Does any one know where I can find a list of the changes that Deere,Case, and Cat made on the dozer/loader models? I'm looking for a dozer or loader to use on our farm, but this alphabet soup has me going in circles trying to figure out what machine has what.
What do you want to do and what is your budget? Machines have pretty much done things the same way for decades but a new machine will obviously be nicer and easier to run. You need to narrow done exactly what you are wanting to do.
The first use will be reclaiming 200 acres of fields from about 20yrs of brush and tree growth, mostly cedar and hickory. After that it will stay on the farm for odd jobs (clear fence lines, fix washed out roads, etc). Budget has not yet been determined. So far, it's looking like a Cat 5/6, or 955 loader, or similar size machine will work for us, but narrowing the options down farther by the A,B,C's of the models is what has me stumped. I know I don't want a machine with a computer on it or a machine that I can't get parts for. It sounds like the dry brake models will be a problem when it sits for a while.
ritchie specs will give you some info, but you have to search a little to find the differences and it might not cover the older models, should be fine with Cat though. The 2-4 page sales brochures are a lot easier to read if you can find them online. When you find a couple of specific machines locally, then search the model numbers for conversations about their pros and cons. This site and a couple others have lots of old timers that know their strengths and weaknesses.
The A,B,C's indicate major design changes. Rick