I'm looking to upgrade from an older cat loader to something newer. I've found several Dresser 175C's that Im interested in. Looking for advice from those that have been around or run these in the past to provide any and all input on known issues or other things I should watch out for or be weary of. I'm also eyeballing some 955L Cats and just trying to decide what would work best for me with the least amount of initial input of money after the purchase. I'll be using the machine for clearing land, logging, general maint, etc, around the farm. I may eventually get a tandem axle dump and trailer and do some occasional work, but thats way off. Any and all advice is appreciated.
I have a lot of hours on 175c's. If you can get one with a 4 in 1 bucket, they are very handy compared to the Cat's 4 in 1's. The 175's are 2 lever controls where the 955's I've seen our 3 lever controls( a little more work to clam up material) Personally I like the 175's better than Cat 955's for grading and loading trucks. Most operators I know would choose the Cat 955's, they do have better visibility. Both are nice machines.