Hello I am new to this forum so a little background on my situation. I have a couple hundred acres of pasture/ timber land in Alabama I run some cattle on. Some of the woods are old cut over about 15 years old with alot of 6 inch and less junk hardwoods (most less than 6 inch). I would like to add to some of my pasture by clearing some of those woods and just maintain the land. I have rented on several occasions jd450s and cat d5s. Cleared a few acres and wind rowed debris with them. Slow compared to large machines I know but able to do it to my spec. Problem I have is I work full time so when I rent I either have to take vacation or cram it in on a sunday regardless of weather. I am considering trying to buy one so I can do it when I have time. I would consider spending 25k to 40k to get one. I see jd450s, komatsu d37s in that price range but really know nothing about evaluating dozers. Do you you think I could find a decent one in that range that I would not have to work on all the time? Are jd, komatsu, cat all about the same in that size dozer? I might sell it in 3 to 4 years after work is done. How much wear would 5 or 6 hundred hours put on an undercarriage in Alabama red clay with light clearing(may be impossible to answer I know but opinions appreciated). Thanks dogdoc
make sure you buy one big enough.Lots of people think a little dozer suits a job like that just fine and it might,but I would buy one abit bigger than a tiny D37,D3 or D4.I'm in noway suggesting D8 size but you can't go wrong with any series of D6 or a D5H. Any Cat dozer will receive more interest when you come to sell it.
If it has tracks,it will need a mechanic at some point. Personally I like a Deere but with a Cat you won't go wrong. Please remember that the larger the machine the heavier the parts are to repair it. A 650 Deere, D4-5 Cat or a 1150 Case are all good choices. Dresser machines, while I like them are troublesome to find parts for since it has been sold to China. Just my .02