I'm thinking a wheel loader might suit my needs better if I get my rezoning. I don't have a big budget. I've seen a couple Daiwoo/Doosan 200 size that are 1987 ($29,000) and 2002 and a 1994 Hyundai HL740 ($28,500) as well as a 1991 Komatsu WA420-1 and a 1972 Cat 966C. The most expensive was the 2002 Doosan with about 3750 hours for $42Kcad. It was repainted with excellent tires but showed signs of rust. I realize the Komatsu and Cat are bigger but are the Korean loaders worth considering? I've read the 966C ($33,000) is pretty bulletproof but also read the Komatsu 420-1 ($34,000) is highly regarded. It is more modern. Condition being similar what would be the first/best one to consider?
From a maintenance perspective the 966C uses the old style loader linkage and being a bit long in the tooth it may have a bit of wear or a lot. They have a lot more bores and faces to wear out and I can tell you from experience there is 4 times the hours to tighten one up compared to the Komatsu. The Korean loaders have never really got a hold but I'm not sure why. Some of my clients tried them and they kept me busy line boring them. They had axle and transmission issues from memory
A dash 1 Komatsu 420 would be very old and harnesses are likely not available at all on it. Further more if you need something like a air brake dryer it will be lots if available, not including heater fan motors and the like. I worked a fair amount on WA 380 loader and the engine parts were super expensive. I am guessing even transmision seals would be no longer available . Very risky in my opinion. Simon C
I think a wheel loader is an underrated machine in this day and age age. If they are set up right they are as handy as shirt pockets. Mine 910 has a quick change on it so i can run the bucket,forks and trailer hitch. The 910 is a little small to load tandem gravel trucks,but is great to move dirt around job sites,plow snow,do a bit of grading,pack stuff with the forks and a bit of a shop lifter when i need it.Mine is X plated so i can drive it on the road if i need to.Its old,1979, but i look after it.Mostly sits at home now for gardening. I bought almost 15 years ago for 11,000.00 and its earned its keep long ago on my jobs.I used to take it to any job where there was things to be moved and charge a nominal daily rent for it,so it paid itself off quickly.For non production work an old Cat wheel loader is hard to beat. The 910 is a bit small, if i was looking for more id find a 950 with a quick change.
Thanks, this is good information. I'd have thought Komatsu would have pretty good parts support for older machines in the late 80's/early 90's. I think a Cat 950 would be ideal. The 930's are also known to be very long life machines. They do have a lot more pivot points though. I'd look into parts support for any loader I was considering. Here is the low hour Doosan and the 966C from the same place. The rust around the name plate and the switch panel as well as the new paint makes me think it was used in a somewhat corrosive environment. It also has a shackle on a lift/tie down. Maybe it was lowered into something to clean out salt or something. 2002 Doosan Daewoo MG200 V Wheel Loader with Bucket • Mega 200V Loader #11200 BP 2002 Doosan Daewoo MG200-V Wheel Loader with Bucket • Mega 200V Loader WE SHIP DIRECT TO YOU, USA, and Worldwide!! Financing Available • Stock Number: 11200 BP • ... jphequip.com 1972 CAT 966C Wheel Loader #11157 JA 1972 CAT 966C Wheel Loader WE SHIP DIRECT TO YOU, USA, and Worldwide!! Financing Available • Stock Number: 11157 JA • Located Near Camrose, AB • 170 hp CAT Diesel E... jphequip.com
Doosan might be okay until broke down. How many guys close by know anything about them, none is my opinion. Which makes it a lawn ornament or need a big parts cannon if any available. Simon C
How does the Doosan look to you? I worry the paint is covering up other issues. Elvaan Equipment Solutions that used to be Jade Equipment is the new Develon dealer. Develon is the new name for Doosan. I think there's another dealer too but Elvaan/Jade are really good with Champion and Volvo graders parts so I'd check with them first about parts for older Doosan/Daiwoo parts. I won't put a lot of hours on equipment but will keep it for a long time. It's worthless if 3-5 years down the road I need a specific part and it's not available. That's why I'm glad my 86 track loader is a Cat. If it was a JD I think I'd SOL for a lot of parts. Some Cat parts are no longer available but critical ones are.
We have two 966Cs that are pretty reliable. We don't run them hard, they might load a few dozen trucks a day for a month and then they might sit for a month. I don't know much about Komatsu loaders other than a commercial pit we haul out of has several of varying sizes and ages from I'd guess about 1990 to the mid 2000s and they are all parked. The mechanic didn't have a real high opinion about them.
What kind of work are you planning on doing? The Doosan looks pretty shiny,but i know nothing about them. That 66 dosent look bad ,no third valve so it likely hasnt handled logs. Those old 966s are pretty bullet proof,ive seen all kinds of them that age still going strong.
We've owned 3 or 4 old Cat 980's for the last 25 years. Used for snowplowing a huge mall. Up until about 5 to 8 years ago any part was available from Cat. Aftermarket stuff is still available for almost any important part. Now we've sold them all off as we're out of snowplowing big contracts. We purchased a crusty but good running 2013 Hyundai 740-9. It's a 3 yard machine. It a great operating machine. Here's the downside. Aftermarket parts are non existent. OEM parts are unbelievably expensive and not readily available. You can save money by buying direct from Korea but it takes time. Also you do you trust might be a scammer with a good website. Lastly we encountered a problem and asked on here . Not many know anything about these machines. You're petty much on your own. I was shocked by the lack of responses. Ask about a Cat and you'll get way more help.. For what you're doing an old Cat loader is the way to go. So, what if the bucket linkage is loose. just my experience with a Korean loader.
Spent some time on the controls of a 938H. I liked it. Decent size for a yard unit, used it mainly for loading/unloading and snow clearing.
The 966 looks pretty clean. Decent tires. Probably simple to work on, plus you always have Nige. Big loader though for personal use. Probably likes her fuel. I never liked air brakes on a loader. If I had the money I'd have to buy it cause I always loved how they sound
Have worked a lot on 966D, and 966E, F, little on the C's. They are heavy to work on without a good crane to get a tire off to do repairs or anything else. 930, 928 size machines are quite a bit lighter, but depends on what a person plans to do with it. Simon C
It will be awhile until I figure out if a wheel loader is a better machine for my needs. Finning in BC has a 966C on consignment for $35K. I found an ideal loader but it's in BC too. It's a Cat 950 with a bucket and log grapple as well as a newer engine. I don't need a grapple but apparently the loader has always been kept inside. Asking price is $40K. It looks really clean and well maintained. Hopefully if I do need a loader I can find something like that.
One downside to a 966c and probably similar vintage Cats is the hydraulic controls are pretty heavy. They aren't pilot operated and they have a bit of a detent to help you hold the lever all the way forward or back but that means you also have to move the lever past it which by the end of the day can give you a sore shoulder.
I wouldn't be doing a lot of production work. I notice Cat used 2 levers for years after most others were a single 2 way joystick for lift and bucket. My track loader works good but I'm afraid the sand will destroy the undercarriage in short order. The other concern is how well the dump truck will work once the top layer of ground with some grass is gone. If the dump truck is struggling I don't want to break an axle or something. A wheel loader would be slower but more useful in the long run.
Probably not relevant, but my experience here in Australia. In my day job we run a Volvo L150F and L180F. Both excellent reliable machines. Parts availability is great both OEM and aftermarket. Most engine parts are the same as similar vintage trucks and are much cheaper to get from truck part supplier. At home I run a Volvo 4400. It is 45 years old yet parts are still mostly available aftermarket. I have found that many Volvo parts are available from Turkey about half the price I can buy them locally. I have purchased quite a few smaller parts and the quality has been fine. Big items are expensive to freight from Turkey. I also have a fair bit of experience with the following: Kawasaki 80Z V2. Parts and information are virtually non existent - wouldn't touch one Furukawa FL230 Filters are virtually non existent let alone anything else - wouldn't touch one Hyundai HL-757-7 Great little machine. Plastic interior is crap but 13k hours few problems. Ok aftermarket support. Komatsu WA320-1 Great old machine. Some filters are uncommon. Haven't had to purchase but parts would be impossible to find here. I personally prefer the Volvo machines to everything else. Parts are available, parts manuals are available, I think they are the most comfortable, and for various reasons their resale value holds up (I would guess similar to Cat). I cant speak for other brands, but Volvo also seem to use many parts and service items over many machines of the same vintage. This probably explains the aftermarket support for them. Finally, if one was trying to source second hand parts here on the East Coast of Aus, Cat and Volvo parts are praticably the only things available.
The sand operation here has a mix of Volvo and Cat loaders. They bought a Volvo 350 a couple years ago. One of the brothers likes Cat loaders and the other likes Volvo. Cat generally has better service but if the service starts lacking they will buy Volvo instead. The brother I talk to the most says having two brands makes the dealers keep up on the service if they want to sell more machines. They also have Cat and Volvo rock trucks, I think preferring the newer Volvo. All their excavators are Cat as far as I know.
I went through this a year ago, As with anything finding a machine with some service/repair history is the biggest issue. I was looking at cat 950f and G's, Case 721/821's, and Volvo 90-120 E and F models. I had some options on some big older komatsu's but talking to a couple of guys It sounded like there can be some maintenance work in the transmissions the I wasn't interested in getting involved in. Anything that size has a bunch of hours on it by now unless it was used by a municipality. Of the half dozen machines I looked at the only ones that had an honest hour meter were the 20k hour machines.Be suspicious of anything with a low hour meter, and honestly most of these dealers are just buying stuff off the auctions, maybe painting or dolling it up a little, listing it and playing dumb or outright lying. The cat you listed probably has the least headaches if its a strong running machine, its definitely got the dealer support. If money was no object Cat would be my first choice, probably followed by volvo or deere, then Case. I ended up with a case 821b, and I've had a 621 for a long time, they're pretty stout simple old machines, but like anything they wear out so current condition is key.