I'm looking at buying a 1977 Deere 750 D dozer for some initial heavy homestead ground prep then to be used for property upkeep. Hour meter shows about 250 hours, so I figure somebody might have put in a new meter when some major work was done to keep track of the hours on a rebuild. Unit recently went through auction so I don't know the history. Don't see any oil on the engine, but there is a hydraulic leak somewhere in the back that drips out of the access ports under the machine. Asking price $15,000. Going to take her for a test run later this week, and would really appreciate some input as to pricing, potential problems, parts availability, undercarriage condition, etc. If I buy a yellow money pit my wife might bury me with it...
looks like the tracks are about gone not that I wouldn't run one past that point just wouldn't want to buy it like that because replacement tracks can cost as much as they are asking for machine the oil leak would bother me also if I remember correctly that machine is hydrostatic
Looks like the sprockets have seen their better days too...
That's right, I think it's a hydrostatic. Read that the final drives could be finicky, but apparently this one seems to be running strong. I need to flatten the top of a hill and build a couple of small ponds, then it would see just occasional use. I'll try to track the oil leak...hopefully it's just a hose or seal. The seller said it didn't seem to leak while he was running it to build a pond, but started after he parked it for awhile. Is it likely the sprockets and tracks have another 500 hours in them? Would also be great to hear from anybody that's had one of these old dozers.
It's a straight 750, ignore the "D" it had to do with which factory it was built at. Good machines in their day, the hydrostats were dependable but when they did have an issue, it was often an expensive one. One thing about the tracks, if you buy it don't let it get to the point where the tracks are jumping a tooth on the sprocket, quickest way there is to trash the finals with the exception of running them out of oil.