Picking up a tractor part at the CaseIH dealer and saw a clean looking Td 8 come off the truck. Like a moth to a yard light I was bouncing around it moments later. I've wanted a dozer for the farm for a long time. They want $14k, td 8e, 4500 hrs UC is pretty good, dry berco not turned, blade has new but used cutting edges (paint on unused edge) skin on blade is hardfaced in the corners but not patched or dung up (welds are really good if it was re-skinned) c frame doesn't have any welds. There is slop on the six way but there are shims to remove. Engine has been replaced with a Cummins from kamatsu. Has limb risers and back screen. Only thing missing is the seat belt. One cylinder weepy. It isn't what I really want (bigger, newer and Cat or Deere). Don't have a detailed history. But I'm feeling weak for this clean and not completely beaten up machine. Help me resist just buying my first dozer when I know parts are going to be a challenge, the steering levers are going to be a huge pain to climb over and she is old enough to be a grandma. One strange thing is the support for the idler (top) roller has been welded up on both sides. It looks like it was raised.
I lunged at a loader that caught my eye being a Allis sorta guy, have gotten serious use from the old beast but work on it A LOT. Had chances while arguing with myself on it to spend the green and get a Deere or Cat but could not be swayed. WALK AWAY FROM THE MACHINE BACK AWAY SLLOOWWWLY and forget it, look to something a lot less problematic for parts/service techs/age wear.
Just think of it this way. Why would anyone spend $14K on problems? When I bought my 61' D4 I had to run the idlers back for new rails, being mechanical adjustment it took 3 days of sweat, 8' pipe on track wrench, rose bud, penetrating oils of all kinds, cussing and wondering why I bought a crawler that old. Still have it though LOL, I think it's an illness Oh yeah, this should help, when I bought new rails I couldn't get rails with the same pad bolt size, the old set had 1/2" pad bolts and the new set of rails had 5/8" so we had to drill (we used a bridge reamer) out all those pads to 5/8" can't remember the exact # of holes something in the neighborhood of 260.
A mental illness! I take on projects like my grandma took in stray cats.....
I'll probably skin a few knuckles on my new-to-me 1966 D4D, but I doubt it will ever throw me any "codes" and I will never have to make payments. I prefer old cheaper problems to newer more expensive problems. If I was in business I might have a different position, but for a farmer. rancher or timberland owner, I think old iron is a good buy, all things considered.
Every DEF system and ecm controller I have deal with sure does make leaking old stuff look good. She had a pause between gears on the power shift and there was some oil on the bottom of the final drives. Some signs of owner frustration were welds on the rops to eliminate the tired rubber mounts. The lights were rubbed off and painted over the stub. The radiator didn't get hot tanked when the engine was done.... actually it looked like it had gotten handled roughly. I'd really prefer something heavier. 550g-h deere or even a D4h. It's a sign I'm getting closer.