I'm looking at picking up a 1999 Komatsu D21Q Track Loader. It only has 1800 hours on it. I can't find any information outside of Ritchiespecs about it. There is all kinds of information about the dozers, but not the loader. Does anyone have any experience with these? How powerful are they for a loader? Are most of the parts the same as the dozers? There just isn't any information out there and I'm not wanting to buy a lemon. Thanks in advance!
I've ran a couple, they can be 2 or 3spd powershifts, some are lever and some are pedal steer. I think they are all 40hp, can't remember the weight, but I guess you've got that. To me they were kinda fun to run, but not useful for very much. I guess that's why cat never built one that small and John Deere stopped building the 350 in the 70s. What is it that your wanting to use it for?
I'm a residential contractor and I'm looking for something that has more grip than a skid steer, but isn't monstrous in tight places. The one I'm looking at is a 1999 model and only has 1800 hours on it with new final drives and sprockets. It is a joystick unit. For me, a Bobcat T300 has the power, but in muddy conditions it just doesn't have enough bite. The D21 has a much larger surface area with the 20" wide tracks, but still about the same PSI. It also has a higher reach for loading trucks. I have a new Kubota KX-040 excavator for digging. I just need something to move material around the job site and is capable of digging into loose piles of dirt in muddy conditions. I need a small crawler loader, but something not terribly big that won't work on 1/2 acre lots. Thanks for the input!
That's one of the things I have always thought one could be good for.
How is the power on these machines? Will they scrape virgin soil without bogging down or spinning? It seems that 40hp would be a lot weaker than an 80HP track skid loader, but then I'm not the one with experience. Thanks for your help!
It's been a while since I ran one of those, and when I did I wasn't doing alot of pushing. Best I can remember they will spin the tracks but still push decent. I think a good track skid steer could do more work, faster for sure and might out push one. But It sounds like this little komatsu could probably work for you and will be alot cheaper than a good track skid steer.
If it's close enough I would probably just say you should go look at it and see if you can run it some, need to do that anyway and maybe there will be some dirt you can push in to and just see what you think.