far more than the hour-meter reading. Deere still provides a dedicated 650H owner-support page . The two manuals worth having are TM1743, Operation and Tests, and TM1744, Repair.