I am thinking about buying a 1979 International TD25 for $10,000. the machine looks good, runs good. has a ripper on the rear, tilt blade..... I know nothing about these machines, are they any good, are parts available, is there any known problems? about how heavy is the machine? I just need to flatten 3 acres of lava rock in Hawaii. will this machine be up to the task? how do they compare to a caterpillar d9h? thanks for the help!
Cool ! TD25C is an awesome machine . Got the horsepower , two speed steering clutches , and weight to back it up . Very quick & nimble for it's size & comfortable to operate . Slightly larger than a Cat D8K but not in the D9 class . Your machine with the ripper will weigh in around 73,000 pounds . In my area they were very common in coal mines & quarries in the 1970's & 80's Parts & machines are getting harder to find but can still get about anything you need at a cost , parts can be on the high side . Picture of the machine would help determine it's worth . Job site as well . I don't have any experience in lava rock ? Plenty in lime & sand stone . Few examples ... Spotted this one on machinery trader .. undercarriage from the pictures looks to be what I would call around 40% . Still has some time left in it but showing some wear . http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=10133993 This looks like a pretty nice well taken care of 25C with low hour carriage to give you an idea . http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=10515993
here are the only 2 photos I have. I will go to look at the machine tomorrow morning. I really have no idea what to look at. im hoping the owner will be honest! its sitting in dirt now, but spent most of its life pushing lava rock, im sure its fairly worn. but as long as I can make it last for 3 acres, it will be worth it.
Yeah redline808 ,clean the mud off and grab some close up shots of the sprockets & rails " track chain " . Blade trunion , and the elongated slot on the front idler . From what I can see the pads don't look to bad . And count the number of track pads on each side .
Okay, will do. how many track pad should there be? does the price sound good? I offered less and was countered with $10k thanks!
Raise the machine as high as it will go with the blade and take a good look at the bottom track rollers, especially the front ones. I spent some time on a TD25c and I really liked it.
New track has 38 pads . If the undercarriage is 50% or better and the rest of the machine checks out ......... 10K sounds like a good deal to me . Now I do all my own mechanic work & have tools & equipment to deal with life's little hassles like a connecting rod through the side of the engine block . LOL !
If that TD25 has been pushing lava, look very close at the undercarrige, There is NOTHING harder on a tractor than lava. Maybe drill and shoot first. Ripping is almost impossible. Having built Interstate 40 thru the lava beds in western New Mexico, D9 would only scratch the surface. Hopefully your lava is not as dense. Good luck in your endeavor.
Okay, I went to look at the machine. first I was told they filled up the transmission with 30w detergent engine oil, tried to run the machine, for how long I do not know, then realized what happened, they drained it and replaced it with 30w hydraulic fluid. I was told now the machine doesn't move properly until the transmission is warmed up but its "getting better" secondly it has some massive engine oil leak that I did not bother to try and find. we traveled about 250ft and lost 1qt of oil, fairly sizeable trail following us. other then that the machine looked great, track pads nice, link pins were not worn, sprocket was not worn, full track guards nice, and it started right up! the trunion on the left side had about 1/2" play and right side had about 1" of play and for some odd reason they had been moving it around with out the tracks tensioned properly, the left track was so loose the sprocket was skipping. I was going to request that the oil leak be fixed and I'd be interested, but the transmission issue scares me! thinking I will pass
Sounds like the 25 has some issues . Could be simple fix or more complex ? At that price I would expect some oil leaks . As for the machine not moving well until it warms up a bit could have something to do with the massive oil leak if it's transmission oil . Could be leaking around the transmission cooler or lines when operating , then when they shut it down air gets in the system ? That would explain the machine not moving well at first until the air gets worked out of the system . Myself , I would not give up on it yet . Bring a mechanic buddy with you and give the leak a close look . Check all fluid levels , and see if you can get the owner to operate it for a few hours on a project and have mechanic buddy watch & listen to the machine . Did you count the track pads ? Some useless television trivia .......... I'm a big fan of 1960's & 70's TV . Hawaii Five - O was filmed on location . In the first season , ( 1968 ) third episode " Strangers in Our Own Land " you will see some pretty good shots of a mid to late 1960's International TD 30 working on a jobsite . I cant help but think somewhere today on the Island there is an old TD 30 parked in the bush . Would be cool to get ahold of that Dozer
I have experience with the Hawaiian red dirt, but not with lava. As previously mentioned though, I would not be optimistic about a dozer of any size being able to handle the lava rock. It may peel off relatively easily if it is like working with cinders, but it may be impossible to rip as well. I share td25c's excitement regarding the machine, but it may be much less expensive to hire a contractor to do your work. If you buy the machine, have it hauled to your site, and it cannot perform the work due to mechanical issues or because the rock cannot be dealt with, your wallet may regret the do-it-yourself method. You did not convey what your experience with dozers is, but trying to level out your lot without operating knowledge may not work out so well, especially if you end up hiring someone else to come in and finish it. Working with rock can be made to look easy, but if gone about the wrong way it can be a nightmare. Another thought; while I don't know how much higher the rental rates in Hawaii are, I suspect that you could rent a D8T for a week for around $7,000 including mobilization, and probably for less than $2,200 per day. If the rock is manageable, and depending on how deep your cuts are, 3 acres could be done in one day. I would be willing to come over in January and run it for you if you wish! Good luck!
It has been a long time I don't recall a TD25 ever using 30Wt engine oil in the transmission. Changing to a thicker oil indicate bad seals inside the transmission. The price is probably right for what you would be getting but I'm with Oxbow on this recommendation. The track adjuster is also a big deal. As I recall these machines used a series of stacked belleville washers for a recoil spring. You could just have a blown track adjuster cylinder or those washers could be busted up. That would an expensive fix for someone who knows what they are doing. Finding an experienced mechanic in Hawaii and getting parts for a reasonable price in a timely manner will be near impossible.
TD30 at Albany, MN Pioneer show. Seen this TD30 Friday at the Albany show. I would like to see it push my DW21 Cat scraper to see how it would do.
That's pretty cool old-iron-habit ! Never have seen one in person myself . I imagine they are somewhat of a rare item .
Few shots of the TD30 working on the set of Hawaii-Five-O . McGarrett checking out the job site , LOL ! That dirt sure has a deep red color to it .
To be completely honest, until I seen it in person I did not know they made such a beast. Its comparable in size to a D9 that was a couple machines down the row.
The oil leak was definitely engine oil. there was a puddle of oil in the dirt of the belly pan. no transmission oil leak, im wondering if the engine oil they used in the transmission has damaged something causing it to not want to move when cold? air in the system is possible also! unfortunately they wont let me operate the machine for and extended period, so that's out. I forgot to count the track pads. I think im giving up on it.....LOL. I will continue to look for a cat D9G or H as I already have a G for parts. as for the tv trivia.........1968 was before my time. mostly as a kid I remember the theme song. dadadadaaaada dadadadadaaaaa dadadadadaaaaaada dadadadadaaaaaa........LOL
Your right, rock can be a nightmare! I have experience with all lava rock, the soft stuff, A'a, medium stuff, pahoehoe and the most difficult we call blue rock. I am by no means an expert when it comes to excavation but I can get it done and I like to believe I am easy on equipment? I have used the caterpillar D9G with a single shank ripper, and on the harder stuff making multiple passes, sometimes only going a few inches deep. a typical pin to pin rip on 1 acre in this area will take a D9 about 4 full days to complete. Most of my time is spend on smaller equipment, other machines have operated include the Komatsu PC50, Kolbelco SK03, International track loader 100e and the turbo 125e to name a few. its going to be nice and warm here in January
That's one of the things that scares me, I don't know what oil the transmission takes, and I couldn't imagine it using engine oil? the track adjuster im thinking could have something seriously wrong as well, why else wouldn't you just take a grease gun and tension the tracks unless the adjuster was broken? Reasonable price, timely manner and Hawaii do not go hand in hand. LOL. for example, when I broke a drive motor on our kobleco (my fault), it was cheaper to fly to southeast asia, pick up 2 used units, bring them back as really really really heavy checked luggage then it was to get just 1 from the states. oh, none at all available locally. at least I managed to work in a little vacation to
I'd like to thank everyone for helping me! Mahalo!