I used the search option with no success. Hope not a repeat thread. Looking for a large grader. Will be either Cat 16H or a Komatsu GD825. Plenty of Cats around, not many Komatsu. (IN AUS). Iam familiar with the 140H & 140VHP, so Iam guessing the 16H is no different for reliability and durability. Please elaborate if you want. Iam leaning more towards the Komatsu but I know nothing about them. There's a couple of dash 2 around. They are cheaper than the CATS of similar vintage. Just doing private farm work. Large channels, drains and roads etc. Nothing fancy, just simple stuff. So what's the pros and cons of a Komatsu please. Cat or Komatsu? Simple one word answer please. No brand wars thanks.
Have you considered why they are significantly cheaper than a Cat of similar vintage..? It's because nobody wants them ...... A GD825 wouldn't be my choice over a 16H. However if you can get parts for the Komatsu in your neck of the woods and it's going to be used for the type of work you indicate then there is no reason why it couldn't be made to work.
Yes Nige I can probably assume why they are cheaper but does that mean I can spend the $30-80k I might save, on a speed boat or dirtbikes, or do I need to keep the money in a safe place for a possible engine, trans or diff failure. Just found out today that one of the Komatsu's being advertised has a major engine problem. Like a big end or main bearing. Is this a problem engine?
Of the Komatsu graders I've worked on the engine was usually the least of your problems. The blade, blade circle and pinion drive was always falling apart. The front wheels were greased instead of oil. You had to pull them off every 500 to 1,000 hours, clean them out, regrease and reassemble again with new wheel seals. The tandem drive saddle bolts come loose and fall in the dirt. The operator seat was made for starved Asians and fell apart quickly under a well fed American. I did see a couple of 825s come back from Alaska come to think of it. On one the engine had little compression left. The other wouldn't hold hydraulic oil in anything. They were on the north slope for one season. I've had to work on most of the major brands and I think Cat makes the best, if you can afford it. Komatsu was the worst I've had to put my hands on. Why do you need such a big one?
Thanks John, that's the sort of stuff I need to know. The farming family Iam involved with have some big irrigation channels that need overhauling. There's at least 50km of channel, with big banks hence the need for a 25T plus grader, plus all the drains and farm roads that also need maintaining.