Cat 963 vs 973 vs 983, Which to Purchase?

You don't want a 983. Just too expensive to own and operate and parts would be astonomical. A 973 is also big and expensive to run. A 953 or 963 would be your best bet or maybe a good 955L. Not as productive but not as expensive to fix a major problem. Nothing wrong with a Japan built machine. Some had Nippon Denso electrics but not a big deal. Whatever you're considering pay an experienced mechanic to check it out for you. If any machine needs undercarriage you're looking at a big bucks to replace.

FWIW I know where there is a 977 with a thought to be blown torque converter that can probably be bought for scrap price. Engine was running when the TC went out or that's what they think it is.

Not worth it to the owner to put the money into it and he's an excavation contractor...

Have a really long think about buying any old hydrostatic loader.Could bankrupt you.
If buying old,you’d be better off with a Cat dozer as they are much easier to fix and you’ll have a much broader spectrum of genuine and non oem parts to choose from.

nicky 68a said:

Have a really long think about buying any old hydrostatic loader.Could bankrupt you.

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If you decide that you absolutely MUST have a track loader, and IMHO you haven't made a substantial case WHY you need one yet, then look at an older 955 or 977 as suggested by CM.

Hello, im a bit late here but i can tell you from first hand experience that if you dont have a full service shop w experienced guys, then you dont want a MASSIVE machine. Without cranes and big forklifts etc, doing work on the big monsters can be a MOD EDIT.
And if you get 1 stuck, then only a MOD EDIT will get you out.
Ive had 10000 pound massey track loaders and a 65000# fiat(fl20) loader. A 963cat and a 755 deere and a 555deere and a fiat fl14(and a few others) One of my favorite and easiest to work on was a mid 60s model massey track loader w a stick shift trans and a backhoe on the back(it was about 14000). It was very versatile and would do anything the big machines could do, just slower cause the buckets are smaller.
It also had a VERY slow 1st gear which i LOVED !!!
The only exception where a massive machine has a meaningful and necessary benefit is tearing up/loading BIG pieces of rock which the small machines wont do.
However, for dirt work an old slower stickshift(and exceedingly simple) machine thats slower is far better for the hobbiest for a host of reasons.
And by slower it aint really that much slower. You are moving just as fast and sometimes faster, you just are moving dirt slower because of bucket size.
small ones are also able to be toted around locally behind a pickup truck to do odd jobs for money or friends as well as they can do the smaller tighter jobs that the big ones simply cannot do.
Dont get me wrong, the big ones are FUN but theyre not all theyre cracked up to be.
Like everything in the west theyre promoted as "newer and bigger is automatically better" which is TOTAL nonsense.
For example i have a 1987 deere 755b and while its a nice machine and has counter rotating tracks, it is TOO FAST. And the counter rotating tracks are nice once in a while, you dont need them.
It also cannot be slowed down for detail work. My 1975 OLDER AND MUCH SMALLER deere 555 is actually a better all around machine.
People complain about them because they tear thenselves apart powershifting them at full throttle.
Guess what i NEVER DO on any of my machines ??
Yep, powershift at full throttle.
With hydrostatic you can do this, but again, you are still slamming a lot of steel weight and reversing its direction. This is HARD on everything.
On my 555 i power down for every direction change and then power up like its a stick shift. It becomes a fluid action in no time and i wore a set of sprockets out and have never touched anything internal.
How much of a hurry are you in ?? Lol.
Enter the smash up derbies if you love speed and destruction. Lol
So id personally recommend the oldest decent simplest machine you can find with ZERO electronic controls on the engine etc.
I paid 10 grand for my 555 deere and it was medium hours from original owner and kept inside and maintained fairly well and no turbo and zero electronics.
I will probably keep this one forever.
Its 100hp w no turbo and weighs 21000lbs. That means it has significantly more power per pound than my 87 deere 755(160 for 38000lbs) and than my 86 cat 963(140 for 43000lbs).
the cat is noticably underpowered compared to ideal. The 755 is not and feels peppy, but the 555 feels more powerful than both because it is more powerful for its size and its engine is working less hard to make that machine move.
My most recent purchase is a 1976 fl14 in very good shape w a drive issue on 1 side. Im not sure what we are gonna find there...
So theres my 2 cents. Lol

No need for the curse words. Wait till you have trans. issues on the 555. They don't have a good track record and are beyond expensive to fix if you can even find parts. You can adjust the max. speed on a JD 755 and it is way more productive than a 555. My former neighbor traded his low hour 555 for a 755 and it's like night and day difference. The 755 had so much pushing power it deformed the back of the bucket enough you could see the mounting ears sticking out. I think a 555 is closer to about 18-19,000lbs. but depends on counterweights. I wouldn't recommend a JD or Fiat Allis though. In an older machine it's best to stick with Cat. They hold up pretty good and parts are much more available. Also a lot more used parts out there. 955K or L, 951C or 977 K or L. L models with the newer 3304/3306 would be the most preferred. Maybe a 953 or 963 if you wanted a hydrostat. 983 or 973 are just too big and too expensive to fix. Keep in mind the bigger machine the more expensive the undercarriage is to replace as well as anything else.

Welcome to the Forums cp. You are going to have to take the language down about 5 notches in order to be a member here on HEF.

Thanks in advance

PS - I'll take my 953C loader over a powershift loader any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Hydrostatic trans. is way more productive but on a used machine needs to be fully inspected because they are very expensive to repair. Early 953's with 3204's should have the engine checked out too. Not as long of life as a 3304 and other Cat engines.

MOD EDIT -


Take the politics and BS elsewhere.

BTW Chicago is not Texas..

CM

Lots of wisdom expressed my friends. I envy being able to drive the hydostat's with the counter rotating tracks, its the costs and potential costs that have kept me away. Generally my use is just on my place with lots of room anyway. If you thought "gee maybe the D7 would have been better" maybe the 977 would be the right amount of "Grunt" for you. Lots of heavy parts but cheaper and easyer to find than a 983. Off Road sells most all the parts after market.

That maybe the shortest time a member was on hef in the history of hef

Especially after being given a friendly reminder to tone it down. It's never helps to question if a moderator is in fact a moderator.